Ángel Ortiz Monasterio Irizarri (January 15, 1849 – March 28, 1922) was a Mexican vice-admiral who contributed greatly to the

Mexican Navy The Mexican Navy () is one of the components of the Mexican Armed Forces. The Secretariat of the Navy is in charge of administration of the navy. The commander of the navy is the Secretary of the Navy, who is both a cabinet minister and a career ...

. He was also notable for his participation in 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 ...

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 ...

Early life

Monasterio was born in

Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...

, on January 15, 1849,Ángel G. Ortiz Monasterio Irizarri (Ortiz Monasterio) (1849 - 1922) - Genealogy
/ref> during the

Mexican-American War Mexican Americans are Americans of full or partial Mexican descent. In 2022, Mexican Americans comprised 11.2% of the US population and 58.9% of all Hispanic and Latino Americans. In 2019, 71% of Mexican Americans were born in the United State ...

and his parents fled Mexico looking for a better life in

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

, where his mother was from, since at that time Mexico had lost more than half of its territory.Angelmarinosdistinguidos.pdf
/ref> He studied as a military sailor in Spain, where he was an outstanding student and military man, serving the

Spanish Navy The Spanish Navy, officially the Armada, is the Navy, maritime branch of the Spanish Armed Forces and one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Spanish Navy was responsible for a number of major historic achievements in navigation ...

in the military operations of the

Glorious Revolution The Glorious Revolution, also known as the Revolution of 1688, was the deposition of James II and VII, James II and VII in November 1688. He was replaced by his daughter Mary II, Mary II and her Dutch husband, William III of Orange ...

and in the assault on Cartagena, under the orders of General

Juan Prim Juan Prim y Prats, 1st Count of Reus, 1st Marquis of los Castillejos, 1st Viscount of Bruch (; ; 6 December 1814 – 30 December 1870) was a Spanish general and statesman who was briefly Prime Minister of Spain until his assassination. Bio ...

. During these years, the

Third Carlist War The Third Carlist War (), which occurred from 1872 to 1876, was the last Carlist War in Spain. It is sometimes referred to as the "Second Carlist War", as the earlier Second Carlist War, "Second" War (1847–1849) was smaller in scale and relative ...

and the

Ten Years' War The Ten Years' War (; 1868–1878), also known as the Great War () and the War of '68, was part of Cuba's fight for independence from Spain. The uprising was led by Cuban-born planters and other wealthy natives. On 10 October 1868, sugar mil ...

would plague Spain and events which Monasterio would participate in. For his actions, he received the Civil Order of Alfonso XII and the Medal of the Campaign of Cuba with pins from 1871, 1872 and 1873. He attended the various revolutionary movements of 1869 and 1870, later going on to direct the campaign on the island of

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

in the fighting at Paso de San Fernando, Laguna de los Indios and the assault on the entrenched camp of Curaíto. He was awarded the

Iron Cross The Iron Cross (, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, the German Empire (1871–1918), and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). The design, a black cross pattée with a white or silver outline, was derived from the in ...

after making an assault on

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

and achieving victory; However, the military event that made him famous in the Spanish Navy was the capture of the American filibuster ship '' Virginius'', in 1873, and that earned him the highest distinction awarded in those years by Spain: the Red

Cross of Naval Merit The Cross of Naval Merit () is a Spanish military award for gallantry or merit in war or peace. Awarded to members of the Spanish Naval Forces, Guardia Civil or civilians. History and Attribution Established on 3 August 1866 by Queen Isabell ...

. Ortiz Monasterio was only 24 years old when he obtained this momentous victory for Spain, preventing the triumph of the insurgents of the Ten Years' War, hindering the arrival of an important shipment of arms, ammunition and men. From a tactical point of view, he prepared to board the ''Virginius'' Ship and with only 10 sailors under his command, he took 165 prisoners, including the President-elect of Cuba and the General-in-Chief of the Cuban Army and two Major Generals of the Cuban Army. In 1878 after 13 years of service in the Spanish Navy, he decided to join the

, wanting to return to

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

after having contributed to the Spanish Navy. After seven months of service in the Mexican Navy, he was appointed to the position of Chief of the Department of the Navy, a position he held for six years. Likewise, after having finished the position of Chief of the Department of the Navy between 1895 and 1905, he served as Chief of the Presidential General Staff. In 1902 he recovered the town of

Bacalar Bacalar () is the municipal seat and largest city in Bacalar Municipality (until 2011 a part of Othón P. Blanco Municipality) in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, about north of Chetumal. In the 2010 census the city had a population of 11, ...

that the Mayans had occupied, during the

Caste War of Yucatán The Caste War of Yucatán or ''ba'atabil kichkelem Yúum'' (1847–1915) began with the revolt of Indigenous peoples of Mexico, indigenous Maya peoples, Maya people of the Yucatán Peninsula against Hispanic populations, called ''Yucatecos''. Th ...

