Which Mexican holiday remembers the death of an Austrian Emperor?
We’ve all heard of national holidays, perhaps even independence day celebrations, depending on the country. Some of us know the dates on the calendar; July 4th in the USA, May 17th in Norway, February 11th in Iran. And even lesser known important dates for countries, like Ohi Day on October 28th in Greece. Of course, there are also days of remembrance, such as November 11th in the US, France, and UK. But what about holidays that only parts of countries celebrate?
Welcome to Not Trivial! A podcast that takes a deeper dive into the stories behind the trivia questions you may or may not have heard at the pub. My name is Liz, and I’ve been a trivia nerd since I was young. My parents and I would play Trivial Pursuit very often. I’ve hosted and played pub trivia, and I’m a collector of random history, language, and world culture facts. One of my greatest passions is sharing what I’ve collected with others. I’m hopeful this podcast makes the trivia questions feel less trivial, and more important to understanding how the past creates the present, and subsequently the future. Let’s get started…
We’re going to jump right in today, on this last episode of Season Two. Because today’s episode ties back to the first episode of Season One. And I’m excited about that! Season One, Episode One is all about the Austrian Empire and the royal family at its heart. Mostly about Emperor Franz Joseph, his wife Sisi, and their suicidal son Crown Prince Rudolf. What a mess he left for Franz Ferdinand to clean up, right? But there’s more to that royal family than Dad, Mom, and Baby Boy. And we’re going to talk about the colonial tentacles of the Austrian Empire in today’s story.
We start with Franz Joseph and his many, many, many battles to keep control of his empire. After coming to power in 1848 at the ripe age of 18, he effectively deposed his uncle after a healthy but unsuccessful revolution by reformists throughout Europe. In 1848, folks all over Europe were clamoring for something other than authoritarian rule. Franz Joseph resisted constitutionalism for his entire reign as emperor, likely due to becoming aware of it at a young age through violent means. Can’t blame the guy for leaning into the ideas of absolutism, when strangers in classes beneath him were gunning for his head. Literally. As I stated in our very first episode, he survived an assassination attempt in 1853.
A hungry for reform Hungarian stabbed Franz Joseph in the neck. And that’s because Hungary was the initial big issue for the empire. Stirred up Hungarian nationalism kept Franz Joseph busy for much of his early years as emperor. The Czechs in Bohemia were also rallying around their own sense of nationalism and constitutionalism. The Crimean War was fought on Austria’s doorstep between Russia and the Ottomans (with the help of France and the UK). These events were happening simultaneously. What’s an emperor to do… Well, he had to rely on others to help him. Like his younger brother.
Franz Joseph was a careful strategist. He contemplated and was advised in great detail about any and all threats to the Empire. He leaned into authoritarianism, as it was his birthright and it was the way things had always been done, but also because he believed in it. His brother, on the other hand, was more of a free spirit. Maximilian was Franz Joseph’s younger brother. Born only two years after, Maximilian was feisty, prone to empathy for the downtrodden, and far less pensive than his older emperor brother. While Franz Joseph is treating with Bohemia, France, Russia, etc, Maximilian is heading up the incredibly small Imperial Navy. In the grand scheme of things, this is a pitiable task. Franz Joseph was keeping Maximilian occupied, but with low-hanging fruit. It’s not a revolutionary idea to place the spare in the military, keep him loyal and working to the benefit of the Empire. Especially a spare brother who wasn’t quite a liberal, but definitely wasn’t an autocrat.
Of course, while he was being dutiful in the name of his brother the Emperor, Maximilian was also apt to fall in love quite easily. During a naval voyage on the SMS Novara in 1851, he landed in Lisbon, where he quickly met Princess Maria Amelia of Portugal. The two fell in love and Franz Joseph approved of a marriage between them, if it came to that. But Maria Amelia fell ill and died of scarlet fever at age 21. Maximilian was shocked and dismayed. He continued his naval career in the meantime, while the Crimean War raged on his brother’s doorstep. And while Austria didn’t fight in the war, they had a stake in the outcome. Any European empire would have. So, in 1856 at the end of the Crimean War, when Franz Joseph asked Maximilian to travel to Paris and meet with Napoleon III, he obliged.
