Antonio López de Santa Anna

Antonio López de Santa Anna says Napoleon of the West (February 21st 1794 with Xalapa - June 21st 1876 with Mexico City) was a Militaire, Politician and several times chair Mexico.

He is the son of Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna and Manuela Pérez de Lebron.

Military career

July 6th, 1810 it enters in the capacity as junior, with the " Fijo de Veracruz" a regiment of infantry.

In 1813 pennies the command of gift Jose Joaquin de Arredondo at the time of the countryside of Nuevo Santander (today Tamaulipas) it fights the “Indians” and is wounded with the arm by a chichimèque arrow. In 1812 it is named under-lieutenent for its bravery with the combat. In 1813 it fights against forwarding Gutierrez/Magee. Following the battle of Medina it is again quoted for its bravery. In 1815 it turns over to Veracruz and makes the connaissnce Jose Davila governor of the province. It is named by this one ordering of the military formations " exta muros" of Veracruz, where it fights successfully the Insurgentes in the surroundings of the port.

In 1817 it is named captain by the viceroy gift Juan Ruiz de Apodaca with for mission of pacifying the surroundings of the port of Veracruz, but of different with the local authorities prevent it from concluding its task.

In 1818 it established contacts with gift Guadalupe Victoria which carries out the independence guerilla and which invites it to join its rows. Santa Anna retorts by offering grounds to those of the insurgent ones which would deposit the weapons and founds some villages in the State de Veracruz. It also starts to grow rich.

Iturbide and Guerrero by the Plan of Iguala which they have just signed proclaims the independence of the country. Santa Anna gives up the royalist army then ((April 26th, 1821) and adheres to the cause of independence. It diverts his former brothers in arms in Alvarado, then Cordoba and Xalapa, but fails in front of the port of Veracruz or there is pushed back by Davila remained faithful to Spain and its troops undergo heavy losses.

It is illustrated by driving out the Spaniards out of the port of Veracruz in 1821 (But leaves the fortress of San Juan de Ulua which orders the entry of the port and blocks the trade in their capacity). It is disappointed by Iturbide and the Empire which sufficiently do not reward it with its taste. December 6th, 1822, it signs with Guadalupe Victoria the plan of Veracruz in which it is known as that the only shape of government in Mexico must be the Republic.

In 1823, Santa Anna belongs to the military chiefs supporting the Plan Put Subdued (February 1st, 1823) aiming to reverse the Iturbide emperor and to declare the Republic in Mexico. He will proclaim it itself on December 2nd, 1823 with Veracruz with the head of 400 men, in popular enthusiasm.

In 1829, Spain makes a last effort to reconquer Mexico, a task force of: 3000 Spanish soldiers ordered by the sergeant Isidro Barradas unloads with Tampico. Santa Anna goes against them with a troop fewer and obtains the victory, much its adversaries die of the Yellow fever. He is declared national hero, which he appreciates, and from now on it is called “the hero of Tampico” and “the saver of the fatherland”.

From 1810 to 1848, that is to say 38 years of almost uninterrupted wars, Santa-Anna took part in more battles than George Washington and Napoleon 1st joined together.

Political career

He then states to withdraw public life unless my country does not need me . He decides that its return is essential when Anastasio Bustamante carries out a Coup d'etat, reversing and making shoot the president Vicente Guerrero in February 1831.

Its private life

Santa Anna made many female conquests. It Maria at least twice. He liked to play and bet sometimes important sums. He dedicated a passion for the fighting cocks. In 1836 at the time of the countryside of Texas it had a child which one is unaware of the sex with Melchora Barrera, one does not know either with precision if it married or not. Later Santa Anna sent them downtown of Mexico City and took care on their wellbeing. It bought two beautiful properties in its native State, the haciendas of Manga de Clavo close to the port of Veracruz or it passed most of its life. It bought on May 27th, 1842 the hacienda known as of El Encero located close to Jalapa for 45000 pesos and which became its main home when it Maria in 1844 in second weddings (in the vault that he especially made there build) with gave Dolores de Tosta (after the death of its first Inés wife of Paz Garcia with which he had had five children) The haciendas of Santa Anna were devoted mainly to the breeding of bovines intended to feed its troops. It also raised there fighting cocks auquels it dedicated a great passion. It accepted in 1839 in its hacienda of Manga de Clavo the Calderon marchioness of Barca and later in that of Manga de Clavo the wife of the American ambassador Poinsett, both published detailed accounts of their stay. Santa Anna accepted there almost all the politicians, soldiers and notable of the time. A mob of beggars of any kinds come from all the country awaited it as soon as it left at his place. Its opponent had called it " fifteen unas" (fifteen nails) in reference to the foot which it lost in Veracruz.

President of Mexico

Succeeding president Manuel Gum Pedraza, Valentine Gomez Farias was president temporary from April 1st to June 18th, 1833. Measurements which it took against the goods of the clergy and the privileges of the soldiers caused a rising against him named plane of Religion there fueros proclaimed with Morelia by the colonel gift Ignacio Escala assisted in Chalco by the Duran general. Santa Anna pretending to leave to fight them was made " prisonnier" by them and after a show of escape was made give the presidency by Gomez Farias on June 18th, 1833. Gómez Farías fought to reform and give modern institutions to the Nation, which was worth to him inimitable soldiers and land great landowners like the Catholic church.