. He was, for all this, an important person in the naval field of the Navy and Merchant Navy in Mexico.

Mexican Revolution

He was called by President

Francisco I. Madero Francisco Ignacio Madero González (; 30 October 1873 – 22 February 1913) was a Mexican businessman, revolutionary, writer and statesman, who served as the 37th president of Mexico from 1911 until he was deposed in a coup d'état in Februa ...

who appointed him magistrate proprietor of the Supreme Military Court, just when a conspiracy was organized against President Madero by the porfiristas

Manuel Mondragón Manuel Mondragón (1859–1922) was a Mexican military officer who played a prominent role in the Mexican Revolution. He graduated from the Mexican Military Academy as an artillery officer in 1880. He designed the world’s first gas-operated se ...

, Félix Díaz and

Bernardo Reyes 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 and served as the appointed Governor of Nuevo León for more than two decades dur ...

, who although they were in jail, they were able to organize a conspiracy of this magnitude with the help of the American ambassador

Henry Lane Wilson Henry Lane Wilson (November 3, 1857 – December 22, 1932) was an American attorney, journalist, and diplomat who served successively as United States Minister to Chile (1897–1904), Minister to Belgium (1905–09), and Ambassador to Mexico ( ...

, escaping from jail and apprehending Gustavo Adolfo Madero and the Minister of War,

Ángel García Peña Ángel García Peña (1856 – November 23, 1928) was a Mexican Major General who served the Maderistas during the Mexican Revolution with his most notable role being in the Ten Tragic Days. Biography He was born in the city of Chihuahua City ...

, they seized the National Palace that General Lauro Villar and Ángel Ortiz Monasterio defended entrenched in the name of the Maderista government where they achieved victory, however General Lauro Villar was wounded and Madero had deal with

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 ...

, who during the

deceived the troops of Vice Admiral Ortiz Monasterio by simulating a false war, which would end with the death of Francisco I. Madero and

José María Pino Suárez José María Pino Suárez (; 8 September 1869 – 22 February 1913) was a Mexican politician, lawyer, journalist, and newspaper proprietor. He served as the seventh and last Vice President of Mexico from 1911 until his assassination in 1913, ...

and killed by

Aureliano Blanquet Aureliano Blanquet (31 December 1849 – 7 April 1919) was a Mexican general in the Federal Army during the Mexican Revolution. He was a key participant in the coup d'état during the Ten Tragic Days. One historian has identified Blanquet as "o ...

, with which Vice Admiral Ortiz-Monasterio refused to recognize Huerta's government, for which he was apprehended. He was a member of the Military Judicial Power, in addition to being commander of the Zaragoza Corvette School, which was the first training ship in Mexico, and also made the first circumnavigation trip made by a Mexican Navy ship. He decided to participate in Mexican politics; launching himself as a deputy to the

Congress of the Union The Congress of the Union (, ), formally known as the General Congress of the United Mexican States (''Congreso General de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos''), is the legislature of the federal government of Mexico. It consists of two chambers: t ...

(from September 16, 1882 to September 15, 1908), having belonged to Legislatures XI, XII, XIII, XIV, XV, XVI, XVII, XX, XXI, XXII and XXIII, occupying the direction of War and Navy. He finally died on March 28, 1922.

Burial

The body of Ortiz Monasterio was buried in the Spanish Pantheon in

, however, in a campaign promoted by the Mexican Secretariat of the Navy and by the PAN senator Sebastián Calderón Centeno, it is being discussed whether or not his remains should be transferred to the Rotonda de las Personas Ilustres.

References

Bibliography

vicealm_angel_ortiz_monasterio.pdf
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ortiz-Monasterio, Angel 1849 births 1922 deaths People of the Mexican Revolution Mexican people of Spanish descent 19th-century Mexican military personnel 20th-century Mexican military personnel Military personnel from Mexico City 19th-century Mexican politicians 20th-century Mexican politicians Politicians from Mexico City Members of the Chamber of Deputies (Mexico) German military personnel of the Franco-Prussian War