Quatorze Juillet: France, America, and the Mexican Connection

Mexican falconers Marching Down the Champs Elysées

Tiberge at Gallia Watch has this photo up on her website with this commentary:

Just a quick look back at the July 14 parade. Mexico was honored this year, as 150 Mexican soldiers led the parade down the Champs-Elysées. Below, the Mexican falconers. A great sight.

I think Tiberge means by "A great sight" is "A formidable sight," as in "An incredible sight."

I searched on-line to find any reaction to this incredible incongruity: the president of another country honored at a national festival where the armed forces are in procession, with that president's country's ARMED FORCES joining in the parade!!!!

All the criticism I could find are about Hollande's groping hands, although I find nothing wrong with a man giving special attention to another woman with the woman's husband nearby. There is nothing wrong with admiring feminine beauty, and the "groping" is highly exaggerated.

In any case, for some strange reason (perhaps Tiberge can explain) it is a "tradition" to invite foreign forces to march in the Bastille Day parade. Of course, part of the rationale is to invite armies who assisted France, or fought with France, in the various wars through the decades.

The Telegraph explains through an image caption:

Soldiers carrying the flags of 76 countries marched down the Champs Elysées in Paris, as France's traditional Bastille Day military parade commemorated the centenary of World War I.

That still begs the question: What was the extraordinary contribution of Mexico to World War I battles that garnered them a special invitation for France's foremost national holiday?

Mexico was "neutral" during WWI, and fought in the Philippines during WWII against Japan, which hardly gives Mexico an extraordinary status in the World Wars.

Here is a commentary about inviting foreign dignitaries, and foreign armed forces, to the Bastille Day parades. It has a cautious tone:

Recently, it has become customary to invite units from France's close allies to participate in the parade. For instance, in 2004, to mark the centenary of the Entente Cordiale, British troops (the band of the Royal Marines, the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, Grenadier Guards and King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery) led the Bastille Day parade in Paris, with the Red Arrows flying overhead.[Source: Bastille Day Military Parade

The British participation in 1919 and 1939 are clearly in their capacities as allies due to the two World Wars.
[More from the same source below]

While British troops had participated in the Bastille Day parades of 14 July 1919 and 1939 (see below), this was the first occasion that invited foreign troops had actually led the parade. In 2007, the parade opened with detachments from all member states of the European Union, flying the European flag. The European anthem was played.

In fact, the Nazis did a victory march of sorts down Champs Elysées, on July 14, 1940:

German Troops Marching Down Champs Elysées, June 1940

In the Second World War, the German troops occupying Paris and Northern France paraded along the same route.

And, the importance of the 14th of July as a demonstration of national military strength was apparent when:

A victory parade under General de Gaulle was held upon the restoration in 1945 of Paris to French rule while within the period of occupation by the Germans a company of the commando Kieffer of the Forces Navales Françaises Libres had continued the French National Holiday parade in the streets of London.

De Gaulle Marching Down Champs Elysées

The News reports here that Mexico opened the parade! And adds this:

It is the first time in the history of the parade that the participation of foreign troops coincides with a state visit from the president of the invited country. Mexico is also the first country from Latin America to take part in the event.

What is strange is Hollande allowing this "state visit" to occur during France's national holiday, and "honoring" it with that country's armed forces.

The historical connection of France with Mexico is:

Maximilian (Spanish: Maximiliano; Born Ferdinand Maximilian Joseph; 6 July 1832 – 19 June 1867) was the only monarch of the Second Mexican Empire. He was a younger brother of the Austrian emperor Franz Joseph I. After a distinguished career in the Austrian Navy, he entered into a scheme with Napoleon III of France to rule Mexico. France had invaded Mexico in 1861, with the implicit support and approval of other European powers, as part of the War of the French Intervention. Seeking to legitimize French rule, Napoleon III invited Maximilian to establish a new Mexican monarchy. With the support of the French army and a group of conservative Mexican monarchists, Maximilian traveled to Mexico where he declared himself Emperor of Mexico on 10 April 1864.[Source: Wikipedia]

Perhaps it is to expiate themselves of the long-forgotten sin that Hollande made this gesture towards the Mexicans.

But I think it is the recurring pattern of contemporary Western leaders who invite foreign elements into their countries, with the insidious intention of weakening the West by strengthening the non-Western world.

This is what Obama is doing.

Mexican Soldiers Marching Down the Champs Elysées this 14th July, 2015

The flag at the very front is the Mexican flag.