The attempted Spanish reconquest of Mexico is an effort by the Spanish government to regain possession of its former colony of Mexico, resulting in episodes of war comprised in clashes between the newly born Mexican nation and Spain.

The designation mainly covers two periods: the first attempts occur from 1821 to 1825 and involved the defense of Mexico's territorial waters, while the second period has two stages, including the Mexican expansion plan to take the Spanish-held island of Cuba between 1826 and 1828, and the 1829 expedition of Spanish General Isidro Barradas, which lands on Mexican soil with the object of reconquering Mexican territory.

Although the Spanish never regain control of the country they ddo damage the fledgling Mexican economy.The newly independent nation of Mexico is in dire straits after eleven years of fighting its War of Independence.

There are no clear plans or guidelines established by the revolutionaries, and internal struggles by different factions for control of the government ensue.

Mexico suffers a complete lack of funds to administer a country of over four and a half million square kilometers, and faces the threats of emerging internal rebellions and of invasion by Spanish forces from their base in nearby Cuba.