Who was Maximilian I of Mexico? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Also Known As: Ferdinand Maximilian Josef Maria

Died At Age: 34

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Carlota of Mexico

father: Archduke Franz Karl of Austria

mother: Princess Sophie of Bavaria

siblings: Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria, Archduke Karl Ludwig of Austria, Archduke Ludwig Viktor of Austria, Franz Joseph I of Austria

children: Agustín de Iturbide y Green, Salvador de Iturbide y Marzán

Emperors & Kings Austrian Men

Height: 1.87 m

Died on: June 19, 1867

place of death: Cerro de las Campanas

Ancestry: Austrian Mexican

Cause of Death: Execution

City: Vienna, Austria

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Childhood & Early Life

Maximilian I was born on July 6, 1832, in the Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, capital of the Austrian Empire as the son of Archduke Franz Karl and Princess Sophie of Bavaria. His father was second surviving son of Francis II, the last Holy Roman Emperor while his mother was daughter of King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria. He hailed from the House of Habsburg-Lorraine.

According to court rumours, Maximilian was born through his mother’s extramarital affair with his first cousin Napoleon II, The Duke of Reichstadt, the only legitimate son of Napoléon Bonaparte, Emperor of the French. However the historians, particularly the British dispute such rumours.

Maximilian was brought up in accordance with conventions inherited from Spanish court during Habsburg rule. He studied different subjects like history, technology and law, learnt to speak languages including German, French, Italian, English and Spanish and took lessons on military studies, diplomacy and fencing.

Since an early age, the more popular, joyful, charismatic and a bit undisciplined Maximilian would try to outshine his self-contained and aloof older brother Franz Joseph in everything. This created a rift between the two which only increased with time.

During the Revolutions of 1848, Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria abdicated the throne which was succeeded by his nephew, and Maximilian's brother Franz Joseph. Maximilian also remained involved in campaigns to suppress rebellions across the Empire.

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Stint with the Austrian Navy

Maximilian joined the military and undertook training in the Austrian Navy and in no time moved up the career rung. He became lieutenant in the navy at age 18 and was inducted commander in chief of the Austrian Navy in 1854, a position he held till 1861.

He went on to reorganise the Austrian Navy and undertook several reforms to modernise the naval forces. He played leading role in forming the naval port at Trieste and Pola (presently Pula) and was instrumental in creating the battle fleet later used by Admiral Wilhelm von Tegetthoff to secure several victories. The Austrian Imperial navy’s first large-scale scientific expedition, the Novara Expedition was initiated by him. He authorised the journey that marked frigate SMS Novara as the first Austrian warship to circumnavigate the world from April 30, 1857 to August 30, 1859.

Meanwhile, he became Viceroy of the Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia in February 1857 but was later dismissed by his brother Emperor Franz Joseph, who was offended of his liberal policies.

Emperor of Mexico, Reign & Downfall

Maximilian was first proposed to become Emperor of Mexico by local nobleman José Pablo Martínez del Río led Mexican monarchists in 1859. He received similar proposal from Mexican diplomat and politician Gutierrez de Estrada through a letter on October 20, 1861. However, he acceded to rule Mexico later in October 1863 accepting offer by Napoleon III of France to establish a new Mexican monarchy only after the Second French Intervention in Mexico when Mexico City was captured by General Élie-Frédéric Forey and proclamation of the empire was confirmed by a French-staged plebiscite.

Maximilian had to give away his rights of nobility in Austria and resign from his duties as Chief of Naval Section of the Austrian Navy in April 1864. Backed by the French army and a group of conservative Mexican monarchists who wanted to overthrow Mexican president, Benito Juárez’s liberal administration, Maximilian sailed to Mexico aboard SMS Novara and proclaimed himself Emperor of Mexico on April 10, 1864.

With the Juárez led Liberal forces denying recognising rule of Maximilian, the latter met with several difficulties from the very start of his reign. Continuous clashes between French troops of Maximilian and the Republicans followed. Although Maximilian and his wife, Carlota, planned the coronation ceremony at the Catedral Metropolitana, it could never be carried out due to ongoing instability of the regime.

The sharp contrast between standard of living of the magnificent upper class haciendas and the poor startled Maximilian. His wife made efforts in raising money for the poor by throwing parties for wealthy Mexicans. On the other hand Maximilian cancelled all debts for peasants over 10 pesos. He shortened work hours, put an end to child labour, outlawed corporal punishment, re-established communal property and brought an end of monopoly of the Hacienda stores. He issued a decree that from thereon, peons could not be traded against their debts.

Many of the Juárez administration proposed policies including those on land reforms and religious freedom were upheld by Maximilian, much to the disliking of his conservative allies. Maximilian also offered amnesty and post of Prime Minister to Juárez which the latter refused.

Eventually Juárez was forced into exile in the Mexican areas that were not controlled by the French. However he never gave up his office and maintained that he was still the legitimate head of the Mexican state and not Emperor Maximilian, which was also considered by the United States. Following the American Civil War, the United States extended their support to Juárez and put pressure on France to respect the Monroe Doctrine and withdraw troops from Mexico.

On October 3, 1865, Maximilian issued his Black Decree that resulted in execution of over eleven thousand supporters of Juarez without any trial thus inflaming the Mexican Resistance. He also abolished the Royal and Pontifical University of Mexico on November 30 that year.

In 1866 Napoleon III ordered withdrawal of French troops from Mexico which made things even worse for Maximilian who refused to leave his Mexican supporters. While his wife sailed to Europe to seek assistance, the Republican troops advanced in Mexico. The following year Maximilian and his Royal troops were besieged in Santiago de Querétaro.

Maximilian, along with his two faithful generals Tomás Mejía and Miguel Miramón, was executed on June 19, 1867 on the Hill of the Bells by a republican firing-squad. His remains were interred besides that of his ancestors in the Imperial Crypt of the Capuchin Church in Vienna on January 18, 1868.

Family, Personal Life & Legacy

He married his second cousin Princess Charlotte of Belgium on July 27, 1857. She was the daughter of Leopold I, King of the Belgians and first cousin of Prince Albert and Queen Victoria. Maximilian had no children with Charlotte, however they adopted Don Agustin and Don Salvador in 1865.

Carlota suffered a severe emotional collapse after she failed to garner support for her husband in 1866 and never went back to Mexico. She apparently became insane after her husband’s death and died on January 19, 1927, at Bouchout Castle in Meise, Belgium.

The Emperor Maximilian Memorial Chapel was built in his honour. It is located on the Cerro de las Campanas (Hill of the Bells) in Querétaro City on the spot where Maximilian was executed.

Maximilian was portrayed in films like ‘Juárez y Maximiliano’ (1934) and ‘Juarez’ (1939) and in the telenovela ‘El Vuelo del Águila’.

Maximilian I of Mexico Biography