The Emperor Reformer

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One of the first laws of the new monarch of Mexico is the reduction of working time and the prohibition of child labor. But this did not save him from the execution

When Archduke Maximilian left his beloved Miramare Castle in Trieste to board the Novara ship, which was to take him to Mexico, he was tormented by doubts. The decision to leave for the long-established colony of the Habsburg Empire, founded during the reign of his great-grandfather Karl V, he took under pressure. If it depended only on him, he would remain in his beloved castle, leading there the lazy and orderly life of the heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary.

However, he was pressured from all sides. He was approached by representatives of Mexican conservatives who are in Europe. The revival of the monarchy in Mexico was insisted on by the French emperor Napoleon III. In addition, this idea was liked by his wife Charlotte. The pressure of his wife in the appendage to the result of a plebiscite, which, according to Napoleon, took place in Mexico, and helped the monarchists break the resistance of Maximilian. In the end, he agreed to accept the offer of the French monarch and become the emperor of Mexico. The Archduke never learned that the referendum was rigged, and the results were completely different ...

Representatives of the Mexican delegation assured him that their compatriots were waiting for the prince's couple with great impatience, but in the port of Veraxus they were met by few people who congratulated their future emperor.

During the trip in the city of Orizaba, the emperor saw a poster with the inscription "Let the Republic Live." Maximilian remembered this when an anonymous letter came to him, in which the author cursed Napoleon III as the creator of the Mexican empire, and Maximilian called the usurper and threatened if he set foot on the Mexican soil, then he would be shot. Gathering all these details together, Maximilian understood the unpleasant truth that his Mexican throne was on a very unstable foundation.

The mood of the Archduke and his wife improved only after arriving in the capital, where local conservatives tried much more than their counterparts in the province. They congratulated the imperial couple. Maximilian really liked Chapultepec Castle, which should become his residence and reminded him of his beloved Miramare. From the tower of his castle opened a magnificent view of the city of Mexico City. Maximilian and Charlotte enjoyed spending time on the large terrace, building plans for the country's modernization. The plans were ambitious, but not feasible. Although Maximilian quickly fell in love with his new homeland, most Mexicans did not perceive the imposed monarch.

Victory of the Conservatives

Consequently, what was the prerequisite for the arrival of Maximilian ?. In the 60s of the 19th century Mexico was boiling. In January 1861, liberals entered the capital under a standing ovation, ending a tragic civil war, which was called the "war for reforms." It was one of the largest internal conflicts in the history of Mexico. The conservatives, supported by the Catholic Church, fought among themselves, and the liberals' supporters, led by Benito Juárez.

Maximilian rejoiced that in the drama, the scene of which was Mexico of the 60s of the 19 th century and in which he played one of the main roles, his opponent was Juarez himself. He was one of their great heroes and a symbol of Mexican liberals. And for the indigenous population - a symbol of social emancipation. A native of a native Indian family from the Zapotec tribe who lived in the mountains near the city of Oaxaca.

At the age of three, he lost his father and grew up under the care of his uncle. He worked as a shepherd and helped harvest corn. I could not write and did not know the Spanish language. He began his ascent from the lowest step. At the age of 12, I went to the city of Oaxaca in search of a better life. He was lucky, he met Franciscan Antonio Salanueva, who saw the potential of the boy and sent him to go to seminary. After leaving school in 1827, Benito began to teach law. Worked as a lawyer and a judge. Then he went into politics and in 1847 became governor of Oaxaca.

Since he criticized the corrupt dictatorship of General Santa Anna, he was expelled from the country and was forced to go to New Orleans, where he worked in a cigar factory. There he met Melchor Ocampo, one of the leaders of the Mexican liberals. Under his influence, he began to understand this ideology. When he came to power, he prepared one of the major reforms - the so-called Lex Juarez, which limited the comprehensive power of military tribunals.

When the Conservatives carried out a coup, they ended up in jail. He managed to escape, and he led the liberal movement in Mexico. After all, after many years of civil war, the liberals achieved victory in February 1861, Juarez became president of Mexico in free elections. First of all, he took away a huge fortune of the Catholic church, which owned almost half of the land in Mexico. He imposed taxes on the clergy. He created secular institutions that issued certificates of birth, marriage and death. Declared freedom of religion.

However, the economic situation in Mexico was tragic. Three years of civil war led to the destruction of the country. The treasury was empty, it could not be filled with money confiscated from the church. The Catholic Church, which was in danger of disappearing political life, actively supported the conservative party, which, not paying attention to the defeat in the war, was not completely destroyed. In many parts of the country, partisan groups of conservatives worked. They sought support in the world for their plans to restore power.

One of these groups, led by aristocrat José Manuel Idolgo, negotiated with the French emperor Napoleon III, who led a very active foreign policy, wishing to resume losses of the colonial lands of France. Hidalgo effortlessly persuaded him to intervene in the situation in Mexico, suffering from the crisis. The US, leading the civil war, were weakened, so they could not intervene in the situation in Mexico.

