Morning Audibles 5.5.10 - Cinquo de Mayo

Not many people know it, but Nevada used to be part of Mexico. It all started with the Spanish conquistadors. Exploring expeditions in the 16th, 17th and 18th Centuries allowed Spain to lay claim to a vast portion of North America, stretching from Florida to California, and from Tierra del Fuego at the southernmost point of South America to what is now the Canadian border. The Spanish called their vast empire in North America “New Spain.” It lasted for nearly three hundred years.

After the French revolution, Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Spain and made his brother, Jerome, king of that country. Jerome sold a large parcel of New Spain to Napoleon, who in turn sold it to the United States – the Louisiana Purchase.

With the overthrow of the Spanish monarchy by the French, the Spanish colonists in both North and South America grew restless. In Mexico, the colonists declared their independence and established the independent country of Mexico on September 16, 1810.

Like many newly-established countries, it took a while for Mexico to settle upon a form of government. The country was administered by the Generalissimo of the American Armies (1810-1811); the Supreme Governing Junta of America, also called the Supreme Junta of the Nation (1811-1813); a Generalissimo of the North American Armies in charge of the Executive (1813-1814); an Executive Power (1814); several Presidents (1814-1815); a non-functioning Executive Commission (1815-1817); a President of the Provisional Governing Junta (1821); a President of the Regency of the Empire (1821-1822); an Emperor (1822-1823); a President of the Constituent Congress (1823), by Presidents of the Supreme Executive Power (1823-1824); and from 1824, by Presidents of the Federal Republic of Mexico.

This turbulent era also saw a number of wars, which reduced the territory of Mexico by over one-third. In the north, the state of Tejas seceded in 1835, forming the Republic of Texas in 1836. Shortly after the Republic of Texas became one of the United States in 1845, another war broke out. This war (the “Mexican War” of 1846-1848) was a disaster for Mexico. The United States annexed all of the northern part of that country, which included the present-day states of California, Oregon, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Idaho, Montana, and parts of Colorado, Wyoming, and Washington.

After the Mexican War, more troubles were in store for the Republic of Mexico. In an effort to end the economic stranglehold of the Catholic Church over the land and people, Mexico adopted a new constitution, and in 1857 the country broke down into civil war (la guerra de la Reforma, “the War of the Reform”). The combatants in the fighting were the Liberals and Conservatives. The Liberal faction was headed by Benito Juárez (Benito Pablo Juárez García), Mexico’s greatest statesman, whose capitol was at Vera Cruz. The United States gave its diplomatic recognition to this government. The Conservatives, with their capitol at Mexico City, had several leaders, the most prominent of which was General Félix Zuloaga (Félix María Zuloaga Trillo). By 1860, the Liberal party prevailed, and Benito Juárez took control of Mexico at the end of the year.

At the same time, the United States was sliding into a civil war of its own. Following the election of Abraham Lincoln in November of 1860, most of the southern states seceded and formed the Confederate States of America. When the Confederate troops of South Carolina bombarded and then forced the surrender of the US garrison at Fort Sumter in April of 1861, the War of the Rebellion began and raged until May, 1865 -- four long years.

In Mexico, the various factions that fought their civil war had borrowed large sums of money from foreign creditors. The fighting devastated Mexico’s economy, and the country had to suspend payments on its debts. Taking advantage of the relative weakness of the United States during the US Civil War, in December of 1861 the governments of France, Great Britain and Spain landed an allied military force at Vera Cruz to protect their interests in Mexico and to try to collect the debts owed to their citizens. Juárez negotiated with the allies and promised to resume payments, and the British and Spanish troops began to withdraw from Mexico in April, 1862.

The French, however, did not withdraw and instead sent reinforcements to their troops in Mexico. At the time France was ruled by Louis Napoleon, the nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte. Louis Napoleon was elected President of France, but after the election he proclaimed himself Napoleon III, Emperor of the French (the British referred to him as “the nephew of the uncle”).

While negotiations for the Mexican government to repay its debts were ongoing, the French commander, General Charles Ferdinand Latrille, comte (Count) de Lorencez, advanced on Mexico City from Vera Cruz, occupying the mountain passes which led down into the Valley of Mexico.

At this point it became clear that Napoleon III planned to turn Mexico into a colony. The French advance was along a route that had been used several times in the past to conquer Mexico, first by the conquistador Hernan Cortes and most recently by US General Winfield Scott during the Mexican War.

France declared war on Mexico, and called on those Mexicans who had fought on the side of the Conservative Party in the civil war to join them. Napoleon III planned to turn Mexico into an empire ruled by Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian Josef von Habsburg, the younger brother of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary.

Full Article Here

Historians, of course, would tell you "the more things change, the more they stay the same" (advice which seems to be lost in the "JOHNNY come lately" world of WSWB)...

All the "sophistication" that technology has awarded us  in the past sesquicentennial seems to have simply been transferred to electrons and balance sheets...

Nevertheless, the world (and ALL these players), seem to always find themselves between the same ROCK, and the same HARD PLACE)...

Sigh... Have no fear though... The ECB is meeting in Lisbon this afternoon, and I'm sure they'll sort it all out...

They're probably calling this guy here as we speak... You know, to see if he left any BAZOOKAS lying around...