Cristero War

Cristero War

Map of Mexico showing regions in which Cristero outbreaks occurred
  Large-scale outbreaks
  Moderate outbreaks
  Sporadic outbreaks
Date1926–1929
Location
Result

Ceasefire

  • Mexican government and Archbishop Ruiz y Flóres sign US-brokered arreglos pact; church withdraws support for Cristeros
  • Recognition of certain Cristero demands
  • Catholic Church reestablished in Mexico
Belligerents

Mexico Mexican Government

  • Mexico Mexican Army
Support:
 United States

Cristeros

Support:
Knights of Columbus
Commanders and leaders
Plutarco Elías Calles
Emilio Portes Gil
Joaquín Amaro Domínguez
Saturnino Cedillo
Heliodoro Charis
Marcelino García Barragán
Jaime Carrillo
Genovevo Rivas Guillén
Álvaro Obregón 
Enrique Gorostieta Velarde 
José Reyes Vega 
Alberto B. Gutiérrez
Aristeo Pedroza
Andrés Salazar
Carlos Carranza Bouquet 
Dionisio Eduardo Ochoa 
Barraza Damaso
Domingo Anaya 
Jesús Degollado Guízar
Luis Navarro Origel 
Lauro Rocha
Lucas Cuevas 
Matías Villa Michel
Miguel Márquez Anguiano
Manuel Michel
Victoriano Ramírez 
Victorino Bárcenas 
Strength
Mexico ~100,000 men (1929) ~50,000 men and women (1929)
Casualties and losses
Mexico 56,882 dead 30,000-50,000 dead
Estimated 250,000 dead
250,000 fled to the United States (mostly non-combatants)

The Cristero War (in Spanish: Guerra Cristera or La Cristiada; [la kɾisˈtjaða]) is an internal Mexican conflict that occurred between 1926 and 1929, especially in the central and western parts of Mexico. The antecedents of the conflict began with the implementation of the Calles Law, where the Catholic Church was prohibited from many laws, and also the tightening of articles 3, 5, 24, 27 and 130 of Constitution of 1917.

Cristero soldiers hanged on electric poles in front of a railroad in Jalisco.

The rural population of central Mexico was in favor of the church and they were against the implemented Law. This conflict was also involved in the U.S Ambassador in Mexico Dwight Morrow would break relations with the Government of the President Calles and the Church, in 1929 the Conflict ended of the firm of Treaty between the Federal government of Mexico and Archbishop Ruiz y Flóres to the cessed the Fire and the disintegrated the Cristeros.

Notable Battles

Note: The mayor battles of the Cristero War occurred in the States of Zacatecas, Colima, Guanajuato and Jalisco.

  • Take of Huejuquilla el Alto
  • Take of Valparaíso
  • Battle of Santiago Bayacora
  • Battle of Cerrito Verde
  • Battle of Cerro del Capulín
  • Battle of Cerro de las Papas
  • Battle of Tepatitlán
  • Battle of El Fresnal
  • Manzanillo Assault
  • Battle of Piedra Imán
  • Battle of Caucentla
  • Battle of Los Rubios
  • Battle of Tenaxcamilpa
  • Battle of Nogueras
  • Battle of Borbollón
  • Battle of Mezquitic
  • Battle of San Julián
  • Battle of Cuquío
  • Take of Juchitlán
  • First Take of Cocula
  • Take of Colima
  • Second Take of Cocula
  • Encarnación de Díaz Massacre
  • Take of Colotlán
  • Amatlán de Cañas Battle
  • Battle of Etzatlán
  • San Marcos Battle (1927)
  • Battle of Guachinango
  • Mascota Battle
  • Ixtlán del Río Battle
  • Take of Compostela
  • Tepatitlán Crisis
  • Battle of Atotonilco el Alto
  • Villa de Guadalupe Battle
  • Cerro El Fresquial Battle[1]
  • Sahuayo, Jiquilpan and Cotija Battles
  • Aereal attack of Torreón

References