Calles Flashcards
Election
Obregón wanted Calles to be the next president. Calles won 1924 election with 84% of
vote. This was one of the first peaceful transitions of power since the Mexican Revolution began.
Name 4 of Plutarco Elías Calles’ goals as president of Mexico.
1) Promote Mexican nationalism and identity as the primary unifier of all people in Mexico
2) To follow through on Article 27, land reform, particularly the return of ejidos
3) To follow through on Article 123, worker’s rights
4) To improve communications across Mexico, in order to unify the nation (transportation, trade, etc)
5) To promote/support the indigenous integration into Mexican society
6) To stand up to foreign nations and let them know that they cannot walk all over Mexico
How long did Plutarco Elías Calles serve as president of Mexico?
Calles was in office for 1 term of 4 years and then hand-picked leaders for the next 6 years, serving
as a “puppet master” behind the scenes. This 6-year period was known as the “Maximato.” Technically,
Calles was in power from 1924-1934.
In August 1925, Calles created the National Bank of Mexico. What was the purpose of the
bank?
It was to be a central bank (run by government), which could regulate currency and create
stability in the economy. Mexico’s economy had not been stable since the Revolution began.
In September of 1925, Calles created the National Road Commission. What was its purpose and
was it successful?
This organization was to improve transportation across Mexico to help with trade and connectivity.
It planned to build 10,000 km of roads in 4 years and managed to build 7,000 km, financed through taxes
on gasoline.
In February of 1926, Calles created the National Bank of Agrarian Credit. What was its purpose
and was it successful?
It was designed to finance regional and local agricultural societies, like ejidos. However, quite
quickly, the National Bank of Agrarian Credit began, started giving out loans to people who really didn’t
need them, such as Álvaro Obregón.
What did Calles do about the Treaty of Bucareli?
In January of 1927, he revoked it. Calles believed in Article 27, particularly when it came to
returning the ejidos and removing foreign powers from Mexico. He tried to cancel the contracts of all
foreign oil companies and was immediately called a communist by the US. At right around the same time,
the Soviet Union opened it first embassy and it happened to be in Mexico. The US started calling Mexico
“Soviet Mexico.” Calles then canceled some permits for some US companies to drill for oil in Mexico and
the US nearly declared war on Mexico.
How successful was land reform under Plutarco Elías Calles?
While he handed out more land than any president who had come before, he too handed out
land that was not easily cultivated and did not provide loans for tools or seeds.
Name 5 of the Calles Laws.
- No foreign priests allowed in Mexico
- All education to be controlled by the State
- Monastic orders forbidden
- Priests not to preach disobedience to the nation’s laws
- Respect to be shown for the government
- All religious publications to be apolitical (have no political message)
- No political meetings allowed in churches
- All religious ceremonies to take place only in churches, under the government’s supervision
- No religious clothing to be worn outside of the church
- Municipal (local) authorities fined if they did not enforce these laws
When and why was the Cristero War fought and who was it fought between?
The National League for Religious Defense was created even before Calles became president, as
Catholics saw the restrictions Calles placed on churches as governor of Sonora. When he became
president, he put in place the Calles Laws. The Church went on strike, refusing to perform religious services,
which caused uproar in the population. Conservative landowners, wanting to get back at Calles for the
limited land reform he enacted, funded armed rebel groups. These groups called themselves Cristeros,
after their cry “Viva Cristo Rey” (Long Live Christ the King). The federal government and the Cristeros
fought for 3 years
Describe some of the fighting tactics used by both sides during the Cristero War.
Both sides did awful things. Extreme Cristeros tortured and murdered public school teachers, who
were, to the Cristeros, the representatives of the federal government’s anti-church agenda. Government
forces executed priests and, on rare occasions, would rape nuns. Additionally, federal troops would
slaughter entire villages that were suspected of supporting Cristeros. The Cristeros were face less organized
than the federal troops and did not have any sort of central command. They blew up trains and stole
weapons from dead federal troops. Women picked up weapons, sometimes as part of female brigades
(Juana de Arco Birgades). Over 90,000 people died in the Cristero War.
How/when did the Cristero War end?
A truce was brokered in 1929 by US ambassador, Dwight Morrow: Calles Laws won’t be repealed
but won’t be enforced.
Jose Puig Casauranc
In 1928, in the administration of Plutarco Elías Calles, he served as Secretary of Industry, Commerce and Labor and as head of the Department of the Federal District. In 1930 he was again Secretary of Public Education. The next year, he served on a commission to reorganize public administration. He was Ambassador to the United States in 1932 and Foreign Minister in 1933.
Moises Saenz
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rural schools
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