OK. Let’s set the stage even more so now. Because the trivia question is about a Mexican holiday and I haven’t even talked about Mexico yet. Let’s travel back in time to the year 1821. This is the year Mexico gained independence from Spain. After 11 years of fighting, the Treaty of Cordoba was signed, formally recognizing Mexico as its own country. And as is true of most former colonies who become independent, unity was hard to hold onto. Inside Mexico, there were liberals and monarchists alike. There was a failed attempt at monarchy, King Agustin I was in power for a few years after independence, but was eventually forced to abdicate and went into exile. Exile didn’t last long though, and when he returned to Mexico, he was summarily executed.
The back and forth tug of power in Mexico always seemed to leave monarchy on the table as a viable option. After two decades of a republic, monarchists were keen to lay out a plan to provide stability. And one of their ideas was to have a European prince step in as their leader. Why was this such a good idea for monarchists? In Mexico? Well, a European monarch would curtail the infighting, provide a stable link to the well-off empires and kingdoms in Europe, and gain Mexico international legitimacy. Why not have the might and backing of a France or a UK or a Russia, or an Austria as an ally? And it just so happens, that one particular Mexican diplomat named Jose Hidalgo had a friend named Eugenie de Montijo.
Jose had been an ambassador in London and Rome during the initial republic of independent Mexico. Eugenie was born into the nobility in Spain and educated in London and Paris. In her early twenties, she became interested in politics. This is the early 1840s - and being interested in politics at that time meant you had to either support or deny what Europe called the “Bonapartist cause”. Napoleon Bonaparte had left a trail of power-hungry breadcrumbs behind him. Although he died in 1821, his values and beliefs still lingered, as did his heirs. Eugenie supported the Bonapartist cause. As Eugenie aged, her mother was keen to shop around for husbands. In 1849, her mother hosted a reception in Paris, where Eugenie met Prince Louis Napoleon. Louis asked her “What is the road to your heart?” and Eugenie replied “Through the chapel, sir.” Prince Louis was the son of Napoleon’s younger brother, and was the President of France at the time he met Eugenie. And Louis, along with his own younger brother, had even been a revolutionary against Austria in northern Italy. Places like Lombardy. But that was all far before Franz Joseph came to power. Eugenie and Louis were wed in 1853, after he had consolidated his power and been appointed emperor - as opposed to just President.
1853. This is the same year that Santa Anna came to power in Mexico and was elected President. Jose had been sent by Santa Anna’s government to Europe to create momentum around the idea of a Mexican monarchy. This seems really backhanded. They’ve got a sitting president, duly elected, and yet an ambassador is sent off to European courts to signal to Europe that Mexico is shopping around for a monarch? And yet, it’s the facts. The government may have been hedging its bets - and they were right to want to do so! Santa Anna did not remain President for long. OK. Are we all caught up? Mexican conservatives have monarchy on the brain, Eugenie is married to a Bonaparte, and now we’re in 1856 in Paris. Eugenie’s husband is the French Emperor, Jose has told them both of Mexico’s desire for a monarch, and Franz Joseph has just sent Maximilian to Paris to visit.
Can you see where we’re going here? After that short-lived but fateful meeting, Maximilian was called back to Vienna by way of Brussels. Maximilian was meant to visit with King Leopold I - you know, uncle to Albert who was married to Victoria - and he definitely met with Leopold. But he also met his daughter, Charlotte. Maximilian and Charlotte quickly had romantic feelings for each other and fell in love. When Maximilian returned to Vienna, he told his brother Franz Joseph about his intentions to propose to Charlotte. Franz Joseph was very supportive and the two married in 1857.
Sidenote: Charlotte had suitors before Maximilian. One of them, Prince George of Saxony, sent a letter of warning to Leopold I about the “calculating character of the Viennese archduke”. But Leopold’s son - who would go on to become the sole ruler of the Congo Free State, which saw some of the greatest colonial atrocities known to Africans - wrote to Queen Victoria (Charlotte’s cousin) that Maximilian was “a youth filled with ingenuity, knowledge, talent, and kindness”. I just find that interesting, don’t you?
