Following a court-martial, he was sentenced to death. The Emperor’s coffin was taken on board the SMS Novara which sailed for Trieste, Italy. He did not accept at first, but sought to satisfy his restless desire for adventure with a botanical expedition to the tropical forests of Brazil. [10] The existence of an illicit affair between Sophie and Napoleon II, and any possibility that Maximilian was conceived from such a union, are widely dismissed by historians. In 1854, he sailed as commander in the corvette Minerva, on an exploring expedition along the coast of Albania and Dalmatia. Maximilian I Joseph (German: Maximilian I. Joseph; 27 May 1756 – 13 October 1825) was Duke of Zweibrücken from 1795 to 1799, prince-elector of Bavaria (as Maximilian IV Joseph) from 1799 to 1806, then King of Bavaria (as Maximilian I Joseph) from 1806 to 1825. From the start, Maximilian failed to connect to the people he, in theory, ruled. Austrian Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian, installed as emperor of Mexico by French Emperor Napoleon III in 1864, is executed on the orders of … Doing some shopping on Amazon? [31], Last moments of Emperor Maximilian I of México. Maximilian allowed his followers to determine whether or not he abdicated. Adhering to traditions inherited from the Spanish court during Habsburg rule, Maximilian's upbringing was supervised by an aja (governess) until his sixth birthday. Ferdinand Max and Charlotte had no children together. All content copyright Unofficial Royalty 2021. On the morning of June 19, 1867, Emperor Maximilian of Mexico, along with two of his generals, were executed by firing squad in the Cerro de las Campanas. They lived as the Austrian regents in Milan or Viceroys of Lombardy-Venetia from 1857 until 1859, when Emperor Franz Josef dismissed Ferdinand Max from this post. Seeking to legitimize French rule, Napoleon III invited Maximilian to establish a new Mexican monarchy. [17][18] Maximilian accompanied him on campaigns to put down rebellions throughout the Empire. Viva México, viva la independencia!" Austrian Nobility, Monarch of Mexico. The theme is based on the 1925 play called Juarez and Maximilian by Franz Werfel. After a distinguished career in the Austrian Navy, he entered into a scheme with Napoleon III of France to rule Mexico. On June 19, 1867, Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico was executed by firing squad on the Cerro de las Campanas (Hill of the Bells) in Querétaro City, Mexico. Paul H. Reuter, "United States-French Relations Regarding French Intervention in Mexico: From the Tripartite Treaty to Queretaro,". Ferdinand Max then retired to Trieste, near which he built the castle, Miramare. "[8] Despite their different personalities, the marriage was fruitful, and after four miscarriages, four sons—including Maximilian—would reach adulthood. He also acquired a country retreat at Cuernavaca. His attempts to outshine his older brother and ability to charm opened a rift with the aloof and self-contained Franz Joseph that would widen as years passed, and the times when both were close friends in childhood would be all but forgotten. Both died shouting, "Long live the Emperor.". [6] His mother was Sophie, a Bavarian princess of the House of Wittelsbach. Maximilian I of Mexico. The Habsburg family had ruled the Viceroyalty of New Spain before Mexican independence, so Maximilian was considered to have more potential legitimacy than other royalty, but Maximilian was unlikely to ever rule in Europe due to his elder brother. Archduchess Charlotte was thereafter known as "Her Imperial Majesty Empress Carlota". His last words were, "I forgive everyone, and I ask everyone to forgive me. [25] In Paris, 20 October 1861, Maximilian received a letter from Gutierrez de Estrada asking him to take the Mexican throne. Maximilian I (Ferdinand Maximilian Joseph Maria, Spanish: Fernando Maximiliano José María de Habsburgo-Lorena; 6 July 1832 – 19 June 1867) was an Austrian archduke who reigned as the only Emperor of the Second Mexican Empire from 10 April 1864 until his execution on 19 June 1867. A little bit loopy, a little bit liberal, and fatally short of common sense, Ferdinand Maximilian Joseph * decamped from the easy life at his still-under-construction dream palace outside Trieste for an exalted title that … Thanks! Long live Mexico, long live independence.”, Maximilian’s embalmed body on display. Although he liked Maximilian on a personal level,[32] Juárez refused to commute the sentence in view of the Mexicans who had been killed fighting against Maximilian's forces, and because he believed it was necessary