The Reform War determined whether liberal or conservative forces would govern Mexico, establishing liberal dominance and secular constitutional rule.
Key Facts
- Duration
- 17 December 1857 – 11 January 1861
- Also known as
- Three Years' War; Mexican Civil War
- Liberal capital
- Port of Veracruz
- Conservative capital
- Mexico City
- Conservative surrender
- 22 December 1860
- Juárez returned to Mexico City
- 11 January 1861
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The promulgation of Mexico's Constitution of 1857, with its anti-clerical provisions limiting Church property and power, provoked fierce opposition from conservatives and the Catholic Church. General Félix Zuloaga's Plan of Tacubaya nullified the constitution in December 1857, and President Comonfort's subsequent resignation left the country divided between rival liberal and conservative governments.
Liberal and conservative factions fought a civil war across Mexico from December 1857 to January 1861. The conservatives, backed by France, Britain, and Spain, held Mexico City, while liberals under Benito Juárez governed from Veracruz with U.S. recognition. After early conservative battlefield successes, liberals accumulated victories and forced the conservative surrender on 22 December 1860.
Juárez returned to Mexico City on January 11, 1861 and held presidential elections in March, consolidating liberal rule. The liberal victory entrenched secular governance and anti-clerical reforms under the Constitution of 1857, though defeated conservative forces continued to resist and later invited French intervention, leading to the Second Mexican Empire.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Benito Juárez.
Side B
1 belligerent
Félix Zuloaga, Ignacio Comonfort.