Anyway! Maximilian and Charlotte were off to Lombardy in northern Italy post-marriage, where Maximilian served as a viceroy. This was a typical move for the nobility, keeping a newly married couple together in a stable environment, so that children would follow quickly. Which sadly, never happened for these two. Apparently, Maximilian had become sterile due to venereal disease he had picked up in Brazil as a naval commander. Meanwhile, the republican Mexican government, mostly led by liberals, set forth a Constitution in 1857. This document restrained the Catholic Church and the Mexican Army, which were two conservative strongholds. Well, conservatives didn’t like that much and refused to abide by that Constitution, setting up their own instead. A civil war ensued, from 1858 to 1861. Liberals in the country won that war and monarchists were left with their tails between their legs. Which most people love to experience, right?
After the Mexican Civil War, monarchists again picked up the torch for a European monarch to swoop in and provide stability and international legitimacy. And this is where we briefly talk about royal houses. You see, when New Spain was established, way back in 1521, the Spanish throne was occupied by the Habsburgs. Those pesky, chin-wagging, royals have woven their way onto several thrones throughout the early modern era. And the Spanish throne was deeply associated with the Habsburgs. They ruled Spain for two hundred years, during some of the more famous colonial endeavors the world has seen. Habsburg Spain has infamous people like Charles I of Castile and Aragon in its lineage. Charles I was father to Philipp II, who famously wed Mary Tudor, Queen of England, and after her death, sent an armada to attempt to depose Elizabeth I. Because Catholics couldn’t abide Protestants, especially ones in power.
And while the Habsburgs hadn’t ruled in Spain for about 150 years by the time Maximilian met Louis Napoleon in 1856, there was clearly a nostalgia for a time when Spain was an all-powerful empire. Mexican conservatives wanted to be independent from Spain, but they were also ethnically Spanish. They wanted to rival the Spain of old in terms of prestige. Oh, by the way, all the Austrians in this episode? Habsburgs. Yep, Franz Joseph and Maximilian were of the royal house of Habsburg. By 1859, in the midst of a civil war, Mexican monarchists approached Maximilian in Lombardy. They offered up the idea of Maximilian becoming the Emperor of Mexico.
Which sounds mad! It sounds desperate and grabby and at first, Maximilian declined. By that point, he had been trying to engage the local populace in Lombardy, attempting to bring his sense of liberalism to administrating this outpost of the Austrian Empire. The locals kept pushing back and Franz Joseph wasn’t pleased. He thought Maximilian was too soft, too forgiving, and he removed him from his position there. Maximilian returned to Vienna with Charlotte in tow, probably feeling powerless and rudderless.
Now we’re in the year 1861. A pivotal year for many in North America. The start of the American Civil War impacted many other countries. Because global politics does not exist in a vacuum. When the South instigated the war at Fort Sumter, there were ripple effects in the UK and Europe - and of course, also in Mexico. Why? Well, Mexico had not only earned its independence from Spain, but also earned its border with the US, specifically Texas. The US had the Monroe Doctrine as its main policy throughout the first half of the 19th century. This policy rejected the idea of European colonialism and intervention in North America. It’s what supported our idea of Manifest Destiny - which was a whole bunch of Americans moving west across the continent, in order to expand the US. Remember the Alamo? The battles in Texas in the 1830s started because Texas was part of Mexico - and yet Americans had been illegally immigrating to the region by the thousands, in search of claiming land of their own. Manifest Destiny.
By the American Civil War, the US government could no longer rely on the Monroe Doctrine as policy. Hard to negotiate foreign relations when brother is fighting brother. Europe - and Mexican monarchists - saw an opportunity. The Mexican President Benito Juarez suspended his debt payments to France in July 1861. Juarez was not a conservative, but the debt had been created by the previous conservative government. When Juarez decided not to keep paying France for debts that were not his, it left the door open. France now had a legitimate reason to intervene. If Mexico wouldn’t repay him the debts, then Napoleon III could simply establish his own French client-state in place of the republican government.
