Week Eleven
Consolidating the Revolution, 1920-1940
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I. Reconstruction and political consolidation, 1920-34

1. No re-election?

- Obregón 1920-24
- Plutarco Elías Calles 1924-34: The "Maximato"

2. Demilitarization

- Pancho Villa assassinated 1923, final rebellions put down
- implementation of 1917 Constitution
- Partido Nacional Revolucionario (PNR) founded 1929

3. Education and "mestizaje"

- José Vasconcelos: rural schools, the "Cosmic Race" (1925)

4. Church-state question

- Calles implements anti-clerical articles of Constitution, 1926
- secular free education
- The Cristero War, 1926-1929
- Obregón elected and assassinated by Cristero militant, 1928
- Calles makes peace w/ U.S. help, 1929

 

II. The Lázaro Cárdenas presidency, 1934-40

1. Socialism and nationalism

- agrarian reform; ejidos
- socialist education to 1938:

national culture: civic festivals, indigenismo
science + technical training
local organizing

- muralistas and indigenismo

Manuel Gamio
Frida Kahlo
Diego Rivera

José Clemente Orozco
David Siqueiros

- nationalization of oil industry (Petróleos Mexicanos/PEMEX), 1938

2. Political consolidation

- 1936, expulsion of Calles
- 1938, PRN replaced by PRM (Partido Revolucionario Mexicano): labor, military, agrarian, popular representatives
- 1939, Partido de Acción Nacional (PAN) founded
- hand-picked PRM candidate, more conservative, wins 1939 election