France, Mexico and Informal Empire in Latin America, 1820-1867

Focusing on French imperialism in nineteenth-century Latin America, this book reexamines the narrative surrounding US expansion and British influence by highlighting France's military intervention in Mexico under Louis-Napoléon. It critiques the portrayal of this imperial endeavor as merely an "illusion" and situates it within the framework of informal empire. The text delves into the interplay of monarchy, anti-American sentiment, Mexican conservatism, and elite collaboration with French forces, all within a broader transatlantic context that reshaped perceptions of nationhood and regional identity.