Which Austrian archduke became emperor of Mexico during the French intervention after Puebla?
Answer
Maximilian I of Mexico
Maximilian I of Mexico was the Austrian archduke who became emperor during the French intervention after Puebla.
France captured Mexico City in 1863, following its earlier defeat at Puebla, and established the Second Mexican Empire. Napoleon III supported Maximilian, a member of Austria’s Habsburg dynasty, as its monarch. Maximilian arrived in Mexico in 1864 and attempted to rule with a mixture of imperial authority and some liberal policies.
His reign depended heavily on French military support. When France withdrew its troops, republican forces regained strength under Benito Juárez. Maximilian was captured and executed at Querétaro in 1867. His imperial title belongs to the aftermath of the Battle of Puebla, not to the battle itself; Cinco de Mayo specifically commemorates the Mexican victory of May 5, 1862.