In 1828, during a period of civil unrest in Mexico, rebellious soldiers vandalized and looted a small bakery in Tacubaya owned by a French pastry chef named Monsieur Remontel. Seeking restitution, Remontel appealed to the Mexican government for 60,000 pesos—an astronomical sum given that his shop was worth only a fraction of that amount. His claims were ignored for a decade.
However, France under King Louis-Philippe was seeking pretext to enforce trade concessions and collect unpaid foreign debt from Mexico. Taking up the pastry chef's grievance alongside millions of pesos in unpaid loans, the French government demanded a total payment of 600,000 pesos. When Mexico refused the ultimatum, France dispatched a fleet under Admiral Charles Baudin in late 1838.
The French navy blockaded Gulf ports, captured the Mexican fleet, and bombarded the fortress of San Juan de Ulúa at Veracruz. Mexican general Antonio López de Santa Anna came out of retirement to lead the defense, losing his left leg to a French cannonball during the fighting. The conflict finally concluded in March 1839 after Great Britain brokered a peace treaty in which Mexico agreed to pay the full 600,000 pesos.