Gildardo Magaña Cerda (March 7, 1891 – December 13, 1939) was a Mexican general, politician and revolutionary. Born on March 7, 1891 in Zamora, Michoacán to a Liberal trading family, Magaña was sent to study economics in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. Back in Mexico he was involved in the anti-reelectionist movement and had to flee to the insurrectionist Zapatista country people in Morelos in 1911. He was immediately made use of as emissary to various revolutionaries in different parts of Mexico, among others to

Pancho Villa Francisco "Pancho" Villa (, Orozco rebelled in March 1912, both for Madero's continuing failure to enact land reform and because he felt insufficiently rewarded for his role in bringing the new president to power. At the request of Madero's c ...

whom he is reported to have taught reading. In 1916 he was appointed chief of staff to

Emiliano Zapata Emiliano Zapata Salazar (; August 8, 1879 – April 10, 1919) was a Mexican revolutionary. He was a leading figure in the Mexican Revolution of 1910–1920, the main leader of the people's revolution in the Mexican state of Morelos, and the ins ...

, because he was the only one who was able to make unruly sub-commanders of the movement cooperate instead of quarrel, using his personal charm as well as his outstanding diplomatic skill for the task. When Zapata was killed in 1919, Magaña was elected his successor with 18 votes against 11 for Jesús Capistrán. As commander-in-chief of the Zapatist army, he made it his supreme business to achieve a durable peace. To that purpose he cultivated various possible allies, in vain until

Álvaro Obregón Álvaro Obregón Salido (; 17 February 1880 – 17 July 1928) better known as Álvaro Obregón was a Sonoran-born general in the Mexican Revolution. A pragmatic centrist, natural soldier, and able politician, he became the 46th President of Me ...

revolted in 1920. Magaña immediately declared his and his movement's support and provided Obregón with the army with which he conquered Mexico D.F. In return, the movement got the Ministry of Agriculture and its desired agrarian reform made law. Under Obregón's and his successors' presidencies, Magaña held several high military commands but also found time to found the Confederación Nacional Agraria, the Cardenist peasants’ union. In 1936 he was elected governor of his native state of Michoacán, a post he held until his death (by a heart attack) in 1939. Shortly before his death he was suggested as a candidate for Lázaro Cárdenas's successor as president but declined.

National Army

In November 1919, due to the international conflict with the

caused by the kidnapping of Consul Jenkins,Magaña and other southern chiefs accepted the amnesty of

Venustiano Carranza José Venustiano Carranza de la Garza (; 29 December 1859 – 21 May 1920) was a Mexican wealthy land owner and politician who was Governor of Coahuila when the constitutionally elected president Francisco I. Madero was overthrown in a Februa ...

's government, thinking of putting himself in defense of the nation that was threatened by a North American invasion.In January 1920 he took up arms again, probably at the suggestion of

and shortly after it joined the

Plan of Agua Prieta The Plan of Agua Prieta (Spanish: ''Plan de Agua Prieta)'' was a manifesto, or plan, that articulated the reasons for rebellion against the government of Venustiano Carranza. Three revolutionary generals from Sonora, Álvaro Obregón, Plutarco E ...

. Upon his victory, the Liberation Army of the South was merged into the Mexican Army through two divisions. Magaña obtained the rank of Divisionario and became the commander of the Second Division of the South. Genovevo de la O became the first. He also intervened as a mediator to get the surrender of Francisco Villa, which was achieved on June 28, 1920.

Literature

* John Womack: Zapata and the Mexican revolution, Vintage 1968.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Magana, Gildardo 1891 births 1939 deaths People from Zamora, Michoacán Politicians from Michoacán Military personnel from Michoacán Mexican revolutionaries Mexican generals Mexican rebels Mexican Secretaries of the Interior People of the Mexican Revolution Governors of Baja California Governors of Michoacán 20th-century Mexican politicians 20th-century Mexican military personnel

National Army

Literature

See also

References