Book of the week: The Last Emperor of Mexico by Edward Shawcross
Although Maximilian’s reign proved short-lived, it makes for a ‘jaw-dropping story’
In the early 1860s, the “puffed-up” French emperor Napoleon III conceived what he believed to be “a brilliant wheeze”, said Justin Marozzi in The Sunday Times. He would command his troops to invade Mexico, and install a puppet emperor on the throne. France would thereby gain a “Latin American empire on the cheap”, providing “untold opportunities for French business”.
The man Napoleon chose to be ruler of Mexico was the “hapless Habsburg archduke” Maximilian, younger brother of Franz Joseph I of Austria. Maximilian thought it an excellent idea – he was a “classic younger brother in search of something to do” – and accordingly, once France had gained control of Mexico, he grandly entered the country in May 1864, accompanied by his wife Carlota. Although his reign proved short-lived, it makes for a “jaw-dropping story” – one that Edward Shawcross relates with “real brio and narrative punch” in his superb first book.
Predictably, Maximilian’s time in Mexico proved disastrous from the start, said Gerard Helferich in The Wall Street Journal. A daydreamer with a passion for poetry and plays, the young man was unsuited to the task of ruling a country “still deeply polarised” from a bruising civil war. “Worse, under his agreement with France, Maximilian was responsible for the expenses that country had incurred while invading Mexico.” (In other words, as Shawcross puts it, Mexico had to “pay for the privilege of its own occupation”.)
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Yet what struck the truly decisive blow to Maximilian’s regime was the conclusion of the American Civil War in 1865, said Paul Lay in The Times. No longer preoccupied with its internal affairs, Washington decided to act against the European client state being established on its doorstep. In 1866, it issued France with an ultimatum: “remove your troops or it’s war”.
The writing was now “on the wall for Maximilian’s illusory empire”, said Tony Barber in the FT. Napoleon acceded to Washington’s request, which left the “self-styled emperor” in an impossible position. His “ignoble end” came a year later: captured by hostile liberal Mexican forces, he was executed by a firing squad in June 1867 (a scene made famous by Manet’s The Execution of Maximilian, above).
Shawcross describes Napoleon’s incursion into Mexico as a gamble “outrageous even by the standards of European imperialism”. In The Last Emperor of Mexico, he has written a “superbly entertaining and well-researched account” of this “doomed escapade”.
Faber 336pp £20; The Week Bookshop £15.99
The Week Bookshop
To order this title or any other book in print, visit theweekbookshop.co.uk, or speak to a bookseller on 020-3176 3835. Opening times: Monday to Saturday 9am-5.30pm and Sunday 10am-4pm.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
'Elevating Earth Day into a national holiday is not radical — it's practical'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
UAW scores historic win in South at VW plant
Speed Read Volkswagen workers in Tennessee have voted to join the United Auto Workers union
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Today's political cartoons - April 22, 2024
Cartoons Monday's cartoons - dystopian laughs, WNBA salaries, and more
By The Week US Published
-
6 serene homes in Vermont
Features Featuring a four-level Shaker barn in Hartland and a Scandinavian-inspired home in Stowe
By The Week US Published
-
Amanda Montell's 6 favorite books that will expand your knowledge
Feature The linguist recommends works by Mary Roach, Alice Carrière, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Rowan Beaird recommends 6 compelling books from the 1950s
Feature The author recommends works by Patricia Highsmith, Shirley Jackson, and more
By The Week US Published
-
6 spacious homes with great rec rooms
Feature Featuring a suspended fireplace in Arizona and a marine-themed home in Maine
By The Week Published
-
Recipe: gnocchi di spinaci (spinach gnocchi)
The Week Recommends Forget the potatoes for this gnocchi made of the 'classic combination' of spinach and ricotta
By The Week UK Published
-
Stephen Graham Jones' 6 scary books with deeper meanings
Feature The best-selling author recommends works by Stephen King, Sara Gran, and more
By The Week US Published
-
6 stylish homes on the top floor
Feature Featuring a 1925 art deco high-rise in San Francisco and a factory-turned-home in Los Angeles
By The Week US Published
-
The Anxious Generation: US psychologist Jonathan Haidt's 'urgent and essential' new book
The Week Recommends Haidt calls out 'the Great Rewiring of Childhood' phenomenon
By The Week UK Published