The Last Emperor of Mexico
The Dramatic Story of the Habsburg Archduke Who Created a Kingdom in the New World
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4.7 • 10 Ratings
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- $17.99
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- $17.99
Publisher Description
The true operatic tragedy of Maximilian and Carlota, the European aristocrats who stumbled into power in Mexico—and faced bloody consequences.
In the 1860s, Napoleon III, intent on curbing the rise of American imperialism, persuaded a young Austrian archduke and a Belgian princess to leave Europe and become the emperor and empress of Mexico. They and their entourage arrived in a Mexico ruled by terror, where revolutionary fervor was barely suppressed by French troops. When the United States, now clear of its own Civil War, aided the rebels in pushing back Maximilian’s imperial soldiers, the French army withdrew, abandoning the young couple. The regime fell apart. Maximilian was executed by a firing squad and Carlota, secluded in a Belgian castle, descended into madness.
Assiduously researched and vividly told, The Last Emperor of Mexico is a dramatic story of European hubris, imperialist aspirations clashing with revolutionary fervor, and the Old World breaking from the New.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Historian Shawcross's impressive debut recounts a significant yet overlooked chapter in the 19th-century struggle over "who would govern the Americas, and how they would be governed." He details tensions in Mexico between conservatives who sought to curb U.S. influence by rejecting "radical democracy" and aligning with European monarchies, and liberals who wanted to secularize the country and make it more republican. When liberal lawyer Benito Juárez became president in 1861, Mexico's conservative leaders encouraged French emperor Napoleon III to invade the country and install Habsburg archduke Ferdinand Maximilian and his wife, Carlota, as Mexico's monarchs. Maximilian proved too modern for the conservatives, however, and he disappointed Napoleon by not consolidating power quickly enough to repay the costs of putting him on the throne. Juárez, meanwhile, refused to resign the presidency, and his supporters waged military operations against Maximilian with help from the U.S. In 1866, Napoleon abruptly announced the withdrawal of French troops from Mexico. Unable to persuade other European powers to send reinforcements, Maximilian negotiated his abdication but was reluctant to leave the country without a functioning government. Captured by liberal forces and convicted of treason, he was executed in 1867. Filled with political intrigue, crisp battle scenes, and a richly textured portrait of Maximilian, this is an entertaining and informative historical page-turner. Illus.
Customer Reviews
Absolutely loved it
I could hardly take a break. They should make a movie or mini-series.