The Mexican Adventure

[derLowe]

The Mexican Adventure

On account of huge unpaid foreign debts, Emperor Napoleon III of France had his troops supported by British and Spanish forces march into Mexico in 1862 in order to remove the republican government. Following the withdrawal of the British and the Spanish and supported by the indigenous clerical party a Mexican delegation offered the crown of the Mexican Empire (Segundo Imperio Mexicano) to Erzherzog Maximilian of Austria, the brother of Kaiser Franz Joseph I. Emperor Maximilian and his Charlotte of Belgium arrived in Mexico in 1864 and hostilities were immediately instigated by the republican party under Benito Juarez. Following the French withdrawal in 1867, the Imperial Army which consisted mainly of the Austrian and Belgian Volunteer Legions was defeated by the republicans. Although the Empress was able to escape, the Emperor was captured and executed on the orders of a court-martial and a republic was declared again on the 15th of July 1867.
http://www.austro-hungarian-army.co.uk/mexican/mexpic1.jpg http://www.austro-hungarian-army.co.uk/mexican/mexpic2.jpg http://www.austro-hungarian-army.co.uk/mexican/mexpic3.jpg
Napoleon III.

Emperor of France

Benito Juarez

President of Mexico

Maximilian I.

Kaiser of Mexico

[derLowe]

