Page 50 - STRATEGY Magazine

The Monumento a la Indepen- dencia—affectionately known as El Ángel—was erected in 1910
to commemorate the centennial of the start of the Mexican War
of Independence. In 1925, the remains of many of the heroes of that war were interred under the monument. One of México City’s most recognizable sites, El Ángel is a frequent gathering point for celebrations and protests.
ma’s goodwill turned tragic for the Aztecs: Cortés formed alliances with Moctezuma’s enemies as he traveled to the capital city. In May of 1521, Cortés and his new allies attacked the Aztecs, ultimately conquering them. He formed a colony in the region, which he named Nueva Es- paña. Within 50 years, Spain ruled most of the former Aztec empire and had taken many of the native resi-
dents into slavery. The Aztec might have survived but for common European diseases carried by the Spaniards, against which the native people had no immunity. European disease spread through the popu- lation and was responsible for the deaths of approximately 24 million people between 1521 and 1605.
Catholicism arrived in 1523 with the missionaries who built monaster-
ies and set about converting natives to the Catholic faith. Over the next two-and-a-half centuries, the Cath- olic Church grew increasingly influ- ential. Concerned that the church was gaining too much power, King Carlos III of Spain forced the Jesuits to leave Nueva España in 1767. In a nation that by this time had em- braced Catholicism, the king’s action proved disruptive and unpopular. In 1808, Napoleon Bonaparte occupied Spain, weakening the economy and political structure of the country and diminishing Spain’s influence in the area. Tensions in the colony explod- ed into revolution, and Spanish rule of Nueva España permanently ended in 1821.
In the post-Spain epoch, Mexico was ruled for 30 years by General Antonio López de Santa Anna, whose presidency suffered both the revolt of Texas and the Mexican-American War of 1846. Benito Juárez became president in 1858 and presided over a period of economic and social tur- moil. Hoping to break the Catholic Church’s stronghold, he separated church and state, abolished monas- tic orders, and nationalized church property that he had intended for the peasants but instead allowed to be scooped up by wealthy elites. By 1861, the country was insolvent, so Juárez defaulted on foreign loans. This led to occupation and eventual overthrow of the government by the French, though French rule only en- dured until 1867.
Subsequently, Mexico commenced a period of continual self-rule un- der a series of presidents, most of whom were elected by a democratic
PRI IN POWER
Francisco Madero calls for revolution against President Díaz, promising reform for the agrarian and working classes. The rebellion will rage for 10 years and will give rise to such heroes as Emiliano Zapata and Pancho Villa.
Mexico elects Lázaro Cárdenas, a former general in the revolu- tion, as president. He instigates many social reforms, including redistributing land to peasants. In 1938, he will nationalize the foreign-owned oil industry.
Electing its first civilian president since 1911, Mexico sees phenomenal economic and indus- trial growth in the post-war years. The ruling party is renamed the Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI). It will remain in power uncontested for 54 more years.
The discovery of huge offshore oil re- serves leads to a debt-fueled government spending spree. When it is discovered that the oil is mostly low grade, Mexico is left with crippling foreign debt.
President Venustiano Carranza over- sees the creation of the Constitution of 1917, which is still in force today. Three years later, Carranza is killed in battle, and Álvaro Obregón becomes president, finally ending the war.
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President Manuel Ávila Camacho is elected. After creating closer ties with the United States, he leads Mexico into World War II, where Mexican pilots fight alongside the U.S. Air Force. The country joins the United Nations in 1945.
México City proudly hosts the XIX Olympic Games, which go on despite the Tlatelolco Massacre, in which armed forces gunned down student protestors days before the Games began. The number of dead is still unknown but may have numbered in the hundreds.
1917
1940
1968
NOV 20, 1910
1946
1934
1976