MAXIMILIAN OF HABSBURG: BIOGRAPHY - HISTORY - 2025

Maximiliano de Habsburgo (1832 - 1867), whose real name was Fernando Maximiliano José, was recognized in history for being Archduke of Austria, Emperor of Mexico and the only monarch of the Second Mexican Empire, as the country was known when it was led by a hereditary monarchy.

His interest in science-related subjects led him to do military service in the Austrian Navy. During his work, he began the scientific expedition that allowed the SMS Novara frigate to become the first Austrian warship to navigate the planet.

Franz Xaver Winterhalter, via Wikimedia Commons

He got to marry Princess Charlotte of Belgium, who was the daughter of the King of the Belgians, Leopold I, and with whom he adopted two children.

His work as monarch of the Second Mexican Empire was not well received by an important sector of Mexico because Maximiliano came from another country. Furthermore, the Empire had been imposed by Napoleon III without prior approval from the Mexicans. After a series of conflicts, he was executed in the Latin American country.

Biography

Early years

Fernando Maximiliano José was born in a palace located in the Austrian city of Vienna on July 6, 1832. The first of his names was in honor of his godfather and paternal uncle, who became the King of Hungary; while the second honored his paternal grandfather, who was the King of Bavaria.

He was the son of Archduke Franz Harl and Princess Sophia of Bavaria, who was a member of the House of Wittelsbach. The relationship that his family had with power made Maximilian a member of the House of Hasburg-Lorraine, which was a cadet branch of the House of Hasburg.

Studies

As part of the traditions of the time, Maximilian received an education closely supervised by his representatives. Baroness Louise von Sturmfeder took charge of Maximilian's training until he was six years old; then the young man began to watch classes with a tutor.

Classes took up a significant part of Maximiliano's time, which increased over time: at 17 years of age, he saw 55 hours of classes a week.

Among the subjects or disciplines he studied were history, geography, law, technology, military studies, fencing, and diplomacy. In addition, he also studied languages, which allowed him to master Hungarian, Slovak, English, French, Italian and Spanish; her mother tongue was German.

According to those who knew him, Maximiliano was a cheerful and charismatic boy who sought to stand out from his brother; however, they also rated him as a bit undisciplined.

I support his brother

In 1848, when Maximilian was approximately 16 years old, a series of revolutions began in Europe. The disturbances made Emperor Ferdinand I abdicate in favor of his brother, so he assumed the name of Francisco José I.

Maximiliano supported his brother in carrying out campaigns that would make it possible to quell the rebellions in the empire; the following year the Austrian revolution ended, leaving hundreds dead and imprisoned. The situation horrified the young man.

Austrian Navy

Maximiliano had an important interest in subjects related to science, especially botany. For this reason, when he began to perform military service, he began training in the Austrian Navy, a career in which he had a vertiginous rise.

When he was 18 years old, he became a lieutenant in the navy. His interest in the area led him to undertake several long-distance boat trips; one of them did so four years after becoming a lieutenant: he sailed as a commander in the corvette Minerva, which explored the coast of Albania and Dalmatia.

He also made several trips through Brazil on the Elisabeth frigate. That same year, in 1854, he was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Austrian Navy, a position he held for approximately seven years, until 1861.

During his work, the Austrian naval force became influential in the ranks of the Imperial Family, giving the navy the importance it never had in Austrian foreign policy. Maximiliano was also in charge of making numerous reforms to modernize the naval forces.

In addition, he started the scientific expedition that allowed the SMS Novara frigate to become the first Austrian warship to navigate the planet.

Marriage and Viceroy of the Kingdom of Lombardy - Venice

At age 25, his brother helped him find a wife. After handling several possibilities, they leaned towards Princess Charlotte of Belgium, who was the only daughter of the Belgian King Leopold I, who was recognized for arranging marriages at convenience to give legitimacy to his dynasty.

The union of his daughter with a Habsburg, the most prestigious house in Europe at the time, was an opportunity that Leopold I could not refuse. The engagement was celebrated on July 27, 1857.

Despite the importance of both parties, Leopold I was not convinced of the union due to the fact that Maximilian was an archduke.

The pressure of the king of the Belgians on the brother of Maximiliano so that his son-in-law was appointed with a position of greater relevance made him obtain the title of viceroy of the Kingdom of Lombardy - Venice. Maximilian's liberal thought helped to make this decision.

Maximiliano remained in power until 1859, after the Austrians were defeated at the Battle of Solferino. His liberal policies enraged his brother, so he decided to dismiss him from office, causing discontent in Leopoldo I.

Mexico Crown

Mexico was seriously affected after a war caused by a series of reforms that caused a polarization of society. The situation made several countries in Europe pay attention to try to alleviate the situation.

In 1859, Mexican conservatives approached Maximiliano to offer him to become emperor of the country, considering that he had greater legitimacy than other royal figures of the time. The chances of the man coming to rule in Europe were slim, due to the position already held by his older brother.

In October 1861 he received a letter with the proposal, which was rejected at the first opportunity. Two years later, in October 1863, Maximiliano accepted the crown, mistakenly thinking that the people of that country had voted for him for the position. The decision caused him to lose the rights to the Austrian nobility.

