On May 5, 1862 the Battle of Puebla took place. The out come of this battle had the most significant ramification for the Union cause during the War Between States. Explain why this statement is true and how it affected the outcome of the war?
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Battle of Puebla and the War Between the States?
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Hmmm--good question. The basic answer is that it kept Napoleon from giving direct help to the Confederacy from Mexico.
The Mexican forces won the Battle of Puebla against the French, showing everyone that there were Mexican Republican forces who could, under the right circumstances, stand up to the French.
Although France sent more reinforcements and was able to secure a shaky control over Mexico, France had to devote significant resources to maintaining control of Mexico and therefore did not have a good base from which to interfere in the Civil War on the side of the Confederacy, as Napoleon would have liked to have done.
The battle of Puebla represents Mexico's first serious steps to expel Emperor Maximilian, an Austrian placed on the throne of Mexico by the French. It is, by the way, the event celebrated in "Cinco de Mayo" festivities in Mexico and the U.S.
The U.S. had grave reservations of a European power expanding its empire in the Americas, especially on the U.S.'s southern border. Federal authorities i.e., the North, were in no position to expel the French during the Civil War. Furthermore, the Confederate States i.e., the South, viewed the French as a potential ally in its struggle. The commencement of open hostilities between the French and Mexicans diminished the perceived threats to the Federals allowing them to fully concentrate on their own Civil War.