In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is León de la Barra and the second or maternal family name is Quijano.
Francisco León de la Barra y Quijano (June 16, 1863 – September 23, 1939) was a Mexican political figure and diplomat who served as 36th President of Mexico from May 25 to November 6, 1911.[1][2][3] He was known to conservatives as "The White President" or the "Pure President."[4]
León de la Barra was the son of a Chilean immigrant to Mexico. He obtained a degree in law in Querétaro before entering politics as a federal deputy in 1891. In 1892, he attended the Ibero-American Judicial Conference held in Madrid on the occasion of the four hundredth anniversary of Columbus' discovery of America.
In 1896, León de la Barra entered the Mexican diplomatic corps, serving as envoy to Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Belgium, the Netherlands, and the United States (1909–11). He was Mexico's representative at The Hague peace conference in 1907. During this time, he earned a reputation as an authority on international law. When the Mexican Revolution broke out in 1910, he was Ambassador to the U.S. Following the fraudulent elections of 1910, revolutionary forces rose up against Porfirio Díaz (r. 1876-80; 1884-1911), defeating the Federal Army and forcing his resignation as President. In the 21 May 1911 Treaty of Ciudad Juárez, León de la Barra was selected to be interim president, until elections could be held in the autumn of 1911. He was not a politician or a member of Díaz's Científicos, but rather a diplomat and lawyer.
President of Mexico
He served as president until November 6, 1911, when Madero took office 6 November 1911 as the duly-elected president.[5] Although considered by conservatives the benign "White President," the German ambassador to Mexico, Paul von Hintze, who associated with the Interim President, said of him that "De la Barra wants to accommodate himself with dignity to the inevitable advance of the ex-revolutionary influence, while accelerating the widespread collapse of the Madero party...."[6]
There were pressures for León de la Barra to run for the presidency himself, but he resisted. He did promote democracy and the elections that brought Madero to the presidency were considered free and fair. There was a controversy during the summer of 1911 when fighting broke out in the streets of Puebla between federal soldiers and irregulars who supported Madero. President León de la Barra blamed his Minister of the Interior, Emilio Vázquez Gómez, the brother of Madero's vice presidential running mate, Francisco Vázquez Gómez for the violence and its mishandling. Madero replaced his running mate with José María Pino Suárez.[7]
In his inauguration address to the nation, León de la Barra had three stated goals: the restoration of order, bringing about free and fair elections, and the continuation of reforms promised at the end of the Díaz presidency.[8] Since Madero had called on his revolutionary followers to lay down their arms, despite their having brought about conditions forcing Díaz's resignation, there was continuing turmoil in areas where they had mobilized. He sought to disarm the irregular forces, remove them from the army payroll, and send them home. In Morelos, Emiliano Zapata and his followers resisted demobilization, and León de la Barra sent troops under General Victoriano Huerta to put down the rebellion. Huerta failed to do that, but did wreak havoc in Morelos, burning villages and attacking the local population. Rebellions in other parts of the country, in Baja California, Oaxaca, and Chiapas were successfully repressed.[9]
During his presidency, he did implement some reforms, including improved funding for rural schools; promoting some aspects of agrarian reform to increase the amount of productive land; labor reforms including workman's compensation and the eight-hour day; but also the right of the government to intervene in strikes. According to historian Peter V.N. Henderson, León de la Barra's and congress's actions "suggests that few Porfirians wished to return to the status quo of the dictatorship. Rather, the thoughtful, progressive members of the Porfirian meritocracy recognized the need for change."[10]
Subsequent career
León de la Barra ran for the Mexican Congress in 1912 and was elected a senator, aligned with the Científicos and the National Catholic Party.[11] León de la Barra colluded with U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Henry Lane Wilson to oust Madero from the presidency.[12] During the Ten Tragic Days of February 1913, Madero resigned and was then assassinated.
During the regime of Victoriano Huerta he served briefly as Foreign Minister and then was appointed ambassador to France (1913–14). He retired to Europe and became president of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, located in The Hague. He participated in various international commissions after World War I and wrote many works on judicial and administrative affairs.
In early 1939, León de la Barra was used by the French Foreign Minister Georges Bonnet as an unofficial diplomat to begin talks with General Francisco Franco for French recognition of the Spanish Nationalists as the legitimate government of Spain.[13] The Spanish Nationalists overthrew the Second Spanish Republic in the Spanish Civil War, allying with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. As a result of the talks León de la Barra began, France recognized the Spanish Nationalists in February 1939.[citation needed]
Anyone associated with the Huerta regime has been tainted in modern Mexican history by the association, including Francisco León de la Barra.
Personal life and death
He married María Elena Barneque, and when she died he married her sister, María del Refugio Barneque.[citation needed] He died in Biarritz on September 23, 1939, without ever returning to Mexico.
^Henderson, Peter V.N. "Francisco León de la Barra" in Encyclopedia of Latin American History and Culture, vol. 3, p. 402. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons 1996.
