Lazaro CARDENAS (Crdenas Lzaro)

(1895-1970)
Born in Hulkinpan de Juц?rez (pc. Michoacц?n) May 21, 1895. In 1913, joined the revolutionary army, soon was promoted to captain and in 1920 - General. In 1920 commanded a garrison at Tampico, was elected governor of Michoacц?n, and in 1929 became a founding member and chairman of the National Revolutionary Party (NRP) which had become the largest party in the country. In 1931, Cardenas served as interior minister in 1933 - sec.nav.
In 1934, as a candidate for president of the NPF, Cardenas has made numerous trips around the country, promoting his six-year plan for agricultural, economic and educational reforms. During his presidential reign (1934-1940) nationalized the large estates and gave the peasants 16.2 million. hectares of land - twice more than they received in 1920. When it was organized by many of the peasant cooperative farms, TN. ejido, and for their further development in 1935 established the National Bank ehidalnogo credit granted new loans to landowners for the purchase of agricultural tools and seeds. Simultaneously Cardenas has launched the construction of dams for irrigation farming ehidalnyh.

In 1937, Cardenas gave the railways in possession of railway employees. However, the sharp increase in the number of accidents, reduced productivity and the level of passenger service in 1940 forced the government to return the railways back under state control. The most ambitious of the reforms Cardenas began the nationalization of property of foreign oil companies, announced in March 1938. The decree on the nationalization of a long delay spent in the life of one of the provisions of the Mexican Constitution of 1917, which declared the country's mineral wealth of the national property. Nationalization of the oil industry have strained relations with the United States of Mexico and several other countries, which resulted in an economic blockade of Mexico from the U.S. and the UK. The conflict was resolved in 1940, after the payment of compensation to Mexico.

By transferring presidential powers to Manuel Avila Camacho, Cц?rdenas helped him run the country during the Second World War. In 1943 Cardenas - Minister of National Defense, and in 1945 - chief of the Mexican army. In the postwar years, Cardenas led the left wing of the CHP, renamed in 1946 in the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). In 1950-1960-ies continued to engage in social activities. In 1961 in the Commission, responsible for overseeing the construction of large power generation network on the river Balsas. Died Cardenas in Mexico City October 19, 1970.