Bernardo Reyes
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Bernardo Doroteo Reyes Ogazón (30 August 1850 – 9 February 1913) was a Mexican general and politician who fought in the
Second French intervention in Mexico The second French intervention in Mexico (), also known as the Second Franco-Mexican War (1861–1867), was a military invasion of the Republic of Mexico by the French Empire of Napoleon III, purportedly to force the collection of Mexican de ...
and served as the appointed Governor of Nuevo León for more than two decades during the
Porfiriato The Porfiriato or Porfirismo (, ), coined by Mexican historian Daniel Cosío Villegas, is a term given to the period when General Porfirio Díaz ruled Mexico under an Authoritarianism, authoritarian military dictatorship in the late 19th and e ...
. During Reyes's administration as Governor, the state made important economic, industrial and social advances, and he was one of the closest and most faithful allies of
President of Mexico The president of Mexico (), officially the president of the United Mexican States (), is the head of state and head of government of Mexico. Under the Constitution of Mexico, the president heads the executive branch of the federal government and ...
Porfirio Díaz José de la Cruz Porfirio Díaz Mori (; ; 15 September 1830 – 2 July 1915) was a General (Mexico), Mexican general and politician who was the dictator of Mexico from 1876 until Mexican Revolution, his overthrow in 1911 seizing power in a Plan ...
. He was killed during a failed coup d'état (known as the
Ten Tragic Days The Ten Tragic Days () is the name given to the multi-day coup d'état during the Mexican Revolution in Mexico City. It was staged by opponents of Francisco I. Madero, the democratically elected president of Mexico, between 9–19 February 191 ...
) against President Francisco I. Madero in the first stage of the
Mexican Revolution The Mexican Revolution () was an extended sequence of armed regional conflicts in Mexico from 20 November 1910 to 1 December 1920. It has been called "the defining event of modern Mexican history". It saw the destruction of the Federal Army, its ...
. Born in a prominent liberal family in the western state of
Jalisco Jalisco, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Jalisco, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is located in western Mexico and is bordered by s ...
, he served in the army, rising to the rank of general. Like his political patron, General
Porfirio Díaz José de la Cruz Porfirio Díaz Mori (; ; 15 September 1830 – 2 July 1915) was a General (Mexico), Mexican general and politician who was the dictator of Mexico from 1876 until Mexican Revolution, his overthrow in 1911 seizing power in a Plan ...
, Reyes was a military man who became an able administrator. He helped in the modernization of that state, enabling local industrialization, improving public education and health, and supporting improvements in the lives of workers.Bernardo Reyes (Mexican politician) – Britannica Online Encyclopedia
/ref> While governor of Nuevo León, Reyes approved a workers compensation law. In 1900, Díaz named Reyes the Secretary of War and Navy. He expanded the military, establishing the Second Reserve, a citizens' militia group. While the Second Reserve was eventually disbanded, it was a key component of Reyes' political strategy. However, he resigned from office after two years amid political conflict with the Cientificos, a circle of technocratic advisors to Diaz who saw the Second Reserve as a private army loyal to Reyes.Knight, ''The Mexican Revolution'', vol. 1, p. 49. Reyes then returned to Nuevo León, where his popularity grew, and he was considered a likely successor to Díaz. ''Reyista'' clubs supporting him for the presidency were formed, but he declined to challenge Díaz in the election of 1910. After being forced from office in 1909, he embarked on a European tour and did not return until after Diaz was deposed in 1910 by Francisco I. Madero.


Early life and family

Bernardo Doroteo Reyes Ogazón was born on August 20, 1849, at 121 López Cotilla Street in
Guadalajara Guadalajara ( ; ) is the capital and the most populous city in the western Mexican List of states of Mexico, state of Jalisco, as well as the most densely populated municipality in Jalisco. According to the 2020 census, the city has a population ...
,
Jalisco Jalisco, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Jalisco, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is located in western Mexico and is bordered by s ...
to a prominent military and political family active in Liberal Party politics. His father was Colonel Domingo Reyes Rovira, originally from
Managua Managua () is the capital city, capital and largest city of Nicaragua, and one of the List of largest cities in Central America, largest cities in Central America. Located on the shores of Lake Managua, the city had an estimated population of 1, ...
,
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. His mother Juana Ogazón Velázquez-Delgado was the younger sister of the colonel's first wife, Guadalupe. He was the eldest of his mother's four children and had two half-siblings from his father's first marriage. His maternal cousins Pedro Ogazón and Ignacio Vallarta both served as Governors of Jalisco between 1858 and 1875. Reyes studied law in the public schools in Guadalajara before beginning his military career at age fourteen, when he enlisted to fight against the
Second French Empire The Second French Empire, officially the French Empire, was the government of France from 1852 to 1870. It was established on 2 December 1852 by Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, president of France under the French Second Republic, who proclaimed hi ...
in the 1861 French intervention in Mexico.