Mexico was on the verge of a war, only an excuse was needed. Joarez joined himself, which, through the country's dramatic situation, has critically increased domestic debt. As a result, three countries - Spain, Great Britain and France - began the occupation, seizing the Mexican port of Veraxus in December 1861. France introduced a significant military contingent. March 5, 1862, General Carlos Fernando de la Trili arrived in Veracus, and the French Corps moved into the interior of the country. First, the Mexicans took the upper hand. On May 5, the French army was defeated at Puebla. But the French did not give up.

They sent an additional 2000 soldiers and a new commander. The second attack was more effective. After two months of siege Puebla gave up, and the road to the Mexican capital was opened. Benito Juarez with the loyal soldiers retreated to the north. June 7, 1863 in Mexico City, French troops entered. The invaders recognized the interim government, which consisted of Mexican conservatives, and then convened a conservative National Assembly, which in July 1863 decided that Mexico would become a Catholic empire. The throne was offered to the candidate, whom Napoleon appointed. They became Maximilian, the younger brother of the Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz Joseph.

Lust for power

Maximilian never independently ruled. It means not the French councils, but the political decisions of his wife Charlotte. They were the perfect pair. Maximilian had many mistresses, even in Mexico, which his wife did not like very much. But from their correspondence it is clear that between them there was a strong platonic love and great respect. Perhaps the reason for this was the fact that their marriage was their meaningful choice.

Both were of a noble family (Charlotte was the daughter of the King of Belgium Leopold I, the granddaughter of the French King Louis Philip and cousin of Queen Victoria). Both received a thorough education (they knew several foreign languages, were interested in art, literature, and Maximilian also botany), both had ambitions (although in this sense Charlotte far surpassed her husband).

Many researchers believe that Maximilian was smarter and smarter than his brother Franz Joseph, but was born later, so he was second in line for the throne. Temporarily he had to be content with the title of viceroy of the kingdom of Lombardy-Venice, which was graciously given by his brother.

Maximilian never wanted to be the king of a small kingdom. The marriage of the crown did not bother him as much as Charlotte craved. The ambitious wife suffered from a lack of real power, envied Sisi, the wife of Franz Joseph, the Empress Eugenia, the wife of Napoleon III, the Queen of Great Britain Victoria. She was hard pressed by the vice-rule of Maximilian and a boring life in Trieste, where her husband was attached to his favorite pursuits - building Miramare Castle, reading books, and supervising the work of gardeners.

Charlotte did not like it. Therefore, when in the summer of 1861 Miramar Castle was not the official rumors about Napoleon III's plans to overthrow the Mexican Republic and create an empire led by Maximilian at the head, Charlotte was delighted. The Empress of Mexico sounds as proud as the Empress of Austria, France, the Queen of Great Britain or the Empress of India. She did her best to dispel the fears and doubts of her indecisive husband, who, on the one hand, wanted to get out of the custody of his brother and had ambitions to rule, and on the other hand, he was afraid to leave Europe.

When Maximilian received positive news from the referendum in Mexico, he listened to his wife's requests and accepted the imperial crown from a delegation of Mexican monarchists. This was used by his brother, forcing him to renounce the rights to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The Emperor of Mexico can not be simultaneously the emperor of Austria. This was a huge humiliation, but things went too far, and Maximilian could not turn back. Moreover, Charlotte dreamed of the coronation of the Empress.

When Maximilian and Charlotte set foot on the Mexican lands, the country was almost completely under the control of the French army. Of the 24 states that make up the Mexican state, 18 were in the hands of European invaders. Only 7% of the territory of Mexico remained under the control of Juarez.

The Lonely Reformer

Maximilian did not want to be a puppet of Napoleon and his generals. However, he had to reconcile himself to the fact that the French made the most important decisions in this occupied country. Maximilian decided to get the support of the people, because he loved his new homeland. The Emperor began to actively reform the country, but the direction of these reforms was completely different than those who had put him on the throne. Mexican conservatives, those who hoped to regain the positions lost during the reforms of the government of Juarez, were unhappy. Maximilian was ... a liberal: he continued the reforms of his overthrown predecessors.

"Men in cassocks are wicked and weak, and most of the country is liberal and requires progress in the full sense of the word," wrote the emperor.

The Imperial couple was shocked by the section that existed between the rich planters and the lower layers of society. The Empress began to raise funds for the poor, and one of Maximilian's first laws concerned the reduction of working time and the prohibition of child labor. He also banned the use of corporal punishment and abolished all debts of peasants over 10 pesos. "The best are the Indians, I decided to create a special council, whose task will be to help them, to consider their desires, complaints and needs," Maximilian wrote in his diary.

He was actively supported by his wife. Together they began many reforms: for example, free education, the development of railways. Maximilian often visited different regions of the country. At that time in the capital he was replaced by Charlotte, led the meetings of the Council of Ministers, put forward her ideas and won the respect of government representatives. She was in charge during her husband's frequent illnesses. People believed that it would be better if she were an empress than the constantly ill Maximilian.

