Wanderlust World Wanderlust World Cinco de Mayo commemorates a genuine Mexican victory—but not the one many assume. On May 5, 1862, outnumbered Mexican forces under General Ignacio Zaragoza defeated the French army at the Battle of Puebla, a stunning upset that boosted national morale and became a symbol of resistance. However, the broader conflict tells a different story.
Despite the Puebla setback, France—then under Napoleon III—reinforced its expeditionary force. By 1863, French troops captured Mexico City and installed Maximilian I as emperor, establishing the short-lived Second Mexican Empire. Mexican republican forces, led by President Benito Juárez, continued guerrilla resistance. With U.S. pressure mounting after the American Civil War ended and French domestic priorities shifting, Napoleon III withdrew support. Maximilian was captured and executed in 1867, restoring the Mexican Republic.
The holiday honors the Battle of Puebla's symbolic triumph—a David-over-Goliath moment where Mexican troops repelled a better-equipped European power. It's primarily observed in Puebla and among Mexican-American communities in the U.S., where it evolved into a broader celebration of Mexican culture. Contrary to popular belief, it is not Mexico's Independence Day (that's September 16, marking the 1810 Grito de Dolores against Spain).
So while the Mexican army won the famous battle that gives the holiday its name, the French ultimately won the subsequent campaign—before Mexico won the war.