Cinco De Mayo
It's not just the fifth of May…

Cinco De Mayo is not an American holiday, however it is fully celebrated in Tucson, Arizona, as it is in many southwestern cities and towns throughout Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. There are also celebrations elsewhere throughout the United States, but they are clearly most prevalent in the states mentioned.

It is a popular misconception that Cinco De Mayo is the Mexican Independence Day. Actually, Mexican independence came long before the reason for celebrating Cinco De Mayo. Mexico declared its independence from Spain on the 15th of September, 1810, though it was eleven years before the first Spanish soldiers were actually forced to leave Mexico. Interestingly, Cinco De Mayo is not celebrated as much in Mexico, as it is in parts of the United States.

Cinco De Mayo commemorates a battle that took place at Puebla, Mexico, located about 100 miles east of Mexico City. On the morning of May 5, 1862, 4,000+ Mexican soldiers defeated the French Army and the disloyal Mexican Army of 8,000. The battle is known as Batalla de Puebla.

It was 1862, and the civil war raged in the United States. The French arrived in Mexico in force, along with the Spanish and the English. All had come to collect owed taxes from the newly elected democratic President Benito Juarez. Emissaries of the Spanish and the English rapidly made arrangements to be paid by different means, and over periods of time. The French, however, had another agenda.

The French believed themselves to be somewhat invincible under the rule of Emperor Napoleon III – a ruler who did not at all like the United States. And the force they landed with in Mexico was a precursor of their intentions. They brought with them the newly outfitted, and heavily trained Foreign Legion – as well as the most advanced warfare technology available at the time. If this wasn't enough of a signal, they also sent along a Hapsburg prince, Maximilian, and his wife, Carolota to rule the new Mexican empire they intended to conquer. This all seemed to make sense, as the French Army had not suffered a defeat for over fifty years, but this arrogance likely contributed to their ultimate demise at Puebla.

The French strategy was flawed from the start. They left the port at Vera Cruz and marched towards Mexico City – believing that if the capital city fell, the country would surrender. This was, after all, the rule of thumb in Europe. The Mexican army, under the leadership of General Zaragosa and Colonel Porfirio Diaz (the cavalry commander) waited patiently until the French arrived.

General Zaragosa sent Colonel Porfirio Diaz and his cavalry to the flanks of the French, who split their forces to attack the cavalry, and make a headlong charge into the Mexican army. With their flanks exposed, and no cavalry support, the French troops were taken down quickly.

This battle may have had great impact on the outcome of the Civil War. If nothing else, it most assuredly helped it to end earlier. The US military knew the effect the Mexican victory could have, and so they sent General Phil Sheridan to Texas to ensure that the Mexican army had all the weapons and munitions needed to fully defeat the French, and to prevent them from again gaining a foothold. The effects this had on the Civil War had to do with logistics. The French had been supplying the Confederate troops for some time – and in fact were the primary logistic support for the Confederate Army. By cutting off this supply line, the Union Army-supported Mexicans caused the Confederate Army to continuously become weaker. This facilitated an expedited end to the war in the United States.

During the week of Cinco De Mayo, there are dozens of activities in and around Tucson. Check out the calendar of events to see which ones appeal most to you.