The Battle of Tacámbaro took place on April 11, 1865 in the state of Michoacan in western Mexico during the French Intervention in Mexico. The engagement, named for the town in which it was fought, pitted 300 members of the Belgian Foreign Legion against approximately 3,000 Mexican Republicans.
The Belgian Foreign Legion, under the command of Baron Alfred Van der Smissen, had been organized at the request of Maximilian’s wife, Empress Charlotte, ...
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The Battle of Tacámbaro took place on April 11, 1865 in the state of Michoacan in western Mexico during the French Intervention in Mexico. The engagement, named for the town in which it was fought, pitted 300 members of the Belgian Foreign Legion against approximately 3,000 Mexican Republicans.
The Belgian Foreign Legion, under the command of Baron Alfred Van der Smissen, had been organized at the request of Maximilian’s wife, Empress Charlotte, and arrived in Mexico on December 14, 1864 to act as her personal bodyguard. The Belgians were placed under the command of Colonel de Potier of France and deployed to Michoacan to assist Maximillian’s forces in fighting Republican Guerillas known to be operating in that area.
The state of Michoacan lies within 100 miles of Mexico City. Its proximity to the capital combined with its heavy forests, mountainous terrain and difficult weather made it ideal for guerilla operations. The state’s population was largely sympathetic to the Republican...
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