The Second French Intervention in Mexico occurred from 1861 to 1867 when France, under Emperor Napoleon III, sought to establish a French empire in Mexico. This intervention was partly motivated by the desire to expand French influence in the Americas and to support the conservative Mexican faction against the liberal government led by Benito Juárez. The French forces captured Mexico City in 1863 and installed Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian of Austria as emperor. However, the intervention faced strong resistance from Mexican republicans. By 1867, with the withdrawal of French troops and the fall of Maximilian, the intervention ended, restoring Juárez's government.