Ernst Pitner (1838–1896) was an Austrian Empire

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

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 Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

. He was captured along with Maximilian and other officers, but unlike a number of his companions, he escaped execution and returned to

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

. 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.''Maximillian's Lieutenant''
Goodreads.

References

Soldiers from the Austrian Empire 1838 births 1896 deaths {{Austria-mil-bio-stub