to send a message that Mexico would not tolerate any government imposed by foreign powers. Maximilian was especially interested in the maritime and undertook many long-distance journeys (for Brazil) on the kk. Maximilian was born in Vienna on July 6, 1832, the second son of Archduke Franz Karl of Austria and Princess Sophie of Bavaria. [1][2][3] He was baptized the following day and given the full name Ferdinand Maximilian Joseph. His last words were basically a long farewell to Mexico. After the end of the American Civil War, the US government used increasing diplomatic pressure to persuade Napoleon III to end French support of Maximilian and to withdraw French troops from Mexico. Maximilian definition, archduke of Austria: emperor of Mexico 1864–67. Afterwards, his education was entrusted to a tutor. The idea that Maximilian and Carlota had, essentially, kidnapped the boys further eroded their credibility. level 1. Maximilian also invited settlers from "any country" including Austria and the other German states. In the end, it proved to be a tactical mistake that only exacerbated opposition to his regime. Despite this, Maximilian and Carlotta (as she was now known) set out to improve conditions in Mexico. 6 months ago. Maximilian receiving a Mexican delegation at Miramar Castle in Trieste, Italy. Maximilian arrived in Veracruz, Mexico, to a frosty reception. Most of Maximilian's day was spent in study. In July 1857, Maximilian married Princess Charlotte of Belgium, his second cousin. His last words were, “I forgive everyone, and I ask everyone to forgive me. [34] Maximilian is portrayed in the 1934 Mexican film Juárez y Maximiliano by Enrique Herrera and the 1939 American film Juarez by Brian Aherne. Maximilian (Spanish: Maximiliano; born Ferdinand Maximilian Joseph; 6 July 1832 – 19 June 1867) was the only monarch of the Second Mexican Empire.He was a younger brother of the Austrian emperor Francis Joseph I.After a distinguished career in the Austrian Navy, he accepted an offer by Napoleon III of France to rule Mexico. [A], Adhering to traditions inherited from the Spanish court during Habsburg rule, Maximilian's upbringing was supervised by an aja (governess) until his sixth birthday. Maximilian was horrified at what he regarded as senseless brutality and openly complained about it. Later, Maximilian ordered all captured followers of Juárez to be shot, in response to the Republican practice of executing anyone who was a supporter of the Empire. The young Austrian-born Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian Joseph was controversially installed as Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico in 1864 in an attempt to create a European-style monarchy there, backed by Napoleon III of France and a cohort of monarchists. Her efforts failed, and she suffered a deep emotional collapse and never went back to Mexico. The most impressive place connected with Maximilian of Mexico … There was continuous warfare between his French troops and the Republicans. [28], Meanwhile, Maximilian invited ex-Confederates to move to Mexico in a series of settlements called the "Carlota Colony" and the New Virginia Colony with a dozen others being considered, a plan conceived by the internationally renowned U.S. Navy oceanographer and inventor Matthew Fontaine Maury. [33] The two Mexican generals were shot after him. Maximilian ordered a wide avenue cut through the city from Chapultepec to the city center; originally named Paseo de la Emperatriz, it is today Mexico City's famous boulevard, Paseo de la Reforma. He was a member of the House of Palatinate-Birkenfeld-Zweibrücken, a branch of the House of Wittelsbach. The Execution of Emperor Maximilian is a series of paintings by Édouard Manet from 1867 to 1869, depicting the execution by firing squad of Emperor Maximilian I of the short-lived Second Mexican Empire.Manet produced three large oil paintings, a smaller oil sketch and a lithograph of the same subject. A younger brother of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria, Maximilian had a distinguished career as … The couple had no children. Landgravine Caroline Louise of Hesse-Darmstadt. In doing so, he lost all his Austrian titles and dignities – something that was not made aware of until just before his departure for Mexico. Maximilian fought on with his army of 8,000 Mexican loyalists. That year, Napoleon III withdrew his troops in the face of Mexican resistance and U.S. opposition under the Monroe Doctrine, as well as increasing his military contingent at home to face the ever growing Prussian military and Bismarck. A room devoted to Maximilian’s activities in the Imperial-Royal Navy at the Heeresgeschichtliches Museum in Vienna commemorates this ambitious but ultimately unsuccessful brother of the emperor. source: Wikipedia. source: Wikipedia. [24] In 1854, he was only 22 years - as a younger brother of the Emperor, and thus a member of the ruling family - he was appointed as commander in chief of the Austrian Navy (1854-1860), which he reorganized in the following years. Washington began supplying partisans of Juárez and his ally Porfirio Díaz by "losing" arms depots for them at El Paso del Norte at the Mexican border. He threw himself into this career with so much zeal that he quickly rose to high command.