Final answer:
The Mexican War of Independence was fought against Spain due to discontent with the colonial regime and was influenced by the Napoleonic Wars. It was a struggle for self-determination, free trade, and local governance, ending in Mexico's independence with Iturbide's Plan de Iguala.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Mexican War of Independence was fought against Spain and grew out of the Napoleonic Wars. The war began as a result of the Spanish colonies' dissatisfaction with the colonial regime and was further ignited by the Spanish monarchy's attempt to reinstate pre-Napoleonic policies after Napoleon's defeat. This discontent led to a widespread movement for independence across Spanish America, with creole elites in Mexico leading the charge for self-determination, free trade, and local governance.
The irony of the Napoleonic Wars was that the countries invaded by the French, including Spain, turned the French democratic principle of self-determination into a nationalistic tool to defend against French universalist pretensions. This sentiment contributed to the revolts within Spanish dominions, including those that led to the Mexican struggle for independence. The Mexican War of Independence is marked by notable figures like Miguel Hidalgo's initial call to arms and the more politically evolved movement led by AgustÃn de Iturbide, which eventually resulted in Mexico's independence from Spain with the Plan de Iguala.