End of Revolution

The exact end of the "revolutionary period" is open to debate. From a strictly military standpoint it ended with the death of the Constitutional Army's primer jefe (First Chief) Venustiano Carranza in 1919, and the ascension to power of General Alvaro Obregon, but bloodshed and revolts continued through the Cristero Wars of 1926-1929. Effective implementation of the social provisions of the 1917 Constitution of Mexico, and a near total end to revolutionary activity, awaited the administration of Lazaro Cardenas(1934-1940). Cardenas also abolished capital punishment (better known in Mexico as el fusilado, a firing squad), effective control of the republic by Cardenas and the PRM without need for summary executions was an indication that the revolutionary period was at its end. In 1940, Cardenas voluntarily relinquished all power to his successor Manuel Avila Camacho, an unprecedented event in Mexican history. In 1942, Avila Camacho and all living exPresidents appeared on stage in the Mexico City Zocalo, in front of the Palacio Nacional, to encourage the Mexican people to support the Americans and British in World War II. This demonstration of political solidarity between diverse elements effectively signalled the true end of the Revolution, although Mexican politicians and political parties continue to employ the name of the Revolution in their political rhetoric.