Why did France invade Mexico in 1862?

Spain had a lot of nerve saying Mexico owed money given that they took $4 Billion in gold and $7 billion in silver from Mexico.

The way he pronounced Puebla made my soul leave my body.

Interesting that the Austrians did have some long lasting effects on Mexico. When Maximilian came he brought troops and supplies - including Czech brewers who actually taught the Mexicans how to brew the Czech lager beer. Also the army brass bands that came with the Austrians - left a musical influence, brass bands, and accordions etc.

Mexican history is so complex and wild.

You know you have gone too far when Britain and Spain think you are too eager to colonise a country.

Correction: Maximilian wasn't the first nor the only Mexican Emperor, the first was Agustín I whose kids were adopted by Maximilian I himself

This was the second French intervention in Mexico. It would be cool if you do a video for the first one, also called the "pastry war" o "la guerra de los pasteles" .

True fact: One of the Mexican generals who defended against the French invasion was Ignacio Zaragoza, born in the most northern part of México (old Tamaulipas) nowadays Austin TX.

Like him or not, Maximillian went out like a boss

I remember learning about this strange war in a really strange way - when I read Vinetu, volume 2. and as for the French, they apparently forgot the lesson of their invasion of Russia: capturing someone's capital doesn't necessarily mean you've defeated them!

Excellent video! Loved the narration, just very well made and informative and to the point. thanks for not doing a "dragged on" type of video!

The French population of my State, Louisiana, tried to secede from the Confederacy and join the New French Empire of Mexico during this time.

There are 2 errors: 1. After the capture of Mexico City, Mexico did not fall (there is a difference between occupation, claimings and actual annexation/integration), the republican government exiled itself in the north, gathering forces until they could counterattack, it was in El Paso del Norte (today's Heroica Ciudad Juarez, which got that name because Juarez's republican government used it as a provisional capital). 2. Maximilian I was neither the first and of course nor the only monarch in independent Mexico. Mexico was born as an empire, a constitutional monarchy whose first and only emperor (at the time) was Agustin de Iturbide. This monarchy only lasted 2 years until the Plan de Casa Mata. Mexico would not see a monarchy again until the arrival of the French. Overall, the video is still correct, just a few missing points.

I get an actual high when I find a story of history that I was unaware of. Great video!

Thank you, I knew very little about this. I dont recall every being taught about this in high school in the late 1970s.

I live in Vienna and I was surprised to hear that Maximilian had been emperor of Mexico. I visited his tomb in the Augsburg crypt and was surprised to find many messages and homages from Mexicans. I found the whole story very fascinating and his character as well, I recommend anybody interested in his biography or the whole French-Mexican affair to read the book by Richard O' Connor!

Correction: Spain knew about French ambitions and supported it. Napoleon III himslef told it to Alejandro Mon which was the spanish ambasador in Paris. The ones that didn't knew were the british. The problem is that the Spanish decided to left the situation quickly because they didn't had the money to keep the war for long time and they didn't want to directly contradict USA since it was already known that the USA wanted Cuba at this point (since it was very profitable). However Spain supported the institution of a monarchy in Mexico under the protection of France (since France was also a spanish ally) to precisely counterbalance the USA in the Americas. In Spain at this point USA expansionism was a concern and their interests in the spanish caribbean were a big threat.

Historical funfact: Mexico was the only country in the world, which issued official protest in the League of Nations in 1938, when Hitler annexed Austria. This is still seen as a unique act of solidarity in Austria. Out of gratitude we named a square in Vienna „Mexikoplatz“ (mexico square), reminding us of this act until today. Long live Mexico from Vienna, at the end the Habsburgs have been exiled from Austria as well after WW I. - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexikoplatz Here info about Mexikoplatz and where the name derrives from.

Maximilian was killed and imprisoned in my hometown Querétaro, México, first he was prisoned in El Convento de la Santa Cruz and then he was shot in El Cerro de las Campanas. You can still visit both the room where he was a prisoner and the spot where he was allegedly gunned down.

That pronouncing of Puebla hit me like a shotgun shot to the chest Specially as a Mexican myself