HISTORY OF MEXICO: The hapless monarch

Among the memorable dates in Mexico is July 9, 1832, the birthdate of Maximillian, who would play a major part in the country’s history.  Calling him hapless is most appropriate because, like the protagonist of a Greek tragedy, he was doomed from birth to make the choices that led to his downfall. Born in Vienna, Maximillian was the second son of the Austrian emperor and would always be keenly aware that he would never be anything but an Archduke, because the title of emperor would go to his older brother, Franz Joseph. The contrast between the personalities of the two brothers was stark—Franz Joseph seems to have been born to be a ruler, with a strong, dictatorial character. Maximillian, on the other hand, was quiet and introspective, and liked to write poetry, chase butterflies, and tend to flowers in his garden.

Franz Joseph became the emperor in 1848, and Maximilian was relegated to military service. Although he distinguished himself in the navy and became a rear admiral of the Austrian navy, it was nowhere near the power held by his older brother. But he seemed happy with his naval career, content with communing with nature and writing poems. In 1857, he married Princess Charlotte, the daughter of King Leopold I of Belgium, whose ambitions were much grander.

Charlotte and Maximillian were married in 1857; she barely 17, and he 25 years old. From the beginning, they both felt that it was their destiny to do something historically significant. That seemed to become reality when Maximillian was given the title of Viceroy of Lombardy-Venetia, but his attempt at pleasing the Italian rebels resulted in Austria’s eventual loss of that region. That left Maximillian and Charlotte without the rule over any territories; they were potential regents without a kingdom, and that lack stung them both. It was also an early sign of Maximillian’s progressive views.

They retreated to a fairy-tale-like castle they built along the Adriatic coast, near Trieste. Both withdrew from the world, finding pleasure in a private life.  Charlotte spent the day playing the piano and painting, and Maximillian designing the grounds and gathering butterflies. But Charlotte became restless, feeling like a princess in virtual exile; she needed the adulation of a court and the power of a monarchy.  She continuously pushed her husband to find a kingdom to rule over. In a few years, an opportunity presented itself that presaged the kind of power Charlotte had hoped for.

Castle of Miramare—an Italian retreat by the sea, where Maximillian grew exotic flowers, and spent the days daydreaming, and writing poetry.

Following its independence from Spain in 1821, Mexico had fallen into conflict between liberals and conservatives. The liberals wanted a democratic government, a republic. The conservatives, however, hoped for a return to a Mexican monarchy, which would restore the power to the aristocracy and the clergy. In 1822, Agustin de Iturbide laid claim to the throne, starting the first Mexican empire. He was forced to abdicate a year later, and in 1824 was executed.

Forty years later, the conservatives were again searching for someone to assume the throne and establish the second Mexican empire. The candidate needed to have connections to nobility, and Maximillian, a Habsburg descendant, was a strong contender. Napoleon III, nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte and emperor of France, was eager to expand French power in America. In Maximillian, he saw a naïve young man, who could be easily manipulated once installed on the Mexican throne.

In 1863, a French and Mexican delegation approached Maximillian and invited him to become Emperor of Mexico. Maximilian was flattered, but he worried about being accepted by Mexicans and asked for some proof. A few weeks later, the delegation brought a trunk filled with letters from the people of Mexico, expressing their affection and reverence for the Archduke. 

What Maximillian didn’t know—and was perhaps too naïve to even question—was that the majority of those signatures had been acquired under duress. The Mexican people did not want another emperor!

Thrilled with the acquisition of a vast empire which they could mold according to their wishes, Maximillian and Charlotte arrived in the port of Veracruz on May 28, 1864. Thus began the Second Mexican Empire with the young foreign monarchs taking the titles of Emperor Maximiliano I and Empress Carlota of Mexico.

The conservatives were overjoyed with the installation of a new emperor. They expected him to pass legislation to favor their agenda. Instead, they were shocked to find out that the young emperor was a progressive who wanted equal rights for all citizens, and promoted the rights of workers, particularly the indigenous people. He wanted education for all, established the academy of science and literature, and supported the 1857 constitution which had taken away the powers of the Catholic Church. In other words, he opposed most of the policies of the conservatives who had brought him to power.

All accounts seem to indicate that Maximilian I loved Mexico and its people. He truly hoped to improve conditions for everyone and become a beloved emperor. He traveled throughout the country, admiring the various landscapes and enjoying meeting the populace wherever he went. On September 13, 1864, Maximilian I came to San Miguel de Allende to celebrate Mexican independence. He was received with all pomp on the outskirts of the city. He arrived in a majestic carriage pulled by the finest horses and accompanied by a huge entourage. The current Casa de Europa, a private home then, was the place where he lodged for the night, and he walked to the doorway along a red carpet laid before him. A large banquet was given that evening in the house of the Lambarri family.

Emperor Maximilian spent two nights in San Miguel de Allende, visiting Guadiana Park, and then gave the official “grito”—the call for independence—in the town of Dolores Hidalgo on the 15th. A memorable comment came from the emperor when he was shown the crypt in the Parroquia: “This crypt is worthy of a king.”

Maximilian’s rule barely lasted another three years after his visit to San Miguel. As expected, the conservatives turned on him, Napoleon III abandoned him, and withdrew French troops. Maximilian refused to abdicate because his mother insisted that he would dishonor the Habsburgs. Maximilian was captured in Queretaro, brought to trial, and condemned to death. Benito Juarez, who was the president of Mexico at the time, refused all pleas for mercy. “I am not killing a man,” he stated.” I am killing an idea.”

Famous painting by Edouard Manet showing the execution of Maximilian and the two generals who remained loyal to him: Tomas Mejia, and Miguel Miramon.

On June 19, 1867, the 34-year-old emperor was executed by firing squad, on the hill called Cerro de las Campanas, in the city of Queretaro. As Juarez had declared, it was not simply the death of a man, it was the death of monarchy in Mexico.

Carlota, in the meantime, had returned to Europe to beg anyone in power to help her husband. Everyone refused, including her own father, King Leopold. The stress caused her to have a major mental breakdown, and the execution of Maximilian was the final blow. She went completely mad and spent the rest of her life in a mental institution. Carlota died in 1927, straddling two centuries during her lifespan.