Francisco I
King Francisco I
Francisco, or Franz, was the son of King John I of Peru. When he ascended to the throne himself, he took the name Francisco to better assimilate to the Peruvian culture. Unlike his father, who never fully spoke Spanish, Francisco was fluent in the language, though still spoke with an Austrian accent. He agreed to sign the Continental Ordinance as he believed it was a means to curve imperialism and exploitation of the Peruvian people by European powers.
In 1862, he married Princess Sophia of America. The couple welcomed their first child, Prince John, in 1864.
In 1864, at the onset of the Paraguayan War, Francisco and the Peruvian government were indescisive of their stance. The government wished to side with Paraguay, a fellow Spanish territory, against the might of Brazil and Argentina. However, Francisco wished to side with the alliance against what he saw as an aggressive state. In response, Brazil broke off relations, not re-establishing them until 1869. At the end of the war, Francisco offered to mediate peace talks. Howver, Argentina and Brazil declined, as they felt he would be too lenient on Paraguay. Peace talks were instead mediated by America.
Beginning in 1865, he declared war on Spain in support of Chile following the occupation of the Chincha Islands. The alliance was later joined by Gran Colombia. Following the alliance victory, he was viewed by the Peruvian people as a savior of Peru's sovereignty. It was from this conflict that he vowed neutrality in the War of the Pacific between Chile and Argentina. The government supported this, as it meant honoring the old alliance with Chile as well as dismissing Argentina's call for aid on the grounds of the Continental Ordinance.
In 1878, with the overthrow of Pedro II of Brazil, he offered asylumn to the Brazilian Imperial Family. However, the Brazilians elected to go to Argentina instead, as the trek to Lima would have beeen more difficult. However, Francisco did offer to establish diplomatic relations with the Republic of Brazil, which hinderedd relations once Pedro II was reinstated later that year. Peru supported the call for investigation against Gran Colombia, wishing to determine the extent the Colombian government was in on the republican coups attempt. However, Gran Colombia's official stance was they expressed nothing but vocal support for the cause, and had no political or military involvement in the attempt. This further strained the relations between Gran Colombia and Peru, as the two had territorial disputes over the territory of Quito.
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Life
1839
1891
52 years old
Family
Spouses
Sophia
(Wife)
Siblings
Children
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