Military career


Resistance to French intervention

In 1866, Reyes fought at
Zacatecas Zacatecas, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Zacatecas, is one of the Political divisions of Mexico, 31 states of Mexico. It is divided into Municipalities of Zacatecas, 58 municipalities and its capital city is Zacatecas City, Zacatec ...
and Calvillo as an ensign in the Centro Guías de Jalisco in the forces of General Trinidad García de la Cadena. The following year, at age seventeen, he joined the Jalisco '' lanceros'' and participated in the Siege of Querétaro, where he was wounded twice. He attended the execution of Emperor Maximilian I.


Suppression of rebels

After the intervention was expelled, Reyes participated in the suppression of rebellions by regional caudillos and rose swiftly through the ranks. At the Battle of La Mojonera in
Zapopan Zapopan () is a city and municipality located in the Mexican state of Jalisco. Part of the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area, Zapopan is the largest city in the state. It's best known as the home of the Virgin of Zapopan, an image of the Virgin ...
, he fought with Ramón Corona against the ''
caudillo A ''caudillo'' ( , ; , from Latin language, Latin , diminutive of ''caput'' "head") is a type of Personalist dictatorship, personalist leader wielding military and political power. There is no precise English translation for the term, though it ...
'' Manuel Lozada, and single-handedly returned valuable information from behind enemy lines, evading a surprise attack. Following the battle, he was made ''comandante''. He worked briefly in 1873 as a secretary to General Francisco Tolentino before returning to wage active campaigns against Lozada's supporters. In September 1875, Reyes received a bullet wound to his neck while suppressing a mutiny of his own troops with twenty loyal soldiers. He successfully evicted the mutineers from the barracks and was made a lieutenant colonel. In July 1880, Reyes defeated the rebel Ramírez Terrón at the Battle of Villa Unión in
Sinaloa Sinaloa (), officially the (), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, compose the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 18 municipalities, and its capital city is Culiacán Rosales. It is located in northwest Mexic ...
. Though outnumbered three-to-one, Reyes repelled Terrón's initial attack and returned the charge with only a few soldiers, delivering fictitious orders to give the illusion of a larger force. Though he was presumed dead, Reyes survived with three wounds, including permanent damage to his right wrist, which was nearly amputated. Believing his forces were surrounded, Terrón committed suicide during the battle, leaving word to Reyes to care for Terrón's family. Reyes did so, providing a monthly pension for his daughters and a job for his widow. In recognition of his victory at Villa Unión, President Porfirio Díaz personally awarded Reyes a rare double promotion directly to the rank of brigadier general. As brigadier general, Reyes led all Mexican forces in Sinaloa, Sonora, and Baja California from August 13, 1880 to March 11, 1883. From March 12, 1883 to October 1885, he was in charge of the Sixth Military District, headquartered in
San Luis Potosí San Luis Potosí, officially the Free and Sovereign State of San Luis Potosí, is one of the 32 states which compose the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 59 municipalities and is named after its capital city, San Luis Potosí. It ...
.


Political career and administration

The center of Reyes's political power was in his home state of Jalisco; Díaz's supporters closed Reyes clubs and jailed their leaders. His main support came from the middle class, many of whom had connections to the now disbanded Second Reserve. Reyes was seen as a reformer, anti-Científico, pro-business, with a strong following among professionals such as doctors and lawyers, and a viable candidate of the old order with both military and political experience who could manage a presidential transition. He was not an outsider or radical agitator. Together with
José Yves Limantour José Yves Limantour Marquet (; 26 December 1854 – 26 August 1935) was a Mexican financier who served as secretary of Finance (Mexico), Secretary of the Finance of Mexico from 1893 until the fall of the Porfirio Díaz regime in 1911. One of t ...
, he was considered one of the potential successors of Porfirio Díaz. With
Francisco Madero Francisco Ignacio Madero González (; 30 October 1873 – 22 February 1913) was a Mexican businessman, revolutionary, writer and Public figure, statesman, who served as the 37th president of Mexico from 1911 until he was deposed in Ten Tragic ...
's latter challenge to the dictator in the 1910 elections and, afterwards, initiation of the Mexican Revolution, previous notions of who should succeed Díaz were discarded.


