![]() ![]() ![]() I reached out to Shawcross to discuss his book. This is the dynamic historian Edward Shawcross addresses in his new book The Last Emperor of Mexico, an engaging account of the Austrian archduke Maximilian von Habsburg-Lothringen’s doomed effort to govern Mexico from 1864 until his execution in 1867. ![]() Mexico’s head of state, we can imagine, struggles to govern but firmly believes that if he can travel and meet as many residents as possible, he’ll win them over through his charisma and force of character. This tragic figure views himself as a liberal reformer and yet embraces the support of some of the most conservative and anti-democratic factions in Mexican society. In this scenario, Mexico has a leader who revels in the ceremonial aspects of government, embraces pet projects, and shirks away from the difficult tasks of reforming under-funded institutions and implementing a strategy to bring the remote, gunslinger-controlled regions of the country firmly under the control of the national government. Imagine for a moment that Mexico is governed by a deeply flawed leader whose ambition vastly exceeds his ability. The Last Emperor Of Mexico Photo by Edward Shawcross. ![]()
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