The end of the Mexican Revolution was, for many people, the time when leftist politician Lazaro Cardenas became the president in 1943. Mexican politics was a shambles and a travesty up until that point, just as it had been for decades before. Dictators such as Victoriano Huerta, or Porfirio Diaz, created hardships for the majority of the people of Mexico. A few leaders that showed promise, and that had good intentions for strengthening Mexico, proved themselves incapable of the task, and too politically weak against unsympathetic rivals (think Venustiano Carranza and Francisco Madero). Other officials came into office with a willingness to do good, but quickly succumbed to the pressures to be corrupt, just like their predecessors. Presidents such as Alvaro Obregon, and Plutarco Calles maintained a strong grip on their power, and held onto it with military indifference.
While all four of the major figures of the revolution--Pancho Villa, Emiliano Zapata, Venustiano Carranza, and Alvaro Obregon - had died before Cardenas took power, there were still battles to be fought. A violent rebellion by the Catholics erupted, as they lost many of their rights under President Plutarco Calles, and they witnessed the brutal enforcement of anti-church laws..
A time period known as the Maximato occurred, when Calles stepped down from the Presidency in 1928; continuing to pull strings through two puppet administrations. Cardenas was meant to be the latest in that line of puppet presidents. In 1932, his cabinet members balked at his next choice for successor, suggesting Lazaro, the governor of Michoacan, instead. He was liberal, leftist, and committed to his causes; however, he'd also been an ally in the past. Plutarco figured he could control him as he had the others, but it wasn't the case.
Born to a poor family in the state of Michoacan, Cardenas was driven to educate himself as much as possible even though he'd had to leave home at 11 to support his family. He was fond of reading, and while he held down odd jobs in printing, jailkeeping and tax collection, he collected written materials to read. He was drawn to politics during the Mexican Revolution, like many others, and had initially supported Plutarco Calles' presidency and had been appointed as governor of his home state. A grassroots methodology was taken by him, as the leader there. He re-distributed land back to the peasants who rightfully owned it, encouraged the formation of labor organizations, and was dedicated to providing fair education to all of his people. The true needs of the public of Mexico, were taken into account by Lazaro, when he enacted policies and considered government actions to be taken.
When he was made President, Cardenas immediately proved himself as a radical but extremely honest leader. His first action, upon assuming the Presidency in December 1934, was to slash his salary in half. Unlike his predecessors he failed to be self-serving in his goals. He then condemned the Calles administration, particularly the harsh anti-religious actions he'd taken during his time in office, and eventually drove the former puppet master into exile. It was a promising start for a man who has been called the 'greatest figure produced by the revolution.'
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