Leisure time was always fleeting. The Cuban Crisis had barely been settled when trouble broke out in Mexico again. This time, the Americans bore little responsibility; they had merely smuggled weapons to the rebels.
Even if they had not done it, someone else would have. Good arms dealers always sold weapons to both sides of a conflict.
As long as one had money, there was no need to worry about being unable to buy weapons. If you could not buy them, then you simply were not rich enough.
The Mexican Civil War had been raging for many years. In its early stages, the government forces had kept the rebels pinned down, but this battle marked a turning point.
In the autumn of 1868, the Mexican Government forces and the French army joined hands in a massive campaign against the rebels. It should have been a certain victory, yet the rebels turned the tables in the end.
There was no need to dig into the details anymore. In summary: the rebels had herded civilians before them as hostages, Maximilian I ordered his troops not to fire on and kill civilians, and then suffered a spectacular defeat.
The Mexican Government forces had been timid and hesitant, while also dragging their allies down with them. The French army had not expected a threat to emerge on its flank, and consequently suffered severe losses.
More than a thousand men had been lost. Now Napoleon III was demanding compensation from the Mexican Government and insisting that it take responsibility.
Franz had now received a letter asking for help from his younger brother, Maximilian. It mostly complained about how unreasonable the French were and asked him for assistance.
Fortunately, it was a private letter and had not been sent directly to the Vienna Government. Otherwise, the