Independence of Texas

The part texane of the Mexican State of Coahuila Tejas enters there in rebellion in March 1836 (see Révolution texane); Santa Anna on order of the government goes to the head of 6000 recruits inexperienced towards north to give the rebellious province under control, but it is captured by the separatist forces after the battles of San Jacinto the April 22nd 1836. Threatened in its physical integrity, it orders the withdrawal of the troops of Texas. Order which should never have been carried out, indeed an army should not obey its chief if he is prisoner. It thus gives up Texas with the hands of the insurrectionists. In Mexico City, the government of the president Jose Justo Corro the déchoit of its command.

After some time of captivity and distance in the United States, it is authorized to go back to Mexico in its Hacienda to Veracruz.

French intervention

In 1838, Santa Anna (which then did not occupy the presidency) sees a chance to show that it is still there when the marine of Louis-Philippe unloads in Veracruz under pretext of make compensate for the French tradesmen victims of disorders in Mexico City. This intervention is called Guerra of los pastel literally war of the cakes known as Guerre of pastry making in French.

New mandate

This exercise of the capacity is still hard and more bureaucratic than previously. It raises taxes necessary to the operation of the administrations, army, formation of a State present what causes the anger of the rich person who wanted nothing to pay and of the popular classes already very reached. Several Mexican States cease purely and simply all relations with the central government. The Yucatán declares independent republic. In December 1844, the opposition is such as Santa Anna decides that it is wise to agree the offer (to avoid a civil war) to give up the presidency and to leave in exile with a generous pension. It from goes away thus to Cuba. Finances were in a disastrous state. Wearied atendre their salaries, the officers often revolted. In 1844, an insurrection brought back Pedraza and the moderados to the capacity with for president the general Jose Joaquin Herrera. The plebs of Mexico City benefitted from it to reverse the statue of Santa Anna and to trail in the streets at the end of a cord the piece of leg which it had lost in Veracruz. Demolishes, the dictator was in the mountains of its native Veracruz where it was taken by natives of the area of Xico, cannibals who were going to eat it. It was saved in extremis by governmental troops.

Américano-Mexican war

Last mandate

Santa Anna leaves in exile on Sept. 16, 1847 (via Jamaica) in Colombia in Turbaco or he lives in the old property of Simon Bolivar. In 1853 it returns to the invitation of the Church and the conservatives with whom it takes again the capacity. Its administration is not better than the preceding ones. He spends enormously of money, carries out large train, sells a portion of territory in the United States, (see Achat Gadsden) (in that it perhaps avoided a new war) and declares life president with the title of Altesse sérénissime . He also makes compose and play a National anthem which remained the same one until our days.

New exile

It pays large sums with the policies and the soldiers to make sure of their honesty (what one does controlling them all of this time). But in 1855, even its preserving allies were wearied of him, it must flee in Cuba then again in Colombia. The extent of its corruption is made public, he is judged by contumacy for treason and his goods in Mexico confiscated. He lives then in Colombia (where it acts as benefactor of Turbaco) then in the island of Saint-Thomas. With New York, it is known to have been the first importer of Chicle, the base of the Chewing-gum, but it does not derive any profit from it because it had conceived to use the chicle to replace rubber in the tires of the carrioles, which did not have any success. The laws published in 1856 by the government of Comonfort confiscated all the goods of Santa Anna and its haciendas was sold with the profit of the Nation. Notched by adventurers who promised the return to the capacity to him, it almost is then completely ruined.

With died of Juarez, an amnesty enables him to turn over (1874) in its fatherland. In 1876, in Mexico City, dies poor and forgotten that which liked to be made call Napoleon of the West.

Little before its death, of the ceremonies in remembering the battle of Churubusco was organized by the government. Santa Anna, which had been commander-in-chief at the time, was not even invited to assist to with it.

Santa Anna was the ideal scapegoat for the Mexican governments which followed one another until our days. All that arrived of negative at Mexico during the period 1830-1855 is so to speak of its fault. American made of it a caricature of the style matamore tropical grandiloquent, treacherous and corrupted, aiming through him many Latin-American politicians.

An attentive reading of the history gives again in Santa Anna some gloss and makes it possible to better include/understand its complex and attractive personality.

Eleven times chair

It will chair 11 times the Mexican Republic.

of the May 16th 1833 with the June 3rd 1833
of the June 18th 1833 with the July 5th 1833
of the April 24th 1834 with the January 27th 1835
of the March 20th 1839 with the July 10th 1839
of the October 10th 1841 with the October 26th 1842
of the March 4th 1843 with the October 4th 1844
of the June 4th 1844 with the September 12th 1844
of the March 21st 1847 with the April 2nd 1847
of the May 20th 1847 with the September 15th 1847
of the April 20th 1853 with the August 9th 1855

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