Ernst Pitner (1838–1896) was an Austrian Empire lieutenant who accompanied Archduke Maximilian to Mexico in 1864. Pitner kept a journal that described the exploits of the ill-conceived military campaign to make Maximilian emperor of Mexico. He was captured along with Maximilian and other officers, but unlike a number of his companions, he escaped execution and returned to Austria.
Pitner's journal was translated and edited by Gordon Etherington-Smith, and published as a book called Maximilian's Lieutenant: A Personal History of the Mexican Campaign 1864-67. In this book Pitner provides a firsthand account of life in Mexico from the viewpoint of an Austrian soldier, describing the local populace, the battles and his personal journeys in the country.
References
- Pitner, Ernst (1993). Maximilian's Lieutenant: A Personal History of the Mexican Campaign 1864-67. Translated by Gordon Etherington-Smith. London: I.B. Tauris. ISBN 1-85043-560-X.
- Maximillian's Lieutenant. Goodreads.
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