Cristero War

Map of Mexico with regions where there were Cristero outbreaks.

Outbreaks of high importance

Outbreaks of medium importance

Sporadic outbreaks of low importance

Date

1926–1929

Location

Result

Government ceasefire

The Mexican Government makes peace agreement with Cristeros, assisted by the United States through U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, Dwight Whitney Morrow, in order to end violence
Recognition of certain rights and the Catholic Church reopens in Mexico by 1929 during the presidency of Emilio Portes Gil, although some anti-clerical government laws remained in force until 1992, when the Mexican government amended the constitution by granting all religious groups legal status, conceding them limited property rights and lifting restrictions on the number of priests in the country

Belligerents

Commanders and leaders

Plutarco Elías Calles
Emilio Portes Gil
Joaquín Amaro Domínguez
Saturnino Cedillo
Heliodoro Charis
Marcelino García Barragán
Jaime Carrillo

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 Ramirez †

Victorino Bárcenas †

Strength

~100,000 men (1929)

~50,000 men and women (1929)

Casualties and losses

56,882 dead

~30,000 dead

estimated 250,000 dead
250,000 fled to the United States (mostly non-combatants)

Government ceasefire

Plutarco Elías Calles
Emilio Portes Gil
Joaquín Amaro Domínguez
Saturnino Cedillo
Heliodoro Charis
Marcelino García Barragán
Jaime Carrillo