After the storm, Mexico City was swept by a bloody tempest. The Republican Government troops who entered the city had not even stopped to rest before they immediately began arresting people.
That night, Mexico City wept. Countless remnants of the Maximilian Government were rounded up. Whether they were guilty or innocent no longer mattered. Revolution required bloodshed—how could they establish authority without killing?
President Juárez watched it all happen in silence. It was not that he did not want to stop it; he simply could not.
The Republican Government itself was the product of an alliance and compromise among various factions. Those local power blocs were not something he, the president, could command.
To many people, the chaos erupting within the city might not have been as troublesome as Maximilian I himself.
The rebel army had no military pay. The officers and soldiers relied entirely on spoils of war for their income. Now that the fighting was over, if they were not allowed to make a fortune, how could the troops be disbanded?
Maximilian's so-called followers were a joke to begin with. If he had truly had followers, the rebel army could never have occupied Mexico City without shedding a drop of blood.
That night, the people of Mexico City experienced fire and ice. The Republican Army they had long awaited had finally arrived, but it brought not rebirth, only a rain of blood and a foul wind.
The great purge continued for more than a week, implicating a third of Mexico City's population. By the end, even the families of Republican soldiers were caught up in it. Seeing the situation spiraling ever further out of control, President Juárez finally stepped forward and put a stop to it.
The Republican Government, having only just gained power, lost the people's support