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Admin moved page How did the United States react to France's takeover of Mexico during the Civil War? to How did the United States react to France's takeover of Mexico during the Civil War
[[File:Franz_Xaver_Winterhalter_Napoleon_III.jpg|thumbnail|left|250px|Franz Xaver Winterhalter, French Emperor Napoleon III]]__NOTOC__
In 1862, French Emperor Napoleon III maneuvered to establish a French client state in Mexico, and eventually installed Maximilian of Habsburg, Archduke of Austria, as Emperor of Mexico. Stiff Mexican resistance caused Napoleon III to order French withdrawal in 1867, a decision strongly encouraged by a the United States as it recovered from its Civil War weakness in foreign affairs.
Earlier, during the Civil War, U.S. Secretary of State William Henry Seward followed a more cautious policy that attempted to keep relations with France harmonious and prevent French willingness to assist the Confederacy. Consequently, Maximilian’s government rebuffed Confederate diplomatic overtures.