Mexican–American War from the war of independence (1810–1821) as a weak and divided force. Before the war with the United States, the military faced both internal and foreign challenges. The Spanish still occupied the coastal fortress of San Juan de Ulúa, and Spain did not recognize Mexico's independence, so that the new nation was at risk for invasion. In 1829, the Spanish attempted to reconquer their former colony and Antonio López de Santa Anna became a national hero defending the homeland. The army had a set of privileges ("fueros"), established in the colonial era, that gave it jurisdiction over many aspects of
Battle of the Trench (1821) before. Battle of the Trench (1821) The Battle of the Trench () was fought near Tripolitsa in Arcadia in August 1821 during the first year of the Greek War of Independence between the Greek revolutionary forces led by Theodoros Kolokotronis and the Ottoman garrison of Tripolitsa. The battle ended with the complete victory of the Greeks. In August 1821, Greeks began the siege of Tripolitsa. The Ottomans who were besieged in the city attempted several night sallies in order to find supplies. When Theodoros Kolokotronis was called by the besiegers to take over command of the siege, he therefore ordered