where did the battle of cinco de mayo take place
Cinco de Mayo Late in 1861, a well-armed French fleet stormed Veracruz, landing a large French force and driving President JuÃ¡rez and his government into retreat.[11] Moving on from Veracruz towards Mexico City, the French army encountered heavy resistance from the Mexicans close to Puebla, at the Mexican forts of Loreto and Guadalupe.[12] The French army of 8,000 [13][14][note 1] attacked the poorly equipped Mexican army of 4,000.[15][note 2] On May 5, 1862,[16] the Mexicans decisively defeated the French army.[17][18][19] The victory represented a significant morale boost to the Mexican army and the Mexican people at large[20][21] and helped establish a sense of national unity and patriotism.[22]