^Henderson, Peter V.N. "Francisco León de la Barra" in Encyclopedia of Mexico. Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn 1997, pp. 396-97
^"FRANCISCO LEÓN DE LA BARRA" (in Spanish). Presidencia de la Republica de Mexico. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
^Ross, Stanley R. Francisco I. Madero: Apostle of Democracy, esp. chap. XII "The White President" pp. 188-202. New York: Columbia University Press 1955 p. 188
^Duroselle, Jean-Baptiste (2004). France and the Nazi Threat. New York: Enigma Books. p. 339. ISBN1-929631-15-4.
Further reading
García Puron, Manuel, México y sus gobernantes, v. 2. Mexico City: Joaquín Porrúa, 1984. (in Spanish)
Henderson, Peter V.N. In the Absence of Don Porfirio: Francisco León de la Barra and the Mexican Revolution. Wilmington, Del.: Scholarly Resources 2000
Katz, Friedrich. The Secret War in Mexico: Europe, the United States, and the Mexican Revolution. Chicago: University of Chicago Press 1981.
Knight, Alan. The Mexican Revolution 2 vols. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 1986.
Ross, Stanley R. Francisco I. Madero: Apostle of Democracy. New York: Columbia University Press 1955.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Francisco León de la Barra.
(in Spanish)
(in Spanish) Another short biography
Serrano Álvarez, Pablo (2011). Cronología de la Revolución (1906-1917)(PDF) (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Instituto Nacional de Estudios Históricos de las Revoluciones de México. ISBN978-607-7916-11-6. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
francisco, león, barra, this, spanish, name, first, paternal, surname, león, barra, second, maternal, family, name, quijano, quijano, june, 1863, september, 1939, mexican, political, figure, diplomat, served, 36th, president, mexico, from, november, 1911, know. In this Spanish name the first or paternal surname is Leon de la Barra and the second or maternal family name is Quijano Francisco Leon de la Barra y Quijano June 16 1863 September 23 1939 was a Mexican political figure and diplomat who served as 36th President of Mexico from May 25 to November 6 1911 1 2 3 He was known to conservatives as The White President or the Pure President 4 Francisco Leon de la Barra36th President of MexicoIn office 25 May 1911 5 November 1911Vice PresidentAbraham GonzalezPreceded byPorfirio DiazSucceeded byFrancisco I MaderoSecretary of Foreign AffairsIn office 11 February 1913 4 July 1914PresidentVictoriano HuertaPreceded byVictoriano HuertaSucceeded byCarlos PereyraIn office 1 April 1911 25 May 1911PresidentPorfirio DiazPreceded byEnrique CreelSucceeded byVictoriano Salado AlvarezPersonal detailsBorn 1863 06 16 16 June 1863Queretaro Queretaro Mexican EmpireDied23 September 1939 1939 09 23 aged 76 Biarritz FranceResting placePere Lachaise CemeteryNationalityMexicanPolitical partyIndependentSpouse s Maria Elena BornequeMaria del Refugio BornequeMain article Mexican Revolution Contents 1 Early career 2 President of Mexico 3 Subsequent career 4 Personal life and death 5 See also 6 References 7 Further reading 8 External linksEarly career EditLeon de la Barra was the son of a Chilean immigrant to Mexico He obtained a degree in law in Queretaro before entering politics as a federal deputy in 1891 In 1892 he attended the Ibero American Judicial Conference held in Madrid on the occasion of the four hundredth anniversary of Columbus discovery of America In 1896 Leon de la Barra entered the Mexican diplomatic corps serving as envoy to Brazil Argentina Uruguay Paraguay Belgium the Netherlands and the United States 1909 11 He was Mexico s representative at The Hague peace conference in 1907 During this time he earned a reputation as an authority on international law When the Mexican Revolution broke out in 1910 he was Ambassador to the U S Following the fraudulent elections of 1910 revolutionary forces rose up against Porfirio Diaz r 1876 80 1884 1911 defeating the Federal Army and forcing his resignation as President In the 21 May 1911 Treaty of Ciudad Juarez Leon de la Barra was selected to be interim president until elections could be held in the autumn of 1911 He was not a politician or a member of Diaz s Cientificos but rather a diplomat and lawyer President of Mexico EditHe served as president until November 6 1911 when Madero took office 6 November 1911 as the duly elected president 5 Although considered by conservatives the benign White President the German ambassador to Mexico Paul von Hintze who associated with the Interim President said of him that De la Barra wants to accommodate himself with dignity to the inevitable advance of the ex revolutionary influence while accelerating the widespread collapse of the Madero party 6 There were pressures for Leon de la Barra to run for the presidency himself but he resisted He did promote democracy and the elections that brought Madero to the presidency were considered free and fair There was a controversy during the summer of 1911 when fighting broke out in the streets of Puebla between federal soldiers and irregulars who supported Madero President Leon de la Barra blamed his Minister of the Interior Emilio Vazquez Gomez the brother of Madero s vice presidential running mate Francisco Vazquez Gomez for the violence and its mishandling Madero replaced his running mate with Jose Maria Pino Suarez 7 In his inauguration address to the nation Leon de la Barra had three stated goals the restoration of order bringing about free and fair elections and the