Pay or we stay !

President Juárez fled to the north where he would spare no effort to try and re-establish his authority. He kept alive his government according to the constitution. Initially travelling from one place to another, he ended up establishing himself and his government at Paso del Norte, today known as Ciudad Juárez. In the meantime, Archduke Maximilian and his wife, Princess Charlotte of Belgium, were chosen by Napoleon III to become the emperor of his new overseas territory. Maximilian accepted, once he was sure that the majority of the Mexican population was in favour of his arrival. Through the Convention of Miramar, he was given the command of the French troops. Napoleon III promised to leave the troops (25,000 men) at Maximilian’s disposal for a period of six years whereas Maximilian agreed to pay the troops and to pay all Mexican debts to Napoleon III. Napoleon III writes to Maximilian: "I urge you to count upon my everlasting friendship. You may rest assured that my support will not fail you in the accomplishment of the feat you are so courageously undertaking". Maximilian and Charlotte, confident about the outcome of their adventure, arrived in Mexico City on June 12, 1864, where they would install themselves in the Castillo de Chapultepec. Maximilian was a cultured man, who had travelled very much and who had liberal ideas. Soon conservative and Catholic enthusiasm diminished as they met with Maximilian’s policies. To organize his government, for example, he had picked moderate liberals, which alienated the conservatives. Also, he did not seem to tackle important matters first. Instead, he started a reorganization of the court and its protocol; he started opening museums. He did declare Catholicism the state religion, but he reduced the power of the clergy, something they were not all too happy with. He would remain in power for three years, until 1867. Although Napoleon III had made many promises to Maximilian for the security of his new monarchy, he would end up abandoning his Mexican interests. One of the main causes was the end of the American Civil War with the threat of American troops enforcing the Monroe doctrine. Also, the German threat, formed by the army of Otto von Bismarck, at the borders of France counted in his decision.

Having lost European support, Maximilian doubted whether or not to abdicate. Charlotte convinced him not to, and travelled to Europe in an attempt to convince Napoleon

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