The Napoleonic Invasion of Mexico - Views from the South American Pacific

• In Event: Contours of Republicanism: Visions of Regional Politics in Nineteenth-Century Latin America

Abstract

In the 1860s, the idea of republicanism was in crisis. The countries of Latin America showed instability and weakness in politics and economy. In addition, the beacon of republicanism, the US, was the scene of a large-scale Civil War, with uncertain implications for other continental issues. The crowned heads of Europe took advantage of a perceived weakness in US foreign policy, due to the Civil War, to seek greater influence in the continent. After a series of intrigues, Napoleon III's army launched an expedition to take control of Mexico. The idea of the French Emperor was to install a puppet king in the former Spanish colony. This issue faced republicanism against monarchies. This presentation will give an account of the discourses of state institutions (mainly foreign ministries) and public opinion across the South American Pacific (Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Chile) concerning the Napoleonic invasion of Mexico. In the first instance, fear of ‘Napoleonic machinations’ led many publicists to unconditionally support the Mexican cause, calling for the maintenance and strengthening of republican institutions. Others, however, judged Mexico to be in a state of ‘anarchy’, and thought the French invasion justifiable. This paper will thus discuss the various positions held by state and non-state agents, as well as explore the tensions between monarchical and republican discourses across the South American Pacific. For this, it will examine the information gathered in the diplomatic archives and in the press of the countries of the South American Pacific.

Author

• Carlos Cifuentes, Universidad de Los Andes/ Colombia