[22][23]. [11] Most of Maximilian's day was spent in study. List of female United States Air Force generals, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2014, Articles incorporating text from Wikipedia, People executed by Mexico by firing squad, Monarchs imprisoned and detained during war, Commander-in-Chief of the Austro-Hungarian Naval Fleet, Princess Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily, Christian III, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken, Frederick Michael, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken, Joseph Charles, Count Palatine of Sulzbach, Countess Palatine Maria Franziska of Sulzbach, Countess Palatine Elizabeth Augusta Sophie of Neuburg, Charles Louis, Hereditary Prince of Baden, Countess Palatine Caroline of Zweibrücken, http://books.google.es/books?id=H2TbqVzLhOYC&pg=PT326&dq=Agust%C3%ADn+de+Iturbide+y+Green&hl=en&sa=X&ei=sNS_T96rIpKXhQfii7mBCg&ved=0CGUQ6AEwCg#v=onepage&q=Agust%C3%ADn%20de%20Iturbide%20y%20Green&f=true, Belgium Mourns for Dead Empress; Tragedy of Life of Charlotte, Wife of Maximilian, Is Recalled, "Homage to the Martyrs of the Second Mexican Empire", http://www.nacionalistas.org/2012/06/homenaje-los-martires-del-segundo.html, http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_vuelo_del_%C3%A1guila, http://tupress.org/books/the-last-empire-of-mexico-the-reign-of-maximilian-and-carlota, https://military.wikia.org/wiki/Maximilian_I_of_Mexico?oldid=5399516, 25. And viva la independencia !” Maximilian I of Mexico lead from his prison cell to await execution. The first name honored his godfather and paternal uncle, the future Emperor Ferdinand I and the second honored his maternal grandfather, King Maximilian I of Bavaria. However in 1867, due to revolutionary upheavals led by Benito Juárez, Maximilian was deposed, imprisoned and shot. This time, he accepted. … This was crucial as sea power was never a priority of Austrian foreign policy and the navy itself was relatively little known or supported by the public. The prospect of a US invasion to reinstate Juárez caused a large number of Maximilian's loyal adherents to abandon the cause and leave the capital. Napoleon even urged Maximilian to leave Mexico but he refused. However, other researchers consider him short-sighted in political and military affairs, and unwilling to restore democracy in Mexico even during the imminent collapse of the Second Mexican Empire. Maximilian and Charlotte (known by the Spanish ‘Carlota’) were duly crowned in Mexico City in 1864, but Napoleon was losing interest and withdrew support. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! by Jean-Paul Laurens. Maximilian I (Spanish: Maximiliano I; born Archduke and Prince Ferdinand Maximilian of Austria, Prince of Hungary and Bohemia; 6 July 1832 – 19 June 1867) was the only monarch of the Second Mexican Empire.He was a younger brother of the Austrian emperor Franz Joseph I.After a distinguished career in the Austrian Navy, he entered into a scheme with Napoleon III of France to rule Mexico. 3. share. [13] From an early age, Maximilian tried to surpass his older brother Franz Joseph (Francis Joseph) in everything; attempting to prove to all that he was the better qualified and deserving of more than second place status. His decision involved the loss of all his nobility rights in Austria, though he was not informed of this until just before he left. May my blood which is about to be shed, be for the good of the country. In January of the following year, an Austrian admiral was sent to bring the body back to Austria. Additionally, the Mexican Republic was never entirely defeated; Liberal forces led by President Benito Juárez continued to be active throughout Maximilian's rule. However, after the French intervention in Mexico in 1863, he received a similar offer from the French Emperor Napoleon III. [12] The disciplines were diverse: ranging from history, geography, law and technology, to