Bonus benefit? This client-state would also serve as a buffer to any further US expansion. Depending on how the American Civil War ended, Mexico was vulnerable. The scheming in Europe had officially begun. France talked with both Spain and the UK, who had also loaned money to the conservative government of Mexico. Publicly, the three countries said they were united in their efforts to negotiate with Mexico and come to an agreement about their unpaid debts. Behind closed doors, Franz Joseph and Maximilian were seriously considering the offer to install Maximilian as Mexico’s Emperor. But Maximilian would only accept on two conditions: that the UK and France continued their support, and that the Mexican people should spontaneously request Maximilian as their leader.
Tall order! By 1862, it was clear that negotiations between France and Mexico were at a standstill. Juarez understood what France was doing - a blatant attempt at overthrowing his liberal government. He wasn’t going to just stand around and wait for something to happen, Juarez got his army readied. And good thinking too, because France was indeed bringing its military across the Atlantic. On May 5, 1862, the Battle of Puebla was fought between France and Mexico. The French troops commanded by Charles de Lorencez failed to storm the forts of Loreto and Guadalupe. France’s army was extremely advanced compared to Mexico’s at this time. The Mexicans were outgunned, as the French had long rifles and the Mexicans had only muskets. However, both forts were atop hills overlooking Puebla, which is a powerful defensive advantage. Initially, the French tried to intimidate the civilians of Puebla, but were repelled by patriots. When they tried to make it up the hill towards the forts, they were met with fierce resistance. And when a second column of French tried to mount the hills from another angle, the same thing happened.
How could it be that the Mexican army seemed to have that many soldiers at the ready? Well, they built a trench between the two hilltop forts, allowing them to move quickly and in secret. From a high defensive overlook, a spotter would call out where the Mexicans were needed, based on the French movements. Ultimately, the French retreated and decided to wait for reinforcements. This cost Charles de Lorencez his command. It made the Battle of Puebla a patriotic moment for Mexicans. The French reinforcements did eventually arrive and Puebla was fully captured a year later, but that initial battle stayed in the memories of many families in the area.
By 1863, the French had not only taken Puebla, but the capital city as well. They now intended to establish a provisional government. An assembly of appointed Mexican citizens met in July 1863 and agreed to invite Maximilian to become Emperor of Mexico. By February 1864, Maximilian’s condition that the Mexican people request him had been fulfilled. A farce of a referendum was held, but it satisfied Maximilian. In April 1864, Maximilian stepped down as Chief Naval Officer of the Austrian Navy and traveled on the SMS Novara with Charlotte to Mexico. They landed at Veracruz on May 29th and were celebrated in great pomp in the capital a few days later. However, the crown of Mexico came at a high cost for Maximilian. He was now entirely dependent on France, and Napoleon III to be specific. Franz Joseph had made him renounce any claims to the Austrian throne - probably partially because he was accepting the throne of an emperor and that made him a peer rather than just a younger brother, but probably also because Franz Joseph had to hedge his bets and secure his empire regardless of whatever France was up to.
And Maximilian had a hard time from the start. Just because he had been crowned in a cathedral and had the backing of European royals like Queen Victoria and Napoleon III, that doesn’t mean that liberal patriots like Benito Juarez were going to sit back and let this happen. And unbeknownst to the Mexican conservatives who wanted Maximilian and the French to help them overthrow Juarez, Napoleon III and Maximilian weren’t eager to only have conservatives rule in Mexico. No, they wanted to establish their own more moderate monarchy. Napoleon III was a little less of an autocrat than Franz Joseph perhaps? Why would France give up power to any Mexican when he had a puppet emperor at his side? Maximilian declared political amnesty for any liberal who wanted to join his government. Some moderates joined, but Juarez never did. He fled to the north of Mexico and proclaimed that he was still the legitimate head of the government.
Maximilian and Charlotte, or Carlota as she was now called, were eager to be seen as reformers and friends to Mexico. She went to various states around the country giving free audiences to citizens. He celebrated Mexican independence by commemorating the Cry of Dolores, in the town where the rebellious bell-ringing act of a priest had triggered the War for Independence. They set up their residences in Mexican-style and built wide avenues to bring a regal sense to the capital city. Maximilian often wore traditional Mexican clothing and even took a Mexican mistress. The royal couple held audiences not only with high-ranking officials, but also included indigenous peoples at their court.
