In 1838, France launched a full-scale naval invasion of Mexico, initiating a conflict known as the First French Intervention in Mexico, or colloquially, the Pastry War. The origins of this absurdly named conflict trace back to 1828, during a period of civil unrest in Mexico City. Riotous Mexican officers looted and vandalized a small French bakery in Tacubaya owned by a pastry chef named Remontel.
Desperate for restitution, Remontel petitioned the Mexican government for compensation of 60,000 pesos—an exorbitant sum given that the bakery was valued at a fraction of that amount. The Mexican government ignored his demands, prompting Remontel to appeal directly to King Louis-Philippe of France. Seeking a pretext to force Mexico into paying massive outstanding foreign debts and secure favorable commercial privileges, France championed Remontel's cause along with other claims from French merchants, demanding 600,000 pesos total.
When Mexico refused to pay, France sent a fleet under Rear Admiral Charles Baudin to blockade Mexican ports in the Gulf of Mexico. In November 1838, French forces bombarded the fort of San Juan de Ulúa and captured Veracruz. The conflict also marked the dramatic comeback of General Antonio López de Santa Anna, who rushed out of retirement to lead Mexican forces; during a battle in Veracruz, Santa Anna's left leg was blown off by French cannon fire, an injury he famously turned into political theater by holding a full military funeral for his severed limb.
The war finally ended in March 1839 when Great Britain brokered a peace treaty, obligating Mexico to pay the full 600,000 pesos, including the pastry chef's infamous compensation.