continuation of reforms promised at the end of the Diaz presidency 8 Since Madero had called on his revolutionary followers to lay down their arms despite their having brought about conditions forcing Diaz s resignation there was continuing turmoil in areas where they had mobilized He sought to disarm the irregular forces remove them from the army payroll and send them home In Morelos Emiliano Zapata and his followers resisted demobilization and Leon de la Barra sent troops under General Victoriano Huerta to put down the rebellion Huerta failed to do that but did wreak havoc in Morelos burning villages and attacking the local population Rebellions in other parts of the country in Baja California Oaxaca and Chiapas were successfully repressed 9 During his presidency he did implement some reforms including improved funding for rural schools promoting some aspects of agrarian reform to increase the amount of productive land labor reforms including workman s compensation and the eight hour day but also the right of the government to intervene in strikes According to historian Peter V N Henderson Leon de la Barra s and congress s actions suggests that few Porfirians wished to return to the status quo of the dictatorship Rather the thoughtful progressive members of the Porfirian meritocracy recognized the need for change 10 Subsequent career EditLeon de la Barra ran for the Mexican Congress in 1912 and was elected a senator aligned with the Cientificos and the National Catholic Party 11 Leon de la Barra colluded with U S Ambassador to Mexico Henry Lane Wilson to oust Madero from the presidency 12 During the Ten Tragic Days of February 1913 Madero resigned and was then assassinated During the regime of Victoriano Huerta he served briefly as Foreign Minister and then was appointed ambassador to France 1913 14 He retired to Europe and became president of the Permanent Court of Arbitration located in The Hague He participated in various international commissions after World War I and wrote many works on judicial and administrative affairs In early 1939 Leon de la Barra was used by the French Foreign Minister Georges Bonnet as an unofficial diplomat to begin talks with General Francisco Franco for French recognition of the Spanish Nationalists as the legitimate government of Spain 13 The Spanish Nationalists overthrew the Second Spanish Republic in the Spanish Civil War allying with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy As a result of the talks Leon de la Barra began France recognized the Spanish Nationalists in February 1939 citation needed Anyone associated with the Huerta regime has been tainted in modern Mexican history by the association including Francisco Leon de la Barra Personal life and death EditHe married Maria Elena Barneque and when she died he married her sister Maria del Refugio Barneque citation needed He died in Biarritz on September 23 1939 without ever returning to Mexico See also Edit Mexico portal Politics portalList of heads of state of MexicoReferences Edit Henderson Peter V N Francisco Leon de la Barra in Encyclopedia of Latin American History and Culture vol 3 p 402 New York Charles Scribner s Sons 1996 Henderson Peter V N Francisco Leon de la Barra in Encyclopedia of Mexico Chicago Fitzroy Dearborn 1997 pp 396 97 FRANCISCO LEoN DE LA BARRA in Spanish Presidencia de la Republica de Mexico Retrieved May 29 2019 Ross Stanley R Francisco I Madero Apostle of Democracy esp chap XII The White President pp 188 202 New York Columbia University Press 1955 p 188 Serrano Alvarez 2011 p 133 quoted in Friedrich Katz The Secret War in Mexico Chicago University of Chicago Press 1981 pp 40 41 Henderson 1997 p 397 Henderson 1997 p 396 Henderson 1997 p 397 Henderson 1997 p 397 Womack John Jr The Mexican Revolution in Mexico Since Independence ed Leslie Bethell Cambridge Cambridge University Press 1991 p 138 Womack The Mexican Revolution p 139 Duroselle Jean Baptiste 2004 France and the Nazi Threat New York Enigma Books p 339 ISBN 1 929631 15 4 Further reading EditGarcia Puron Manuel Mexico y sus gobernantes v 2 Mexico City Joaquin Porrua 1984 in Spanish Henderson Peter V N In the Absence of Don Porfirio Francisco Leon de la Barra and the Mexican Revolution Wilmington Del Scholarly Resources 2000 Katz Friedrich The Secret War in Mexico Europe the United States and the Mexican Revolution Chicago University of Chicago Press 1981 Knight Alan The Mexican Revolution 2 vols Cambridge Cambridge University Press 1986 Krauze Enrique Mexico Biography of Power New York HarperCollins 1997 ISBN 0 06 016325 9 Leon de la Barra Francisco Enciclopedia de Mexico vol 8 Mexico City 1996 ISBN 1 56409 016 7 in Spanish Orozco Linares Fernando Gobernantes de Mexico Mexico City Panorama Editorial 1985 ISBN 968 38 0260 5 in Spanish Ross Stanley R Francisco I Madero Apostle of Democracy New York Columbia University Press 1955 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Francisco Leon de la Barra Short biography in Spanish Short biography in Spanish Another short biography Serrano Alvarez Pablo 2011 Cronologia de la Revolucion 1906 1917 PDF in Spanish 1st ed Instituto Nacional de Estudios Historicos de las Revoluciones de Mexico ISBN 978 607 7916 11 6 Retrieved 21 January 2017 Political officesPreceded byPorfirio Diaz President of Mexico25 May 5 November 1911 Succeeded byFrancisco I Madero Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Francisco Leon de la Barra amp oldid 1099184486, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
