Manuel González Flores

Early life and military career

Manuel del Refugio González Flores was born in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico, on 17 June 1833, though some sources give 20 June; he was baptized on the 18th as José Manuel del Refugio González Flores. His parents were Fernando González and Eusebia Flores de la Garza. He spent part of his childhood at the ranch El Moquete, was a reportedly brilliant student, and after his father's death returned to his birth home. Following his mother's death, he lived with an uncle and worked as a merchant.

He began his military career in 1847 during the Mexican–American War after American invaders killed his father, a farmer. From 1853 to 1855 he fought with Conservative forces supporting General Antonio López de Santa Anna, and in 1854 he was with Conservative General Leonardo Márquez in Oaxaca fighting against Liberal general Porfirio Díaz. In 1856 he was wounded at the Battle of Ocotlán fighting rebels against President Ignacio Comonfort. In March 1859 he participated in Conservative General Miguel Miramón's attack on Veracruz against the Liberal government of President Benito Juárez.

In 1860 he accepted a congressional amnesty for Conservatives and offered his services to the Liberals opposing Maximilian of Habsburg and the French invasion. Serving under Porfirio Díaz, he fought at the Battle of Puebla on 5 May 1862, where he was wounded and taken prisoner but escaped. In 1863 Díaz made him chief of the Army of the center, and he fought at the battles of Miahuatlán and La Carbonera in Oaxaca. He was captured by the French a second time in 1865, paroled, and rejoined the Mexican army.

In 1867 he participated in the sieges of Puebla, where he lost his right arm, and of Mexico City. On 7 September 1867, after Juárez's forces retook the capital, Juárez named him military commander of the Federal District and governor of the National Palace, serving from 1871 to 1873. He supported Díaz in the Plan de la Noria revolt of 1871 and the Plan of Tuxtepec revolt of 1876. On 13 March 1877 he obtained the rank of general of division.

Political career

González Flores became captain of the garrison of the Federal District on 22 November 1877. Díaz appointed him governor and military commander of Michoacán from 1877 to 1879. He served as secretary of war and the navy from 26 March 1878 until his resignation on 15 November 1879. In January 1880 Díaz named him Head of the Central and Western Army, extending his area from Guanajuato to Baja California, with a mission to end an uprising in the canton of Tepic, Nayarit.

He arrived in Tequila, Jalisco, on 12 January and in Tepic on 17 January; his staff included Colonel Bernardo Reyes and Captain Victoriano Huerta. His methods in suppressing the uprising were described as 'violent and questionable'. He resigned on 8 May after the uprisings in Nayarit and Sonora ended. Díaz, unable to run for re-election in 1880, chose González as the presidential candidate.

González published a policy program on 5 February 1880 and was announced the winner on 24 September with 11,528 votes. He served as president from 1 December 1880 to 30 November 1884, preceded and succeeded by Porfirio Díaz, who served as secretary of development in his government from 1880 to 1881. Vicente Riva Palacio also served in the administration.