kingdom · Mesoamerica and the Caribbean
Second Mexican Empire
Origins
After French troops took Mexico City in 1863, Napoleon III arranged for an Assembly of Notables to offer the crown to Archduke Maximilian of Austria, brother of Franz Joseph. Juan Nepomuceno Almonte headed a regency until Maximilian and his wife Carlota of Belgium arrived in May 1864.
Rule and society
Maximilian, a liberal, disappointed his conservative backers by upholding the Reform laws on church property and religious tolerance, while seeking to protect indigenous communities. His power depended on French troops fighting Benito Juárez's republicans across the country. In 1865 his Black Decree ordered the execution of captured guerrillas. The empire was financed by heavy loans, and the court at Chapultepec Castle was lavish.
Decline and legacy
After the American Civil War the United States pressed France to withdraw, and Napoleon III pulled out his army in 1866 to 1867. Maximilian stayed, was besieged at Querétaro and captured, and was shot with generals Miramón and Mejía on 19 June 1867. The republic was restored as Mexico.
Lineage
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- Second Mexican Empire was a protectorate of Second French Empire1863 CE – 1867 CE
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Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Second Mexican Empire. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/second-mexican-empire
- MLA
- “Second Mexican Empire.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/second-mexican-empire. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Second Mexican Empire.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/second-mexican-empire.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Second Mexican Empire’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/second-mexican-empire (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