Critical errors

Perhaps, on her advice Maximilian expelled the main generals from the country who belonged to the Conservative Party, and declared an amnesty for the liberals. He even called on Juarez to join him in reforming the country. But Juarez could not agree to the recognition of the monarchy and persistently continued guerrilla actions that would drive the French out with Maximilian and restore Mexico.

The French military wrote in a letter that "the emperor wanted very much that there would be liberal dissidents on his side, better that would be headed by Juarez himself." He was drawing closer to the party that had been defeated in the French intervention, and was moving away from its most loyal followers ". The bitterness of conservatives and Catholic hierarchs overflowed when Maximilian nationalized the lands belonging to the church.

The Emperor made terrible mistakes. Under the influence of reports of the murders committed by the forces of Juarez, the law was adopted, which was called the "black decree". Accordingly, with him, those liberals who were caught with weapons in their hands, it was necessary to immediately shoot. Historians have calculated that with this decree, 11,000 supporters of Juarez were shot. But, from the standpoint of propaganda, the rebuff of the imperial power grew rapidly.

It hurts when they shoot

At the beginning of 1866 Chapultepec Palace and its imperial masters were stunned by the news: Napoleon III decided to withdraw troops from Mexico. This was the result of a change in the political situation in the world. In 1865, the civil war in the United States ended, and the most powerful state of North America decided to return to the Monroe Doctrine, excluding the presence of European armies on the American continent. They began to put pressure on France, that she would withdraw her troops. The US increased support for Juarez and began to concentrate forces on the border with Mexico.

Napoleon in the face of the threat from Prussia, which grew, did not hesitate for a long time with the decision. The French troops systematically left the Mexican fortresses, and the imperial army of Maximilian was not able to protect them from the predominant forces of the Republicans. This decision of Napoleon was a violation of the agreements with Maximilian. The Emperor suffered a nervous breakdown and decided to return to Europe, but collided with Charlotte's resistance.

She arranged for him a grandiose scandal, broke the text of the imperial abdication from the Mexican throne, left, and then sent him a letter in which she wrote that power is the highest good in the world, and voluntary refusal from it does not suit the heir to the glorious Habsburgs. After that I went to Europe to ask for help for my husband.

Charlotte arrived in Paris and secured a meeting with Napoleon. He said that he could not help Mexico. From the Pope only insecure promises. Her mental state made others worry. On October 9, after her return to Miramar, doctors ascertained her insanity. Maximilian was informed of her unstable mental health, but with general phrases.

Having received nuts from his wife, Maximilian gathered his strength and began to fight. With each battle his forces melted, and the forces of Juárez gradually renewed control of Mexico. The last act of the drama broke out in early February 1876 in the city of Queretaro, where he stayed with the remnants of his army Maximilian. Republicans under the command of General Mariano Escobedo took him under siege.

On May 11, the emperor made an attempt to cross the enemy line, but this plan was sabotaged by Colonel Lopez, bribed by Republicans. Before that, he was promised that the ruler would be allowed to leave the country. May 15, Maximilian was taken prisoner.

In May-June the military court in the composition of the colonel and six captains decided the fate of Maximilian, France Yosif restored him in all the rights of the archduke from Lorraine's house and offered to pay the ransom, but this gesture proved useless. The court, on the basis of interrogations, on which the emperors basically refused to speak, declaring that he was engaged only in political affairs, sentenced him to the death penalty without the right to appeal.

From all the royal courts of Europe came telegrams and letters with requests to save Maximilian life. Such pardonable figures as Giuseppe Garibaldi, Victor Hugo and US President Andrew Johnson expressed their pardon. Juarez himself sympathized with the emperor, but refused to influence the verdict, referring to the lives of those who died in the struggle against the monarchy. He all sent replies with a statement that Mexico would not tolerate any government imposed by foreigners.

Maximilian retained his dignity to the end. Before the execution even joked, referring to one of the generals, who was convicted along with him. "Does it hurt when they are shot?". To which the general replied in the same tone: "I do not know, Your Majesty, I have never been shot."

At 7.05 am on June 19, 1867, Maksimilian with two faithful generals - Miguel Miramon and Thomas Mejia - was brought to Mount Siera de las Campanas, which is on the outskirts of Queretaro. The sentence was to be carried out by 18 soldiers. The Emperor spoke only Spanish and gave the executioners some gold, asking them not to shoot at the head, so that the mother and wife - the two women who meant so much to him - could see his face.

His last words were: "I forgive everyone and ask everyone to forgive me, let my blood that is about to shed will be for the good of the country." Let Mexico live, let independence live! " Despite the fact that the commanders of the executioners took money, they shot in the face. Mexican generals were shot after him. Dying they shouted: "Let the emperor live!"

The wife of Maximilian was transported from Miramaru to Belgium on July 27, 1867, where she was under the care of her relatives until the end of the century. About the fate of her husband Charlotte did not recognize, considering that Maximilian still lives in Mexico. With her into bed she laid the doll, which she called "Maxi". The former Empress of Mexico fell into a frenzy and the rest of her long life (she died in 1927) was spent in castles belonging to the imperial family.

Buento Juarez returned to power and fought for the independence of Mexico. In his honor they called Mussolini.