Gildardo Magaña Cerda (March 7, 1891 – December 13, 1939) was a Mexican general, politician and revolutionary. Born on March 7, 1891, in Zamora,

Michoacán Michoacán, formally Michoacán de Ocampo, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Michoacán de Ocampo, is one of the 31 states which, together with Mexico City, compose the Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The stat ...

to a Liberal trading family, Magaña was sent to study economics in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

at the

Temple College Temple College is a public community college in Temple, Texas, with regional branch campuses at other locations in Central Texas. History Temple Junior College was founded in 1926 to serve post-secondary students in eastern Bell County, Texa ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

. Back in Mexico he was involved in the anti-reelectionist movement and had to flee to the insurrectionist Zapatista country people in

Morelos Morelos, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Morelos, is a landlocked state located in south-central Mexico. It is one of the 32 states which comprise the Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into Mun ...

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 ( , , ; born José Doroteo Arango Arámbula; 5 June 1878 – 20 July 1923) was a Mexican revolutionary and prominent figure in the Mexican Revolution. He was a key figure in the revolutionary movement that forced ...

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

Emiliano Zapata Emiliano Zapata Salazar (; 8 August 1879 – 10 April 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 insp ...

, 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 (; 19 February 1880 – 17 July 1928) was a Mexican general, inventor and politician who served as the 46th President of Mexico from 1920 to 1924. Obregón was re-elected to the presidency in 1928 but was assassinated b ...

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 Lázaro Cárdenas del Río (; 21 May 1895 – 19 October 1970) was a Mexican army officer and politician who served as president of Mexico from 1934 to 1940. Previously, he served as a general in the Constitutional Army during the Mexican Revo ...

's successor as president but declined. In March 1911, he participated in the Tacubaya conspiracy. When it was discovered, he fled to Morelos, where he joined the regionalist movement led by Emiliano Zapata. In May, he participated in the siege and capture of Cuautla, where Emiliano Zapata awarded him the rank of lieutenant colonel, with which he was permanently incorporated into the Southern Liberation Army.

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), known as Venustiano Carranza, was a Mexican land owner and politician who served as President of Mexico from 1917 until his assassination in 1920, during the Mexican Re ...

'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 In the history of Mexico, the Plan of 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.

Collection

The Gildardo Magaña Cerda archive was donated by his brother Octavio and contains documents from the Zapatista movement and over four thousand photographs. It was kept at the UNAM Institute of Historical Research between 1961 and 1962, and later became part of the UNAM Historical Archive in the following decade.

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 Secretaries of the interior of Mexico People of the Mexican Revolution Governors of Baja California Governors of Michoacán 20th-century Mexican politicians 20th-century Mexican military personnel

National Army

Literature

Collection

See also

References