Ceramics have become enabling materials for many new technologies. Understanding the mechanical behavior of these materials at the nanoscale and the ability to design new ceramics with unique compositions and microstructures has enabled their use in a variety of new applications. The reliability and performance of ceramics are governed by the mechanical properties of the microstructure (grains, particles, pores, phases, interfaces, additive impurities, etc.) along with its relative size, shape, and orientation. Given the diversity and complexity of technical ceramics, enhanced nanoscale characterization techniques are required to effectively engineer new elastic, hardness, fracture toughness, strength, and tribological properties.