Why did Napoleon III send French troops to Mexico?

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Portrait of Napoleon III in a dark military uniform with gold epaulettes, a red sash, and medals, set against a deep red background. Painted by Hippolyte Flandrin. — Napoleon III Napoleon III, detail of a portrait by Hippolyte Flandrin, 1862; in the Versailles Museum.

Napoleon III intervened in Mexico primarily to advance his imperial ambitions and establish a "Latin league" that would encompass Mediterranean lands and former Spanish and Portuguese territories in the New World. He viewed Mexico as a strategic location with significant economic potential, intending to use it as a base to establish protectorates across Central and South America.1

Additionally, Napoleon III sought to check the Manifest Destiny of the United States, taking advantage of the fact that the U.S. was preoccupied with the American Civil War. The intervention was triggered by the Mexican government's 1861 suspension of foreign debt payments, which provided a pretext for France, Spain, and Britain to launch a punitive expedition. While the other powers eventually withdrew, Napoleon III remained, aiming to install a monarchy under Maximilian to secure French influence in the region.1