Mexican Revolution and death

For a time Reyes was a supporter of Madero, but he later led the first rebellion against Madero. After this rebellion failed, Reyes was imprisoned in the Mexico City prison of Santiago Tlatelolco. General Félix Díaz was imprisoned at another Mexico City jail for rebellion, but the two were able to easily communicate despite that and plot a joint coup against Madero. They tried to get General
Victoriano Huerta José Victoriano Huerta Márquez (; 23 December 1850 – 13 January 1916) was a Mexican general, politician, engineer and dictator who was the 39th President of Mexico, who came to power by coup against the democratically elected government of ...
to join the plot, but he declined, despite Huerta's being a protégé of Reyes's. General Manuel Mondragón sent forces to free Reyes from jail on 9 February 1913, who freed Reyes from prison. Then, they marched on to the
National Palace Buildings called National Palace include: *National Palace (Dominican Republic), in Santo Domingo * National Palace (El Salvador), in San Salvador * National Palace (Ethiopia), in Addis Ababa; also known as the Jubilee Palace * National Palace (Guat ...
in the beginning of the ''
Ten Tragic Days The Ten Tragic Days () is the name given to the multi-day coup d'état during the Mexican Revolution in Mexico City. It was staged by opponents of Francisco I. Madero, the democratically elected president of Mexico, between 9–19 February 191 ...
''. Reyes was killed on day 1 of the coup, in an assault on the palace. He had expected to enter the National Palace and declare Madero ousted. Before he could enter the building, Reyes was shot dead along with 400 others, among them civilians.


Personal life

On November 4, 1872, Reyes married Aurelia de Ochoa y Sapién, the daughter of an aristocratic family from
Zapotlán el Grande Zapotlán el Grande (also known as Guzmán and Ciudad Guzmán) is a municipality in the Mexican States of Mexico, state of Jalisco. Name There are several meanings given to the root name of the "Zapotlán el Grande". "Zapote" is the name given to ...
. They had twelve children, seven of whom survived to adulthood: * Bernardo Reyes Ochoa (b. August 20, 1873), civil engineer who constructed the Temple of San Luis Gonzaga in
Monterrey Monterrey (, , abbreviated as MtY) is the capital and largest city of the northeastern Mexican state of Nuevo León. It is the ninth-largest city and the second largest metropolitan area, after Greater Mexico City. Located at the foothills of th ...
* Rodolfo Reyes Ochoa (b. May 16, 1878), attorney who participated in the overthrow of Francisco I. Madero * Maria Reyes Ochoa (b. 1880), wife of attorney Rafael Dávila Caballero, son of Governor of Nuevo Leon Narciso Dávila * Amalia Reyes Ochoa, wife of attorney Fermín Sada * Otilia Reyes Ochoa (b. 1888), wife of investor Ramón López León * Alfonso Reyes Ochoa (b. May 17, 1889), internationally renowned writer * Alejandro Reyes Ochoa Five children died before reaching adulthood: Roberto, Aurelia, Eloísa, Guadalupe and Eva. He was the grandfather of the painter Aurora Reyes. On 25 December 1896, Reyes was present as
Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...
defeated
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in
Monterrey Monterrey (, , abbreviated as MtY) is the capital and largest city of the northeastern Mexican state of Nuevo León. It is the ninth-largest city and the second largest metropolitan area, after Greater Mexico City. Located at the foothills of th ...
in an
exhibition An exhibition, in the most general sense, is an organized presentation and display of a selection of items. In practice, exhibitions usually occur within a cultural or educational setting such as a museum, art gallery, park, library, exhibiti ...
, marking the first game of
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ever played in Mexico.


References


External links

*
IEA:Bernardo Reyes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reyes, Bernardo 1850 births 1913 deaths People from Guadalajara, Jalisco Mexican generals Governors of Nuevo León People of the Mexican Revolution Mexican people of Nicaraguan descent Mexican military personnel killed in action Deaths by firearm in Mexico