Battle of Zitácuaro

Battle of Zitácuaro
Part of the Mexican War of Independence
The banner of Miguel Hidalgo, carried by the rebel forces even after his execution
Date 2 January 1812 Location Heroica Zitácuaro, Michoacán de Ocampo, Mexico Result Spanish Royalist victory
Belligerents
Mexican Rebels	Spanish Empire
Commanders and leaders
Ignacio López Rayón Ramón López Rayón	Félix María Calleja
Strength
22,000 soldiers	6,000 soldiers
Casualties and losses
300 dead	Unknown

Part of a series on the
History of Mexico
Pre-Columbian
Spanish rule Conquest Colonial period War of Independence First Empire
First Republic Centralist Republic Texas Revolution Pastry War Mexican–American War
Second Federal Republic La Reforma Reform War French intervention
1864–1928 Second Empire Restored Republic The Porfiriato Revolution La decena trágica Plan of Guadalupe Tampico Affair Occupation of Veracruz Cristero War
Modern Maximato (1928–1934) Petroleum nationalization Mexican miracle Students of 1968 La Década Perdida 1982 economic crisis Chiapas conflict Mexican peso crisis PRI downfall Mexican Drug War
Timeline
Mexico portal

The Battle of Zitácuaro was a battle of the War of Mexican Independence that occurred on 12 July 1811 in the area around Zitácuaro, Michoacán. The battle was fought between the royalist forces loyal to the Spanish crown and the Mexican rebels fighting for independence from the Spanish Empire. The Mexican insurgents were commanded by General Ignacio López Rayón and the Spanish by Félix María Calleja. The battle resulted in a victory for the Spanish Royalists even in the face of overwhelming odds.

Context

The viceroy of New Spain, Francisco Javier Venegas de Saavedra y Ramínez de Arenzana, ordered the retaking of the city of Heroica Zitácuaro as it was the contemporary site of the "Suprema Junta Nacional Gubernativa", the headquarters for the direction of the entire insurgency against the Spanish crown.

The Battle

The two armies came to blows in and around the city of Zitácuaro. During the battle, Ramón López Rayón, the younger brother of the supreme insurgent commander, Ignacio López Rayón, lost his eye. After many hours of battle, the city eventually fell to Spanish forces despite the numerical superiority of the rebel forces.

Aftermath

In the wake of the rebel defeat at Zitácuaro, the members of the Suprema Junta Nacional Gubernativa were made to flee the city and relocated to the towns of Tlalchapa and Sultepec.^[1]

See also

• Mexican War of Independence

References

Bibliography

• Zárate, Julio; Julio Zárate (1880). "La Guerra de Independencia". In Vicente Riva Palacio. México a través de los siglos (in Spanish). III. México: Ballescá y compañía. Retrieved 5 May 2010. 
• Bustamante, Carlos María de (1846). Cuadro histórico de la revolución mexicana, comenzada en 15 de septiembre de 1810 por el ciudadano Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, Cura del pueblo de los Dolores. (in Spanish). México DF: Impr. de JM Lara.