By 1865, the American Civil War had ended. The North had come out on top and the official position of the US government was not to recognize Maximilian’s standing. But the US also didn’t want to get into a spat with France - not directly after a debilitating and costly war, which majorly disrupted the economy. In private, an American loan of $30 million was sent to Juarez. American volunteers were joining Juarez’s troops week by week. Maximilian’s supporters in the capital were getting antsy - would an American-backed uprising restore Juarez to the presidency? French troops were also in the north of Mexico, where Juarez and his loyal followers were meant to be in hiding. The influx of more French troops led to sporadic guerrilla-style skirmishes. The US officially did not intervene militarily, but it also never came to Maximilian’s aid. Maximilian, believing that Juarez had fled Mexico, signed a decree in October 1865. It authorized the court martial and execution of anyone found to be aiding or participating in guerrilla fighting against him and the French. This was to be known as the Black Decree. Didn’t make Maximilian very popular - not that he was to begin with anyway.
By January 1866, Napoleon III had grown tired of his costly efforts to militarily prop up Maximilian’s rule. Juarez was still at large, guerilla fighters were still causing harm to his troops, and there didn’t seem to be an end in sight. Empress Carlota was sent to Europe to rally for more financial and military aid, which were all flatly declined by the powers of Europe. Most rulers had come to see the situation in Mexico as untenable. They left Maximilian hanging in the wind, vulnerable to any Mexican force that opposed his rule. Carlota never returned to Mexico and grew mentally unstable, seeing herself as the wife who couldn’t save her husband’s reign. Maximilian contemplated abdication. His council of ministers were gathered and narrowly voted against his abdication. Maximilian attempted to gather a national assembly, wanting to give the Mexican citizens a chance to declare what they wanted. But such a project would have required a ceasefire by Juarez and his followers. The national assembly never happened.
The republicans were set to capture the emperor and force Juarez back into his presidency. Maximilian retreated with a troop of 10,000 soldiers to Queretaro. Alongside his loyal conservative generals, the city held off the siege of 40,000 republican soldiers. More republican troops were arriving every day and Maximilian attempted to escape to the coast, to try to board a ship back to Europe. But his escape attempt was thwarted, and Maximilian was captured only a day after the city fell. A month later, Maximilian was on trial, charged with conspiring to overthrow the Mexican government and carrying out the Black Decree, which had killed tens of thousand of Mexican citizens. After only one day in court, Maximilian was found guilty and sentenced to death. Word got back to Europe about this and many royals and other notable figures sent telegrams and letters asking for his life to be spared.
Juarez didn’t have anything against Maximilian personally, but he couldn’t commute the sentence without compromising the message that would send to his people. There was even a failed attempt to abduct Maximilian and confiscate him to a waiting ship - a redo of his failed escape from Queretaro. Maximilian found out about this plan and abruptly foiled it himself. He declared that unless his loyal generals could come with him, he would never agree to flee. At 6:40am on June 19th 1867, Maximilian and his two loyal generals were led to a wall outside the city, turned to face a firing squad of five, and given time to speak their last words. Maximilian spoke only in Spanish. After giving each of his executioners a gold coin, in the fashion of European aristocrats, he stated: “I forgive everyone, and I ask everyone to forgive me. May my blood which is about to be spilled end the bloodshed which has been experienced in my new motherland. Long live Mexico! Long live its independence!”