languages, military studies, fencing and diplomacy. May my blood, which is about to be shed, be for the good of the country. She was first cousin to both Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. With the end of the American Civil War in 1865, the United States began to be able to more explicitly aid the democratic forces of Juárez; things became even worse for Maximilian's Empire after the French withdrew their armies in 1866. He spoke only in Spanish and gave his executioners a portion of gold not to shoot him in the head so that his mother could see his face. Though urged to abandon Mexico by Napoleon III himself, whose troop withdrawal from Mexico was a great blow to the Mexican Imperial cause, Maximilian refused to desert his followers. He cancelled all debts for peasants over 10 pesos, restored communal property and forbade all forms of corporal punishment. President Abraham Lincoln’s administration refused to recognize Maximilian and French meddling in Mexican affairs. It was then taken to Vienna, where on January 18, 1868, it was placed in The Imperial Crypt. The emperor was angered by the liberal policies pursued by his brother in Italy. However, he never intended to give the crown to the Iturbides because he considered that they were not of royal blood. Two years later, Maximilian was first approached by a group of monarchists who wanted him to take the Mexican throne. This page was last edited on 25 February 2021, at 10:41. He also broke the monopoly of the Hacienda stores and decreed that henceforth peons could no longer be bought and sold for the price of their debt. [15] He mocked his teachers and was often the instigator of pranks—even including his imbecile uncle, Emperor Ferdinand I, among his victims. His last words were, "I forgive everyone, and I ask everyone to forgive me. Viva Mexico, viva la independencia!". A collection of photographs of the aftermath of the execution of Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico and two of his generals taken shortly their deaths in 1867. There, in May, he tried to escape but the plan was sabotaged by military officer who was bribed to leave a gate open and allow the forces to get through. Media in category "Maximilian I of Mexico" The following 98 files are in this category, out of 98 total. Carlota travelled to Europe, seeking assistance for her husband's regime in Paris and Vienna and, finally, in Rome from Pope Pius IX. Faithful generals such as Miguel Miramon, Leonardo Márquez, and Tomás Mejía vowed to raise an army that would challenge the invading Republicans. Frigate Elisabeth. Posted by. Maximilian I (July 6, 1832–June 19, 1867) was a European nobleman invited to Mexico in the aftermath of the disastrous wars and conflicts of the mid-19th century. [4][5], His father was Archduke Franz Karl, the second surviving male child of the Holy Roman Emperor Francis II (after 1804, ruling the Austrian Empire as Franz I). His last words were, "I forgive everyone, and I ask everyone to forgive me. They installed an Austrian Hapsburg prince named Maximilian as Emperor of Mexico in 1864. United States (stars and stripes) 6 months ago. After her husband was executed by Republicans the following year, she spent the rest of her life in seclusion, never admitting her husband's death, first at Miramare Castle near Trieste, Italy, and then at Bouchout Castle in Meise, Belgium,[30] where she died on 19 January 1927. May my blood, which is about to be shed, be for the good of the country. France had invaded Mexico in 1861, with the implicit support and approval of other European powers, as part of the War of the French Intervention. When he entered military service, he was trained in the Austrian Navy. The thirty-two hours per week of classes at age 7 st… The city fell on 15 May 1867 and Maximilian was captured the next morning after the failure of an attempt to escape through Republican lines by a loyal hussar cavalry brigade led by Felix Salm-Salm. Maximilian was born on 6 July 1832 in the Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, capital of the Austrian Empire. [9], Rumors at the court stated that Maximilian was in fact the product of an extramarital affair between his mother and his first cousin Napoleon II (then known as the Duke of Reichstadt), only son of Napoleon Bonaparte; the Duke's mother was Archduchess Marie Louise, daughter of Francis II. "[20][21], Ferdinand Max was a particularly clever boy who displayed considerable culture in his taste for the arts, and he demonstrated an early interest in science, especially botany. Shortly after his dismissal, Austria lost control of most