The siege of Puebla occurred between 16 March and 17 May 1863 during the

Second French intervention in Mexico The Second French Intervention in Mexico ( es, Segunda intervención francesa en México), also known as the Second Franco-Mexican War (1861–1867), was an invasion of Mexico, launched in late 1862 by the Second French Empire, which hoped to ...

, between forces of the

Second French Empire The Second French Empire (; officially the French Empire, ), was the 18-year Imperial Bonapartist regime of Napoleon III from 14 January 1852 to 27 October 1870, between the Second and the Third Republic of France. Historians in the 1930s ...

and forces of the

Second Federal Republic of Mexico ) , common_languages = Spanish (official), Nahuatl, Yucatec Maya, Mixtecan languages, Zapotec languages , religion = Roman Catholicism ( official religion until 1857) , currency = Mexican real ...

. The French were advancing toward

Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...

, and were blocked by Mexican troops at

Puebla Puebla ( en, colony, settlement), officially Free and Sovereign State of Puebla ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Puebla), is one of the 32 states which comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 217 municipalities and its cap ...

Background

French forces had advanced toward Mexico City in 1862, but were defeated at Puebla on 5 May 1862. General

Charles de Lorencez Charles Ferdinand Latrille, Comte de Lorencez (23 May 1814 –16 July 1892) was a French Army general under Napoleon III during the 19th century. He was a relative of the Empress Carlota of Mexico, who was the only daughter of King Leopold I, ...

was dismissed and replaced by General Forey, who arrived at

Veracruz Veracruz (), formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave), is one of the 31 states which, along with Me ...

in September 1862. During the winter, the French prepared for a new campaign in spring 1863, while in Puebla, Mexican forces under the command of General Ortega built new fortifications, including ''Fuerte'' ("fort") San Javier.

Siege

The siege began on 16 March with an encircling movement led by Generals Bazaine and Douay. By 18 March, encirclement was effective and by 22 March, a relief attempt by Mexican troops from Cholula had failed. On 29 March, French troops made the first assault on Fort San Javier. Against serious resistance from the Mexicans, it took 20 hours for the French to emerge victorious in a particularly confused melee. On 31 March, the French seized the convent of Guadalupita. From that moment resistance became even more ferocious. The Mexicans raised barricades in every street and forced the French to fight house to house. Simultaneously, the French repulsed another Mexican offensive which aimed to break the siege. On 25 April, after failing to capture the convent of Santa Ines, the French decided to hold their position and wait for siege artillery to arrive. Troops of the

French Foreign Legion The French Foreign Legion (french: Légion étrangère) is a corps of the French Army which comprises several specialties: infantry, cavalry, engineers, airborne troops. It was created in 1831 to allow foreign nationals into the French Army ...

escorted the siege artillery. During this operation, the famous

Battle of Camarón The Battle of Camarón (french: Bataille de Camerone) which occurred over ten hours on 30 April 1863 between the Foreign Legion of the French Army and the Mexican army, is regarded as a defining moment in the Foreign Legion's history. A small ...

took place. From 5 May, General

Ignacio Comonfort Ignacio Gregorio Comonfort de los Ríos (; 12 March 1812 – 13 November 1863), known as Ignacio Comonfort, was a Mexican politician and soldier who was also president during one of the most eventful periods in 19th century Mexican history: La ...

attempted to break the siege, but failed both at

San Pablo del Monte San Pablo del Monte is a municipality in Tlaxcala in south-eastern Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United Stat ...

and at

San Lorenzo San Lorenzo is the Italian and Spanish name for Lawrence of Rome, Saint Lawrence, the 3rd-century Christian martyr, and may refer to: Places Argentina * San Lorenzo, Santa Fe * San Lorenzo Department, Chaco * Monte San Lorenzo, a mountain on t ...

. On 8 May, 7,000 Mexicans attempted a great

sortie A sortie (from the French word meaning ''exit'' or from Latin root ''surgere'' meaning to "rise up") is a deployment or dispatch of one military unit, be it an aircraft An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to flight, fly by gaining supp ...

, which was repulsed by General Bazaine. On 16 May, the besieged Mexican garrison asked for an

armistice An armistice is a formal agreement of warring parties to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, as it may constitute only a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace. It is derived from the ...

; on 17 May the garrison disbanded. On 19 May, the French occupied the city and the road to Mexico City was now open.

References

External links

''New York Times'', May 1, 1863
{{DEFAULTSORT:Puebla, Siege of (1863) 1863 in Mexico 1863 in the French colonial empire April 1863 events Battles of the Second French intervention in Mexico Conflicts in 1863 March 1863 events May 1863 events

Siege A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict characteriz ...

Sieges involving France Sieges involving Mexico