The Pastry War may like the title of a comedy film or reality tv series when in fact it was a little-known war that took place in Mexico from November 1838 to March 1839. The Pastry War was fought between France and Mexico following the financial decimation of French citizens living in Mexico coupled with the fact that the Mexican government refused to repay Mexican debt owed to the French government. The Pastry War earned its name following an episode of chaos and looting of the shops in the Parisian marketplace in Mexico City in 1828. In 1838 a pastry chef named Remontel came forward and claimed that his shop in the Tacubaya district of Mexico City had been completely destroyed by looting Mexican officers back in 1828. Remontel had initially asked the Mexican government for compensation but was flatly denied, so he subsequently appealed to the French government which then demanded compensation from the Mexican government on his behalf. In addition, Mexico had defaulted on a large sum of loans from France, the French government gave Mexico an ultimatum to pay, or they would act accordingly. When Mexico refused to repay its debts to the French government, France initiated a trade blockade, further weakening the Mexican economy. As the war escalated, French troops invaded and occupied the city of Veracruz and captured the entire Mexican Navy. Economically and militarily weakened, Mexican President Bustamante appealed to the British government who helped negotiate a treaty whereby Mexico agreed to pay 600,000 pesos to France, thereby ending the war on 9 March 1839.