Juarez/Mexico

[atlantis]

Was it a mistake by CSA not to recognize Juarez as legitimate leader of Mexico and renounce any claims to Mexico or should CS have stayed neutral in the conflict in Mexico between Mexico and France.

 

[leftyhunter]

Was it a mistake by CSA not to recognize Juarez as legitimate leader of Mexico and renounce any claims to Mexico or should CS have stayed neutral in the conflict in Mexico between Mexico and France.

It wouldn't make sense for the Confederacy to antagonise France has its blockade runners used French Caribbean Ports and France could purchase Confedrate cotton. Mexico had no need for Confedrate exports. The Confedracy had no problems using the Mexican ports of Montomoros and Bagdad which was under foreign control. Why rock the boat?
Leftyhunter

 

[atlantis]

It wouldn't make sense for the Confederacy to antagonise France has its blockade runners used French Caribbean Ports and France could purchase Confedrate cotton. Mexico had no need for Confedrate exports. The Confedracy had no problems using the Mexican ports of Montomoros and Bagdad which was under foreign control. Why rock the boat?
Leftyhunter

The CS had much to lose if France became firmly established in Mexico, French emperor had imperial ambitions.

 

[leftyhunter]

The CS had much to lose if France became firmly established in Mexico, French emperor had imperial ambitions.

The Confedracy had bigger fish to fry then worrying about the French in Mexico. Actually right after the ACW Jo Shelby and many of his men fought for the French against Mexican Nationalists.
Leftyhunter

 

[Borderruffian]

The Confedracy had bigger fish to fry then worrying about the French in Mexico. Actually right after the ACW Jo Shelby and many of his men fought for the French against Mexican Nationalists.
Leftyhunter

uh, J.O. Shelby went south of the border to fight with Juarez, his officers and men became smitten with the supplies and the uniforms of the French Lancers and Dragoons they encountered and opted to fight for Archduke Maximillens French Foeces imstead of the Juarezisistas. Rather than lose a good portion of his command Shelby fought for the French for a short time. Sterling Price and several other noted Confederates also put themselves into self imposed exile in Mexico.
The worry of the South was tha if Mexico that if Mexico fell under the thrall of France they they'd lose blockade running ports and the commerce that was coming in and going out as payment to Britain. France had never contributed as much as England to the CS war effort and France was already making noise about supporting the Union.

 

[leftyhunter]

uh, J.O. Shelby went south of the border to fight with Juarez, his officers and men became smitten with the supplies and the uniforms of the French Lancers and Dragoons they encountered and opted to fight for Archduke Maximillens French Foeces imstead of the Juarezisistas. Rather than lose a good portion of his command Shelby fought for the French for a short time. Sterling Price and several other noted Confederates also put themselves into self imposed exile in Mexico.
The worry of the South was tha if Mexico that if Mexico fell under the thrall of France they they'd lose blockade running ports and the commerce that was coming in and going out as payment to Britain. France had never contributed as much as England to the CS war effort and France was already making noise about supporting the Union.

I would argue no nation contributed any thing to any side it was all cash and carry. The British overall just had better quality weaponry to sell.
Leftyhunter

 

[NedBaldwin]

The CS had much to lose if France became firmly established in Mexico, French emperor had imperial ambitions.

More to gain by having an ally against the US.

 

[UncleBourbon]

Only somewhat related, but the French provided the Confederates with artillery pieces at the Battle of Palmito Ranch, amassed their troops in the neighboring border town of Matamoros in view of the Union Army, and apparently shot and killed at least a few Union soldiers who attempted to flee by swimming across the Rio Grande.
There were also roughly 295 French troops who swam across the Rio Grande themselves to volunteer for the Confederacy and ended up operating the donated French artillery. This wasn't an official move by the French government or Second Mexican Empire, but still noteworthy.