Chronology of the Mexican Adventure 1861-1867

1861
25th January On this date the so-called Law against State-Crimes was issued. This republican law threatens all Mexicans who fight under foreign flags or participate in any way against the form of a republican government with death - this was the basis of the later execution of Kaiser Maximilian and some of his followers. June Benito Juarez re-elected as President of Mexico and orders the expulsion of senior clerical appointees including the Archbishop of Mexico, Pelagio Antonio Labastida y Dávalos 17th July Mexican Congress suspends any payment of debt to foreign powers 31st October France, Great Britain and Spain sign Treaty of London, uniting their efforts to obtain payments from Mexico 8th December Spanish fleet and troops from Cuba arrive at Veracruz 11th December President Juarez granted extraordinary powers by the Mexican Congress
1862
1st January USA advices Mexico that it cannot help because of it's own Civil War 6th-8th January British and French fleets arrive at Veracruz 27th February Campeche surrenders to French fleet 5th March General Lorencez arrives with French army at Mexico 9th April Britain and Spain decide to withdraw 24th April British and Spanish troops leave Mexico 5th May Mexican army led by General Zaragoza defeat the French army under General Lorencez at Puebla 14th June Pursuing Mexican army contained by French at Orizaba in the province of Veracruz 21st September More French troops arrive in Mexico 1st October General Lorencez replaced by General Forey 16th October Further French reinforcements arrive under General Bazaine 23rd October Tampico occupied by the French army 12th December Jalapa taken without combat by General Bazaine
1863
15th January Acapulco bombarded by French warships 16th March French army under General Forey marches into the interior and lays siege to Puebla 30th April 3rd Company of the 1st Regiment of the French Foreign Legion fights to the last man at Camerone which is the beginning of the later formidable reputation of the legion. 7th May Mexican relief army under General Comofort defeated by French under General Bazaine at San Lorenzo south of Puebla 17th May Puebla surrenders to the French army 31st May President Juarez and the Republican government leave Mexico City and retreat to the north taking the state-treasure with them 7th June First French troops under General Bazaine enter Mexico City, followed by the main army under General Forey on the 10th of June 16th June Superior Junta, appointed by General Forey, appointed the Mexican conservative General Almonte as provisional President of Mexico 21st June The 35 members of the Superior Junta meet for the first time 10th July Superior Junta proclaims a Catholic Empire and offers the crown and title of Emperor to Erzherzog Maximilian, the younger brother of the Austro-Hungarian Emperor 1st October General Bazaine replaces General Forey as supreme commander 3rd October The Comisiòn Mexicana, sent by the Superior Junta, meet Erzherzog Maximilian at his castle Miramar near Trieste, he accepts the offered crown only after a public poll of the Mexican people confirm him as Emperor - which was later evaded under French control
1864
7th January French troops under General Bazaine occupy Guadalajara 6th February French troops under General Douay occupy Zacatecas 4th April US Congress and Senate pass a unanimous resolution opposing the establishment of a monarchy in Mexico 10th April Erzherzog Maximilian accepts the crown of Mexico and signs the so-called Miramar Convention 29th May Emperor Maximilian and Empress Charlotte arrive at Veracruz on board the SMS Novarra 3rd June Acapulco falls to the French 12th June Emperor and Empress arrive at Mexico City 3rd July French occupy Durango 1st September General Bazaine promoted to Marshal November Republicans suffer several defeats in states of Sinola and Jalisco
1865
9th February French army under Marshal Bazaine captures city of Oaxaca which is defended by the republican General Porfirio Diaz 29th March French fleet lands troops who capture Guyamas 11th April Republicans defeat Belgian and Imperial troops at Tacámbaro in the province of Michoachán April-May States of Sinola and Chihuahua invested by Republicans who also occupy most towns along the Rio Grande 11st July Belgians defeat Republicans during the second battle of Tacámbaro 3rd October Kaiser Maximilian issues his so-called "Black Decree", threatening summary execution of Mexicans taken under arms as a reaction of the republican law issued 1861 which threatened the same 21st October Several high ranking Republican military and civil officials are executed by Imperial troops in accordance with the Black Decree 8th November Term of office of President Juarez is extended due to the intervention; Republican siege of Matamoros raised
1866
12th February USA demand the withdrawal of French troops from Mexico 25th March Republicans occupy the province of Chihuahua 6th May USA officially protests to Austria concerning the corps of Austrian volunteers in Mexico 31st May Emperor Napoleon III of France announces the start of his army's withdrawal from Mexico 8th July Republican army under General Mariano Escobedo defeats Imperial troops at Santa Gertrudis (state of Nuevo Leon) and take Guadalajara July Republicans troops capture Matamoros, Tampico and Acapulco 26th July French evacuate Monterey 5th August French evacuate Saltillo 11st August Empress Charlotte pleads, in vain, to Emperor Napoleon III. for more French troops September French evacuate Guyamas and the whole state of Sonora 18th September French members of Emperor Maximilian's cabinet resign 3rd and 7th October Republican army under General Diaz defeat Imperial troops at Miahuatlàn in the province of Oaxaca November Republicans occupy Oaxaca and parts of Zacatecas, San Luis Potosi and Guanajuato 6th December The Austrian and Belgian volunteer corps to be disbanded and should enter the National Imperial Mexican Army. Of the 4,648 who were still alive (and not captured by the Republicans) about 3,500 dio not and try to leave Mexico as soon as possible.
1867
January Republicans occupy the rest of Zacatecas, San Luis Potosi and Guanajuato 5th February French evacuate Mexico City 13th February Emperor Maximilian leads part of his army to Querétaro 20th February Republicans occupy Morelia 9th March Republican armies under General Escobedo surround Querétaro and start siege operations 12th March Last French troops leave Veracruz, selling all their equipment - as done before - to the republican troops 2nd April Capture of Puebla by Republicans under General Diaz 12th April Republicans lay siege to Mexico City 27th April Sortie by Imperial troops from Querétaro fails 15th May Fall of Querétaro to Republican armies under General Escobedo and capture of Emperor Maximilian 19th June Kaiser Maximilian and his Generals Miguel Miramón and Tomás Meija executed by firing squad at Querétaro 20th June Mexico City surrenders to Republican troops 15th July President Benito Juarez makes triumphant entry into Mexico City 17th July The other captured imperial Generals, Minister Aguirre and Oberst Prinz Salm-Salm are also sentenced to death 16th August All imprisoned imperial higher ranks receive pardon, some are liberated a little later, some spend several years in captivity 3rd October Admiral Tegetthoff receives the dead body of Erzherzog Maximilan at Veracruz to bring him back to Austria on board the SMS Novarra, arriving Trieste on the 16th of January 1868