Maximilian de Napoleon

Early Life

Maximilian was born on 6 July 1832 in the Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, capital of the Austrian Empire. He was baptized the following day

as Ferdinand Maximilian Joseph. The first name honored his godfather and paternal uncle, Ferdinand I, King of Hungary, and the second honored his maternal grandfather, Maximilian I Joseph, King of Bavaria.

His father was Archduke Franz Karl, the second surviving son of Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor, during whose reign he was born. Maximilian was thus a member of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine, a female-line cadet branch of the House of Habsburg. His mother was Princess Sophie of Bavaria, a member of the House of Wittelsbach.[11] Intelligent, ambitious and strong-willed, Sophie had little in common with her husband, whom historian Richard O'Conner characterized as "an amiably dim fellow whose main interest in life was consuming bowls of dumplings drenched in gravy" Despite their different personalities, the marriage was fruitful, and after four miscarriages, four sons—including Maximilian—would reach adulthood.

Rumors at the court stated that Maximilian was, in fact, the product of an extramarital affair between his mother and his first cousin Napoleon II, Duke of Reichstadt, the only legitimate son of Napoleon; the duke's mother was Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma, former Empress of the French, Maximilian's aunt.The existence of an illicit affair between Sophie and the duke, and any possibility that Maximilian was conceived from such a union, are dubious.

Education

Adhering to traditions inherited from the Spanish court during Habsburg rule, Maximilian's upbringing was closely supervised. Until his sixth birthday, he was cared for by Baroness Louise von Sturmfeder, who was his aja (then rendered "nurse", now nanny). Afterward, his education was entrusted to a tutor. Most of Maximilian's day was spent in study. The hours per week of classes steadily increased from 32 at age seven to 55 by the time he was 17. The disciplines were diverse, ranging from history, geography, law and technology, to languages, military studies, fencing and diplomacy. In addition to his native German, he eventually learned to speak Hungarian, Slovak, English, French, Italian and Spanish. From an early age, Maximilian tried to surpass his older brother Franz Joseph in everything, attempting to prove to all that he was the better qualified of the two and thus deserving of more than second-place status.

The highly restrictive environment of the Austrian court was not enough to repress Maximilian's natural openness. He was joyful, highly charismatic and able to captivate those around him with ease. Although he was a charming boy, he was also undisciplined. He mocked his teachers and was often the instigator of pranks—even including his uncle, the emperor, among his victims. Nonetheless, Maximilian was very popular. His attempts to outshine his older brother and ability to charm opened a rift with the aloof and self-contained Franz Joseph that would widen as years passed, and their close friendship in childhood would be all but forgotten. In 1848, revolutions erupted across Europe. In the face of protests and riots, Emperor Ferdinand I abdicated in favor of Maximilian's brother, who became Francis Joseph I. Maximilian accompanied him on campaigns to put down rebellions throughout the empire.Only in 1849 would the revolution be stamped out in Austria, with hundreds of rebels executed and thousands imprisoned. Maximilian was horrified at what he regarded as senseless brutality and openly complained about it. He would later remark, "We call our age the Age of Enlightenment, but there are cities in Europe where, in the future, men will look back in horror and amazement at the injustice of tribunals, which in a spirit of vengeance condemned to death those whose only crime lay in wanting something different to the arbitrary rule of governments which placed themselves above the law".

Marriage and Life in Mexico

Ferdinand Maximilian Joseph married Princess Charlotte of Belgium, daughter of King Leopold I, on 27 July 1857. The couple lived in Milan until 1859, and then they moved to Trieste. In 1859, they sailed to Madeira, where Maria Amelia de Orleans y Braganza, daughter of Emperor Pedro I of Brazil was buried. He and Maria Amelia had once been engaged, and it is said she was the love of his life. Shortly afterward, Maximilian went to Brazil, leaving Charlotte in Madeira. Once offered the crown of Mexico, Maximilian and Charlotte sailed from Trieste on 10 April 1864, and arrived in Veracruz on 28 May 1864. Maximilian had demanded a plebiscite on his rule, but it turned out to be a farce, and when the couple arrived in Veracruz there was little support from the people.Nonetheless, when they celebrated Charlotte's birthday in Puebla in June of that year, the people donated 1,604 pesos as a birthday present.

From Puebla they went to Mexico City, where they established the royal residence in Chapultepec Castle, which had previously been a military academy. The castle was remodeled and richly furnished. He built wide boulevards such as Paseo de la Emperatriz ("Promenade of the Empress") in Mexico City, and instituted liberal social reforms (much to the chagrin of his conservative base). The couple adopted both grandsons of Emperor Agustín de Iturbide. The couple bought the Borda Garden in Cuernavaca, and he bought a country estate for his mistress, Concepcion Sedano, in suburban Acapantzingo.

France withdrew the troops who had propped up Maximilian in 1867; Mexico City soon fell to the liberal forces of Benito Juarez, the emperor was arrested, and on 19 June 1867 he was executed. His last words were, "I forgive everyone, and I ask everyone to forgive me. May my blood which is about to be shed, be for the good of the country. Viva Mexico, viva la independencia!" Some say he then mumbled, "Poor Carlota!" [[Category:D]]