The 1946 Mexican presidential election signaled the ascent of a new generation of cosmopolitan civilian government officials, led by the magnetic lawyer Miguel Alemán. Supporters hailed them as modernizing visionaries whose policies laid the foundation for unprecedented economic growth, while critics decried the administration’s toleration of rampant corruption, hostility to organized labor, and indifference to the rural poor. Setting aside these extremes of opinion in favor of a more balanced analysis, Sons of the Mexican Revolution traces the socialization of this ruling generation’s members, from their earliest education through their rise to national prominence. Using a wide array of new archival sources, the author demonstrates that the transformative political decisions made by these men represented both their collective values as a generation and their effort to adapt those values to the realities of the Cold War.

Product Description: The Last Caudillo presents a brief biography of the life and times of General Alvaro Obregón, along with new insights into the Mexican Revolution and authoritarian rule in Latin America. Features a succinct biography of the life and times of a fascinating figure in Mexico's revolutionary past Represents the most analytical and up-to-date study of caudillo/military strongman rule Sheds new light on the networks and discourse practices that support rulers such as the Castros in Cuba and Hugo Chávez in Venezuela, and the emergence of modern Mexico Offers new insights into the role of leadership, the nature of revolution, and the complex forces that helped shape modern Mexico...read more