What was the name of the French general who later captured Mexico City after the Battle of Puebla?

Élie-Frédéric Forey was the French general who later captured Mexico City after the Battle of Puebla.

Forey was appointed to command the French expedition in Mexico in 1862, after the earlier French attack on Puebla had failed under Charles de Lorencez. Forey arrived with reinforcements and reorganized the campaign. His army besieged Puebla in 1863, eventually forcing the city to surrender.

After Puebla fell, French forces advanced toward Mexico City. Forey entered the capital in June 1863, creating the conditions for the establishment of the French-backed Second Mexican Empire. He was later replaced as commander by François Achille Bazaine.

The distinction between Forey and Lorencez is important. Lorencez commanded the French attack defeated on May 5, 1862, while Forey led the later campaign that captured Puebla and Mexico City. Cinco de Mayo remembers the first battle, not Forey’s eventual occupation of the capital.