The Saber and Scroll Journal Volume 1, Issue 1, April 2015 | Page 34

Monroe Doctrine upon the French. France, under Napoleon III, took control of
Mexico, on the premise of suspension of interest payments to Mexico's main
creditors—Spain, France, and Britain. Napoleon III installed a new Bourbon
familial Emperor, Don Maximilian, who was an Austrian Habsburg. The problem
with the situation in Mexico was the $12 million debt in bonds held by France.
France goaded Britain and Spain into assisting them with taking control of Vera
Cruz, in an attempt to protect bondholders in their respective countries. Britain and
Spain handled their affairs in Mexico, but the French ambition soon became
known when France installed Maximilian on an imperial throne of Mexico. 18
After the conclusion of the American Civil War, United States Secretary
of State, William Seward, began intense correspondence with the Minister
Bigelow of France. The situation took care of itself with the capture and execution
of Maximilian during a revolution in 1867. 19 This effectively ended French
involvement in Mexican affairs, as the French troops withdrew before the fall of
Maximilian.
Throughout the history of Latin America, since throwing off the mantle
of absolute monarchs, anarchy mixed with democracy and despotism. The history
of Mexico alone is rife with revolutions and new governments. Attempting to
model their government after the United States and its Constitution, failure after
failure fell upon their heads. New Granada, now known as Colombia, also has a
rich history of strife and revolution. She had three other sections break away and
become nations unto themselves. Peru, Venezuela, and Panama were all once part
of Colombia.
The institution of the Monroe Doctrine through the nineteenth century
ensured Latin America’s ability to determine its own destiny. However, lack of
cooperation and consensus continued to breed one revolution after another.
Without the Monroe Doctrine, Latin America would surely have come under the
control of European powers, such as Spain and France. One has to wonder if Latin
America would have been better off with reverting to colonial status, if even for a
number of decades.
The Monroe Doctrine also prohibited foreign powers that held control of
territories in the Americas from transferring those territories to other foreign
powers. 20 An area of interest is the colonization of New Zealand and Fiji. In his
book, Edington made little mention of this situation, and the United States did not
object to the control of either island by Great Britain. 21
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