Person

Maximilian I of Mexico

1832–1867 · 19th century · Also known as Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian of Austria

Maximilian I was an Austrian archduke, younger brother of Franz Joseph I, who accepted the throne of Mexico offered by conservatives backed by Napoleon III. He arrived in 1864 to rule the Second Mexican Empire, but his liberal policies alienated his supporters while Benito Juárez's republicans fought on. When French troops withdrew under American pressure his regime collapsed; he was captured at Querétaro and shot on 19 June 1867.

Maximilian I of Mexico
Image: Original glass negative (LC-BH824-4754) made by Andrew Burgess, one of Mathew Brady's operators, on a trip to Mexico City. · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 2 state histories

Kingdom of Lombardy-VenetiaSecond Mexican Empire

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Maximilian I of Mexico. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/maximilian-i-of-mexico
MLA
“Maximilian I of Mexico.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/maximilian-i-of-mexico. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Maximilian I of Mexico.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/maximilian-i-of-mexico.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Maximilian I of Mexico’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/maximilian-i-of-mexico (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