Career
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 1864-1867.
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.