Maximilian’s body was enbalmed and kept on display in Mexico, not repatriated to Austria until six months after his death. An Austrian admiral was sent on the SMS Novara to bring Maximilian’s body back to Vienna. It was placed in the family crypt in January of 1868. Maximilian was 34 years old at the time of his death. Franz Joseph, while Maximilian had been in talks to and subsequently become Emperor of Mexico, had been yet again fighting to keep his Austrian Empire whole. An alliance with Russia dissolved after the Crimean, Italy fought for and won its independence in 1859, and the Prussians defeated Austria in 1866. This last defeat resulted in the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867. A big deal - because most of Europe started to see Hungary as a peer of Austria after this. And ultimately it became known as the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Setback after setback - and in the midst of this, Maximilian is executed in Mexico. But we can’t really declare him poor Franz Joseph. He remained Emperor of Austria until his death in 1916. He was widely respected in Europe throughout his reign, even though his Empire was autocratic and repeatedly tried to stamp out democratic ideas. That's the way it was done in Europe. Even France had not politically survived democracy at first. But poor Maximilian? Perhaps! Although he did die for a cause he thought was worth fighting for - a seat at the table of government.
And that’s the deep dive into the Second French Empire in Mexico, a failed attempt to bring monarchy to North America. The answer to the trivia question: Which Mexican holiday remembers the death of an Austrian emperor? Did you catch that date of the Battle of Puebla? May 5th. Which in the US is celebrated as Cinco de Mayo. But May 5th is only celebrated as a holiday of remembrance in the city of Puebla, Mexico. Nowhere else in Mexico are there parades or speeches or reenactments, although they do close schools. Stay tuned to understand how the US began celebrating Cinco de Mayo.
Life in Mexico after the execution of Maximilian I was oddly similar to what it had been before he arrived in Veracruz. Liberals and conservatives continued to vie for power, everyday citizens continued to struggle for jobs and food. It’s not until the 35-year rule of the liberal general Porfirio Diaz that Mexico starts to rapidly modernize and accumulate state wealth. Diaz was a hero of the Battle of Puebla and many saw him as a true friend of the average citizen. Railroads were expanded, telecommunication networks were built up, significant foreign investment occurred. Mexico wasn’t without its faults, but was generally stable in the late 19th century.
In 1910 however, the general election was seen as fraudulent and another revolution began. While politicians and activists and others were fighting for their country, many average Mexicans were impacted by the upheaval. Between 1910 and 1917, El Paso Texas became known as “Mexican Ellis Island” due to the volume of immigrants seeking refuge and a better life. This decade would carve out US border policy for decades to come. Nearly a million Mexicans migrated to states like Arizona, Texas, parts of the Midwest, and California.
While some Mexican immigrants decided to return to Mexico once the revolution died down in 1920, others opted to stay in the US. They took jobs, started families, and became citizens. Many of the jobs they took, especially in places like California, were as laborers. Whether it was in strawberry fields or in mechanical factories, Mexicans became a staple to the labor force. They were often overlooked, underpaid, and generally treated poorly. And by the 1960s, the sons, daughters, and grandchildren of the original immigrants could foresee that Mexican-Americans would continue to be treated as second-class unless they did something about it. The Chicano Movement brought forth labor rights leaders like Cesar Chavez and civil rights icons like Dolores Huerta.
Part of any movement is claiming your cultural identity and voice. The Chicano Movement used stories like the Battle of Puebla to represent the spirit of Mexican courage and resistance. And while Mexican immigrants in California back in 1863 had heard of the Battle of Puebla - and subsequently celebrated the day - the average American of the 20th century had no idea that such a fierce resistance event had taken place. So when Mexican-Americans in California started to bring Cinco de Mayo to the rest of the US in the 60s and 70s, it was more widely adopted. However, the real marketing machine behind the holiday began in the 1980s. Over the course of the decade, Mexican-American pockets in cities around the US started to celebrate Cinco de Mayo as a day to celebrate their Mexican heritage. Suddenly, there were parades in cities like Chicago, Boston, Cleveland, Dallas, Miami, Atlanta, Denver, Phoenix, and Philadelphia. By 1998, there were 120 official celebrations of Cinco de Mayo in 21 different states. A decade later, that number had grown to 150. In 2013, beer sales on Cinco de Mayo outnumbered beer sales for the Super Bowl or St Patrick’s Day. Today, there are even Cinco de Mayo celebrations in cities around the world like Lagos, Nigeria, Osaka, Japan, and even… Paris, France.
How’s that for irony? I hope you enjoyed this little tale of European powers being kicked out of America, but this time Mexican style! That wraps this season of Not Trivial. Another season is in the works. Thank you for listening!