of its Italian possessions. May my blood which is about to be shed, be for the good of the country. One of Maximilian's first acts as Emperor was to restrict working hours and abolish child labour. He would later remark: "We call our age the Age of Enlightenment, but there are cities in Europe where, in the future, men will look back in horror and amazement at the injustice of tribunals, which in a spirit of vengeance condemned to death those whose only crime lay in wanting something different to the arbitrary rule of governments which placed themselves above the law. Viva Mexico, viva la independencia!” In 1859, Ferdinand Maximilian was first approached by Mexican monarchists — members of the Mexican aristocracy, led by local nobleman José Pablo Martínez del Río — with a proposal to become the Emperor of Mexico. Maximilian has been praised by some historians for his liberal reforms, his genuine desire to help the people of Mexico, his refusal to desert his loyal followers, and his personal bravery during the siege of Querétaro. He was never crowned by the Pope, as the journey to Rome was always too risky. In his political views, Archduke Ferdinand Max was very much influenced by the progressive ideas in vogue at the time. The sentence was carried out in the Cerro de las Campanas on the morning of 19 June 1867, when Maximilian, along with Generals Miramón and Mejía, were executed by a firing squad. He was a younger brother of the Austrian emperor Franz Joseph I. He had the backing of Mexican conservatives and Napoleon III, but from the very outset he found himself involved in serious difficulties since the Liberal forces led by President Benito Juárez refused to recognize his rule. For more information, see Unofficial Royalty: Archduke Maximilian of Austria, Emperor of Mexico, Benito Juarez, President of Mexico. Maximilian I (German: Ferdinand Maximilian Joseph Maria von Habsburg-Lothringen, Spanish: Fernando Maximiliano José María de Habsburgo-Lorena; 6 July 1832 – 19 June 1867) was an Austrian archduke who reigned as the only Emperor of the Second Mexican Empire from 10 April 1864 until his execution on 19 June 1867. The thirty-two hours per week of classes at age 7 steadily grew until it reached fifty-five hours per week by the time he was 17. He married Charlotte of Belgium (1840-1927) 27 July 1857 in Brussels, Belgium. At first, Maximilian offered Juárez an amnesty if he would swear allegiance to the crown, even offering the post as Prime Minister, which Juárez refused. source: Wikipedia. In 1864, thanks to the auspices of Napoleon III, he became Emperor of Mexico where he moved with his wife Carlotta of Belgium. Although he was a charming boy, he was also undisciplined. After arriving in Trieste, the coffin was taken to Vienna and buried in the Imperial Crypt on 18 January 1868. Ferdinand Maximilian Joseph Habsburg-Lothringen of Mexico was born 6 July 1832 in Schloss Schönbrunn, Vienna, Austria to Franz Karl von Österreich (1802-1878) and Sophie Friederike Dorothea Wilhelmine von Bayern (1805-1872) and died 19 June 1867 inSantiago de Querétaro, Mexico of unspecified causes. The theme is used again in the later 1939 … His elder brother was Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria. May my blood, which is about to be shed, be for the good of the country. Princess Caroline of Nassau-Saarbrücken, 29. [14], In 1848, revolutions erupted across Europe. It was only able to draw significant public attention and funds when it was actively supported by an imperial prince. Giving executer(s) a portion of gold/silver is well-established among European aristocracy since medieval time and not an act of desperation. With his final words, he forgave the Mexican people and exclaimed “Viva Mexico! On 27 July 1857, in Brussels (Belgium) Archduke Ferdinand Max married his second cousin, Princess Charlotte of Belgium (later known as Empress Carlota of Mexico), the daughter of Leopold I, King of the Belgians and Louise-Marie of France. He soon angered his conservative supporters when he chose to continue several of the liberal policies set in place by the Juarez government, including religious freedom and and land reforms. In April 1864, Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian stepped down from his duties as Chief of Naval Section of the Austrian Navy. Édouard Manet's Execution of Emperor Maximilian (1868–1869), is one of five versions of his representation of the execution of the Austrian-born Emperor of Mexico, which took place on June 19, 1867. They established their primary residence in Chapultepec Castle in Mexico City, a former military academy