The Eagle and the Serpent: When House of Habsburg–Lorraine Once Again Ruled from Sunrise to Sunset

Although short-lived and facing a tragic end, the Second Mexican Empire under Emperor Maximilian I Habsburg–Lorraine is a historical phenomenon, forged in the most intricate circumstances.

In the annals of history, few tales are as dramatic, poignant, and filled with imperial ambition and tragedy as that of Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico and his wife, Charlotte of Belgium.

This narrative begins on 10 April 1864, when Archduke Maximilian von Habsburg-Lothringen, encouraged by the last French Emperor, Napoleon III, and with the support of h…