The offer was the result of a series of talks between conservative Mexicans who wanted to overthrow the government of then President Benito Juárez and the French Emperor Napoleon III.

Second Mexican Empire

Archduke Maximiliano left his post as Chief of the Naval Section of the Austrian Navy and undertook his trip to the Latin American country.

At the time of the arrival of Maximiliano with his wife to the country, in May 1864, they could perceive the indifference of the population in some sectors, which did not happen in cities like Puebla and Mexico City.

The couple resided in the Castillo de Chapultepec, located in Mexico City. Maximilian was crowned emperor on June 10, 1864, and tried to be benevolent during his tenure. It carried out important reforms, many of which caused the indignation of the landowners.

The family held parties to allow the collection of money by the Mexicans with greater purchasing power to allocate it to the most vulnerable households.

Additionally, Maximiliano restricted working hours, abolished child labor, and opposed the Roman Catholic hierarchy by refusing to restore church possessions confiscated by Benito Juárez. The liberal forces that were led by Juárez did not support the emperor.

Adoption

Maximiliano I of Habsburg and Princess Carlota of Belgium could not have biological children, having to adopt Agustín de Iturbide y Green and their cousin Salvador de Iturbide de Marzán by their own decision. Both were grandsons of Agustín de Iturbide, the general of the Mexican army.

On September 16, 1865, they granted their adopted children by imperial decree the titles of Princes of Iturbide. Despite the alleged intentions to name Augustine as heir to the throne, the position was never assigned to him. Maximiliano did not give the crown to the Iturbides considering that they did not have royal blood.

Problems with the United States

After the United States Civil War came to an end, the US government began to pressure Napoleon III to withdraw the support of French troops for Maximilian and remove them from Mexico.

The leaders of the North American country claimed that the presence of the French army in Mexican lands was a violation of the Monroe Doctrine, which declared that the Old and New world had different systems.

For that reason, the United States would not intervene in the affairs of powers in Europe or in the colonies of the Western Hemisphere.

Furthermore, the doctrine considered that any attempt by a European power to control a nation in the Western Hemisphere was seen as an act against the United States, because the countries in that area should not be colonized.

The possibility that the North American country carried out an invasion to allow the return of Juárez caused many followers of Maximiliano to withdraw their support.

In October 1865 Maximiliano promulgated the Black Decree, a document that allowed the execution of citizens who were part of armed gangs without legal authority. The move killed approximately 11,000 Juarez supporters.

End of mandate

Princess Charlotte tried to seek help from Napoleon II and Pope Pius IX; however, her efforts failed, causing her an emotional breakdown. In March 1867 the soldiers of the French army withdrew from the territory, which was a blow to the mandate of Maximilian.

Despite this, the monarch refused to abandon his position and the followers he had. With the help of loyal generals, Maximiliano fought alongside an army of approximately 8,000 sympathizers to defend himself against republican invasions.

During the battle he decided to retreat to the city of Santiago de Querétaro, where he was besieged by the troops of the opposing side. By this time Maximilian's troops were considerably weakened.

The army lost the battle permanently on May 15, 1867, while Maximilian of Habsburg was captured the next day after trying to escape.

Despite the fact that important personalities of the time such as the poet and novelist Víctor Hugo and the renowned soldier Giuseppe Garibaldi, as well as the crowned chiefs of the European continent asked Juárez for mercy, he did not spare Maximiliano.

Death

After submitting the case of Maximiliano de Habsburgo to a trial, who became the only monarch of the Second Mexican Empire was sentenced to death. Some theories suggest that the move was made despite the fact that Juarez did not totally dislike Maximiliano.

The Mexican president made the decision motivated by the thousands of Mexicans who died during the battle against the monarch. Furthermore, he considered that it was necessary to send a message that Mexico would not accept any type of government that could be imposed by foreign powers.

Fernando Maximiliano José came to plan an escape with his wife to avoid conviction; However, the monarch considered that his dignity would be affected if his beard was shaved so as not to be recognized during the flight and then he was recaptured.

On June 19, 1867 at approximately 6:40 am, Maximiliano I was executed in the Cerro de las Campanas along with the generals who supported him during his last battle.

It is presumed that the man gave some coins to those who would carry out the execution so that they would not shoot him in the face, which would allow his mother to recognize him.

Body location

Once the execution was carried out, Maximiliano's body was embalmed and exposed in Mexico. The following year, in January 1868, the emperor's body was sent to Austria; his coffin was taken to Vienna and placed inside the Imperial Crypt.

References

1. Maximilian, Portal Encyclopedia Britannica, (nd). Taken from britannica.com
2. Maximilian I of Mexico, English Wikipedia Portal, (nd). Taken from en.wikipedia.org
3. Maximiliano I de México, Spanish Wikipedia Portal, (nd). Taken from en.wikipedia.org
4. Maximilian, Portal Biography, (2014). Taken from biography.com
5. Biography of Maximilian of Habsburg, Cultural History Portal, (2011). Taken from historiacultural.com
6. Maximiliano I de México, Portal Historia-Biografía.com, (2017). Taken from historia-biografia.com