Felipe Berriozábal (born August 23, 1829 in Zacatecas, Zacatecas - died January 9, 1900 in Mexico City) was a Mexican politician, engineer and military leader. He participated in the Reform War (Spanish: Guerra de Reforma) and in the fight against French Intervention in Mexico. He was a member of president Benito Juárez's cabinet, serving as Secretary of War and Secretary of Marine, Berriozábal also served during Porfirio Díaz's government. He was a commander of the Mexican Army and member of the Chamber of Deputies. His remains were interred at the Panteón de Dolores in Mexico City, in the Rotunda of Illustrious Persons on January 12, 1900; shortly after his death.[1]
FELIPE BERRIOZABAL
A native of Zacatecas, Felipe Berriozábal was born in 1829; he was orphaned at an early age and as a consequence, had serious financial difficulties. He studied at the National School of Engineering, but left school to fight against the North Americans during the war with the United States.
When the war was over, he returned to his studies and got his degree in 1849. He worked as an engineer, developing projects for the states of México and Tlaxcala; and took part in the work of draining Lake Lerma and channeling the river of the same name.
He implemented a process to prevent the floods that the city of Toluca used to experience whenever the waters of the Nevado surged out; he also defined the border between the states of México and Michoacán.
As a soldier, he fought in the Ayutla Revolution, which overthrew the dictatorship of President Antonio López de Santa Ana, with the capture of Toluca Square in 1856.
Berriozábal also distinguished himself for his outstanding participation in the War of Reform, (1858-1861), between liberals and conservatives. In 1858 he attacked México City and in 1859, at at Tabucaya, he clashed with the conservatives, led by Leonardo Márquez and Miguel Miramón.
He made his mark once more in the taking of Celaya, which took place on May 17, 1860, and, after three hours of fighting, resulted in the capture of 300 men, among them several conservative officers of both high and low rank; a considerable quantity of weapons, supplies and munitions was also seized.
Berriozábal was with General Manuel Garcia Pueblita during the capture of Guanajuato, where he remained until June 3, 1860. In the last week of November, 1860, Berriozábal seized Toluca with two brigades and 14 pieces of artillery; however, early in the morning of December 8, Miramón, accompanied by Miguel Negrete, headed toward Toluca, following the Mayorazgo trail. So as to confuse the liberals, the conservative general dressed his men in uniforms exactly like theirs and the subterfuge worked: Around midday on December 9, Berriozábal was surprised to see Negrete arrive, galloping at full speed toward the Toluca parade ground.
Negrete and his men seized the artillery and horses, almost without firing a shot, while Berriozábal fought back from the heights of the St. Francis monastery, but having used up his ammunition, he surrendered, together with 36 commanding and lower-ranking officers plus 400 common soldiers.
This defeat was followed by that of the Carmelite Church, in which Mariano Miramón, Miguel's brother, took the liberal battalion prisoner and seized their supplies, including clothing and food. Among the prisoners was Berriozábal, accompanied by Santos Degollado and Juan Govantes. Despite orders given by Miramón to General Márquez to shoot the prisoners, luckily for the liberals, said orders were not carried out.
During the French intervention, Berriozábal stood out, for his brilliant actions during the famous Battle of Puebla, on May 5, 1862, with a column of 100 men who heroically reinforced the forts of Loreto and Guadalupe.
Sometime later, he was taken prisoner again, but he managed to escape to join Juárez on March 24, 1863, and was head of the War Department from May 26 to August 18, 1863 . Subsequently, he was governor of Michoacán; military commander of Coahulla; Nuevo León and Tamaulipas; he was appointed general in chief of the Mexican army and governor of the State of México.
He was Minister of War two more times, from October 31 to December 24 1876, when José Maria Iglesias was in power, then under Porfirio Díaz, from March 20, 1896 until his death in México City in 1900.
Felipe Berriozábal, distinguished soldier and political figure, was a professor at the Literary Institute of Toluca during the time when Felipe Sánchez Solis was in charge. He was also governor of the State of México during the Reform War.
Berriozábal was born in Zacatecas on August 23, 1827. At a young age, he moved to México City to study at the National School of Engineering. He became a professor of mathematics at the Literary Institute of Toluca, where he also taught French. It was during the tenor of Felipe Sánchez Solis, when Ignacio Ramírez, “the wizard,” was chairman of the Faculty of Law and among the students at the school were the Mateo brothers (Juan and Manuel) Ignacio Altamirano, Joaquín Alcalde and others no less noteworthy.
In spite of his youth, Berriozábal succeeded in having an influence on his students, at a time when the life of the country was already going in the direction of radical reforms of its institutions, those dedicated to education being no exception;
When the Reform War broke out 10 years later, Berriozábal was governor of the State of México during three eventful periods, between 1857 and 1861, always in concert with the president, Benito Juárez.
In 1862, the life of the nation was thrown into disarray by the French invasion. The Berriozábal Brigade, made up of the battalions of lancers and light cavalry of Toluca as well as numerous volunteers, among them students and professors from the Literary Institute, including the learned Francisco Granados Maldonado, set off from Toluca for Puebla. That group took part in the historic Battle of May 5th.
In 1865, Berriozábal was appointed Secretary of War by President, Benito Juárez, with whom he always had an excellent relationship and whose views he shared.
Twenty years later, when the direction of the nation’s politics changed, Berriozábal continued to be a prominent figure.
During his time as governor of the State of México – he was also governor of Michoacán – he carried out certain hydraulic projects in the River Lerma marsh and in the city of Toluca to protect it from floods caused by the torrents that rushed down from the sides of the Xinantécatl during the yearly thaw.
In 1884, having become president once more after a short absence, General Porfirio Díaz appointed Berriozábal Minister of the Interior and in 1897 as Minister of War.
Laden with honors and tokens of esteem for his steadfast membership in the liberal party and his record as a loyal soldier of the Republic, General Berriozábal died on January 8, 1900, in México City. In the historical archives of the Automous University in México City, there are documents that testify to his accomplishments as a professor at the Literary Institute of Toluca.