Estimates vary from report to report, but it is estimated that the Mexican troops lost less than 100 men and the French between 500 and 750. After regrouping and finding a new general, the French eventually returned and defeated the Mexican troops. British, Spanish, and French troops soon went to Mexico to pay their debts. This gave the Mexican troops the confidence they needed to continue their resistance and eventually defeat the invading French forces. It was December 1861 when French troops attacked Veracruz and forced Juárez and his troops to retreat. Led by Napoleon III, they attempted to create a small French empire in Mexico. Since they were expected to lose the first battle at Puebla, the fact that a much smaller Mexican force eventually prevailed was of course a significant event. They were able to withstand several attacks by French troops and force them to retreat to the coast. In the end, the French were expelled and the emperor was executed in 1867, marking the beginning of a new era in Mexican history. Some believe that if the French had won this battle, they would have supported the Confederate States of America, which could have changed the course of world history. What will happen on May 5? Will it be a Mexican holiday? I will answer these and other questions in this article.