Maximilian I of Mexico was an Austrian archduke who became the Emperor of Mexico from 1864 to 1867. Born Ferdinand Maximilian Joseph on July 6, 1832, in Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna, he was the younger brother of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria.
Maximilian was given a comprehensive education, with a focus on the arts, sciences, and military training. His early career included serving in the Austrian Navy, where he eventually became its commander-in-chief. His progressive views on governance and his interest in liberal reforms made him a somewhat controversial figure within the Habsburg family.
In 1861, after the French Intervention in Mexico, Napoleon III of France aimed to establish a conservative monarchy in Mexico to counterbalance the influence of the United States, which was then embroiled in its Civil War. Mexican monarchists, backed by French, Spanish, and British forces, offered the Mexican throne to Maximilian, who initially hesitated but eventually accepted under certain conditions.
Maximilian and his wife, Carlota, arrived in Mexico in 1864. His rule was marked by attempts to implement reforms, including land reform and religious freedom, which were at odds with the conservative elements that had supported his ascent. He aimed to establish a constitutional monarchy, but his reign faced resistance from republican forces led by Benito Juárez, who continued to operate a shadow government.
With the French troops gone, Maximilian was captured by Juárez's forces at Querétaro on May 15, 1867. Despite international pleas for clemency, including from Maximilian's brother, Franz Joseph, Maximilian was tried and sentenced to death. He was executed by firing squad on June 19, 1867, at Cerro de las Campanas in Querétaro.
Maximilian's brief rule has been viewed with mixed feelings in Mexican history: