About Ernst Pitner
Lived 1838 – 1896 (aged 57–58). Ernst Pitner was a military officer.
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.
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Important facts
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Ernst Pitner's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Ernst Pitner?
Austrian Army officer
When was Ernst Pitner born?
Ernst Pitner was born in 1838 in Vienna.
When did Ernst Pitner die?
Ernst Pitner died in 1896.
What was Ernst Pitner's occupation?
Ernst Pitner was a military officer.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Ernst Pitner. https://biography.guide/ernst-pitner/
MLA: "Ernst Pitner." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/ernst-pitner/.
Chicago: "Ernst Pitner." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/ernst-pitner/.
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