FOR WHAT REASONS DID THE ITURBIDE EMPIRE FAIL? - HISTORY - 2025

The reasons why the Iturbide empire failed are a series of factors that led to the dissolution of the first model of government of Mexico as an independent state of Spain.

Most of these causes are of a political nature, although the economic crisis that Mexican territory experienced before and during the imperial period of Iturbide also influenced.

Agustín de Iturbide

The determining political causes for the fall of this political composition were: 1) the division between the political forces of the moment, 2) lack of a common identity, 3) lack of an economic plan to counteract the crisis, 4) Independence of the States United, 5) Lack of division of political power, 6) Incompatibility between the Córdoba Treaty and the Iguala Plan, and 7) the separatist intentions of other provinces.

The Iturbide empire was the monarchical Catholic regime established in the First Mexican Empire by the Congress of Mexico that appointed Agustín de Iturbide, first emperor of the newly independent Mexican Empire between 1822 and 1823. Upon receiving this mention, Agustín changed his name Agustín de Iturbide to Agustín I.

Main causes why the Iturbide empire failed

Mexico obtained its definitive independence on September 27 in Mexico City, 1821 after 11 years of separatist struggles that began on September 16, 1810 with the Grito de Dolores.

However, the following internal factors cracked the form of government of Agustín de Iturbide until leading to its dissolution:

1- Division between the political forces of the moment

At the time of the formation of the First Mexican Empire as a consequence of the Treaty of Córdoba and the Iguala Plan, 3 political parties with well-defined tendencies were formed:

On one side were the Iturbidistas who fully supported Agustín as emperor. The majority were rich people, the military and even the people, who had been won over by their great charisma.

On the other hand, the Republicans were made up of aristocrats and illustrious clergy of New Spain who shared the establishment of liberalism, constitutionalism and republicanism in the newly formed state.

And finally there were the Bourbonists, in favor of implanting a monarch of the House of Bourbon in Mexico. This idea was accepted in principle but the situation took an unexpected turn when Fernando VII announced that neither he nor anyone in his family would take the position because they did not recognize Mexico as an independent state.

Thus, the Bourbonists ideologically joined the Republicans and later formed a coalition to overthrow Agustín de Iturbide.

As we see, the form of political organization was a topic of discussion that deepened political differences, making consolidation difficult.

These political frictions deepened ideological differences, making it difficult to consolidate a strong political system and perpetuating the political instability that they had been experiencing for more than 11 years.

2- Lack of a common identity

By 1822, mestizos, indigenous people, criollos, and Spaniards did not have a set of shared values ​​or a collective project to create a national consciousness that identified them as members of a single state community.

Before the independence movement, there was no work on a cultural project that would disassociate them from loyalty to the Spanish Crown and integrate them into a new autonomous social identity.

Consequently, caste divisions and the supremacy of the Spanish race prevailed over the idea of ​​equality as Mexican citizens.

This void of imagined community was present in the political parties formed and in the society that did not have a collective mental referent.

3- Separatist intentions of other provinces

The newly formed republic comprised the former continental territory of the Viceroyalty of New Spain that ranged from what is known today as Costa Rica to the northern border of the states of California, New Mexico, and Texas on the current map of the United States. Spanish overseas territories in the Caribbean islands were not included.

Political instability and the lack of representation of remote regions of Mexico, awakened leaders of Guatemala, Costa Rica and other countries that at that time were Mexican provinces, to initiate separatist movements to have autonomy and political representation of their regions.

4- Lack of an economic plan

From 1808 with the invasion of France to Spain, the Bourbon reforms and the coming to power of José Bonaparte, the mining and commercial industry entered into recession due to the amount of Crown debts and the lack of capital circulation.

During the 11 years of independence, the crisis deepened even more because the resources produced were destined for the insurgent struggle and the economy was not reactivated.

With the signing of the Córdoba Treaty and the Iguala Plan, national independence was simply recognized but an economic reactivation plan was not discussed.

By 1822, the levels of poverty were very high, international trade was scarce and the economic backwardness was evident.

Agustín de Uturbide's lack of economic planning caused discomfort in Congress and the political parties.

5- Independence of the United States and French Revolution

The French Revolution between 1789 and 1799 and the independence of the United States were two successful cases of republican and constitutional government that the Mexican insurgents wanted to emulate.

One of the insurgent political forces that fought to obtain the independence of Mexico longed to break the historical chain of the colonial past and the monarchical system and for this reason, they embraced the idea of ​​a republican political organization, with the division of power in the 3 branches of the public power and equality of men.

When Augustine assumed power as the first Mexican emperor, the insurgents completely rejected the idea of ​​perpetuating the monarchical system even though its top leader was Creole and not Spanish.

6- Lack of division of political power

In the Iguala Plan and the Córdoba Treaty, temporary measures were established regarding the change of a government cabinet through the Provisional Governmental Board, it was not precisely defined what type of division of power would be made, who would be in charge, and the competencies it would have.

This legal vacuum gave Augustine space not to separate the powers and in the few months of his empire's validity, he absorbed executive, legislative and judicial powers like any absolutist monarchy.

7- Incompatibility between the Treaty of Córdoba and the Plan of Iguala

The Plan of Iguala and the Treaty of Córdoba, both signed in 1821 between the Trigarante Army, the insurgents, and the superior political leader of New Spain, were documents of recognition of Mexican legitimacy.

However, while the Plan of Iguala is signed between the Trigarante Army of Agustín de Uturbide in view of a republic, the other, the Treaty of Córdoba is a document between a representative of the Spanish monarchical regime and the Trigarente Army in view of form a Creole monarchical regime.

Although they served to close the historical episode of independence, it was the main source of political divisions at the beginning of the republican era because the nature of the two systems of governments in each of the documents is opposite.

References

1. Anderson, B. (1983). Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism. London: Verse.
2. Cárabes Pedroza, J., & Torres Navarro Gregorio¸ Flores García, J. (1972). 14.2. Iturbide Empire. In J. Cárabes Pedroza, & J. Torres Navarro Gregorio¸ Flores García, Active History of Mexico (pp. 235-239). Mexico DF: Progreso.
3. Cultural history. (17 of 7 of 2017). First Mexican Empire. Obtained from Historia Universal: historiacultural.com.
4. Latin American Institute of the Educational Community. (17 of 7 of 2017). The provinces and the Iturbide Empire. Obtained from the Latin American Institute of the Educational Community: Bibliotecadigital.ilce.edu.mx.
5. Political Memory of Mexico. (17 of 7 of 2017). The United Provinces of Central America proposes its separation from Mexico. Obtained from Memoria Politica de México: memoriapoliticademexico.org.