8. The Pastry War was a true international crisis
Exactly when King Louis-Philippe received a letter from an allegedly French pastry chef in Mexico is unknown. Chef Remontel complained in his letter of his shop, in a small town outside Mexico City, being looted by officers in the Mexican Army. Chef Remontel wanted reparations from the Mexican Government of 60,000 pesos in order to make himself whole following the experience. His shop, according to historical accounts, was worth about 1,000 pesos. But no matter. Louis Philippe directed his Prime Minister, Louis-Matthew Mole, to look into the matter, as well as the other complaints from French citizens in Mexico which had accumulated over the years. In 1838, several years after the alleged pastry shop incident, France demanded Mexico pay 600,000 pesos to the French government, which would distribute it accordingly to its citizens.
At the time the average wage for workers in Mexico was about one peso per day. The Mexican government of President Anastasio Bustamente ignored the request, considering the amount exorbitant. In response to the Mexican non-response, the French dispatched a naval squadron under Admiral Charles Baudin with orders to seal the Mexican Gulf Coast ports and capture Veracruz, the largest port in Mexico. In December 1838, with Veracruz then in French hands and with trade at a standstill, Mexico declared war on France. During the fighting at Veracruz, a name well known to both Mexicans and Americans emerged from a self-imposed exile near Xalapa. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, who had surrendered to the Army of Texas less than three years earlier, offered his services to the Mexican government. Citizens of the Republic of Texas viewed the return of Santa Anna with considerable alarm.