which Maximilian had remodeled and turned into an appropropriate home for an Emperor. Maximilian I of Mexico (1832 – 1867) was a member of the Imperial House of Habsburg-Lorraine.After a distinguished career in the Austrian Navy he was proclaimed Emperor of Mexico, during the Second Mexican Empire.. His father was Archduke Franz Karl, the second surviving son of Emperor Francis II of Austria, during whose reign he was born. Maximilian I (Spanish: Maximiliano I; Born Ferdinand Maximilian Joseph; 6 July 1832 – 19 June 1867) was the only monarch of the Second Mexican Empire. In other accounts, Maximilian calmly said, "aim well", to the firing squad and met his death with dignity. After his execution, Maximilian's body was embalmed and displayed in Mexico. He continued to fight the conservative forces led by Juarez before being forced to retreat to Santiago de Queretaro in February 1867. At the invitation from Napoleon III and after General Élie-Frédéric Forey's capture of Mexico City and the plebiscite which confirmed his proclamation of the empire, Maximilian consented to accept the crown in October 1863 (Ferdinand Maximilian was not told of the dubious nature of the plebiscite[citation needed], whose result was imposed by French troops occupying most of the territory[25]). Despite pleas from many of the reigning crowns of Europe, President Juarez refused to pardon the former Emperor and save his life. Maximilian I (German: Ferdinand Maximilian Joseph Maria von Habsburg-Lothringen, Spanish: Fernando Maximiliano José María de Habsburgo-Lorena; 6 July 1832 – 19 June 1867) was an Austrian archduke who reigned as the only Emperor of the Second Mexican Empire from 10 April 1864 until his execution on 19 June 1867. Early the following year, the Austrian admiral Wilhelm von Tegetthoff was sent to Mexico aboard the SMS Novara to take the former emperor's body back to Austria. Many foreign governments, including that of the United States, refused to recognize his administration. On this date in 1867, a firing squad disabused a Habsburg heir of his pretensions to the throne of Mexico. He also initiated a large-scale scientific expedition (1857–1859) during which the frigate SMS Novara became the first Austrian warship to circumnavigate the globe. His wife Charlotte (Carlota) had left for Europe earlier to try to build support for her husband's regime; she suffered an emotional collapse after his death and was declared insane. 1867: Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico, “Archdupe”. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. In the face of protests and riots, Emperor Ferdinand I abdicated in favor of Maximilian's brother, who became Franz Joseph I. [19][18] Only in 1849 would the revolution be stamped out in Austria, with hundreds of rebels executed and thousands imprisoned. The film is set during the French intervention in Mexico during the 1860s, and features the battle between Maximilian I of Mexico and Benito Juárez. He also appeared in one scene in the 1954 American film Vera Cruz, played by George Macready. The Mexican Empire collapsed, and Maximilian was captured and executed in 1867. While he was supported by Napoleon and the Mexican conservatives, the Liberal forces led by Mexican President Benito Juarez refused to recognize him as Emperor. At the Mexican telenovela "El Vuelo del Águila", Maximilian was portrayed by Mexican actor Mario Iván Martínez.[35]. Eventually, in 1866, Emperor Napoleon withdrew his troops from Mexico under pressure from the United States, and to build up his troops at home in the ongoing battle with Prussia. Several offers were made over the next four years which Maximilian declined. This plan was sabotaged by Colonel Miguel López who was bribed by the Republicans to open a gate and lead a raiding party through with the agreement that Maximilian would be allowed to escape. 105. However, Maximilian changed his mind after the French intervention in Mexico. [27] It was all a charade directed to his brother Archduke Karl Ludwig of Austria, as he explained himself: either Karl gave him one of his sons as an heir, or he would give everything to the Iturbide children.[27]. Empress Carlota began holding parties for the wealthy Mexicans to raise money for poor houses. His Imperial Majesty Don Maximiliano I (Maximilian I), By the Grace of God and will of the people, Emperor of Mexico. Following a strict education in the Austrian court, Maximilian began his military training, and quickly distinguished himself in the Austrian Navy and serving as Commander. The city fell to the conservative forces and Maximilian was taken into custody.