Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian

Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian was an Austrian archduke and the younger brother of Emperor Franz Joseph I. In the mid-19th century, he was appointed as the Emperor of Mexico by France’s Napoleon III, who hoped to establish a French empire in Latin America. Maximilian ruled from 1864 until 1867, but faced constant resistance and was ultimately abandoned by French support. After being captured by Mexican forces, he was executed in 1867. His reign is often seen as a failed attempt at imperial expansion and serves as a symbol of the conflicts between European powers and Latin America during that era.