José Mariano Arista (26 July 1802 – 7 August 1855) was a Mexican soldier and politician who also became president of Mexico.
He was in command of the Mexican forces at the opening battles of the Mexican American War: the Battle of Palo Alto and the Battle of Resaca de la Palma, which were disastrous losses for Mexico and resulted in Arista being court martialled though eventually acquitted. He continued to play a notable role in government and was Minister of War under President Jose Joaquin Herrera.
Arista himself would succeed Herrera as president and his inauguration would mark the first peaceful transfer of power in Mexico since 1824. The Herrera and Arista administrations occurring immediately after the end of the Mexican American War were eras of stability, moderate rule, and economic growth. Writing in 1920, Mexican historian Francisco Bulnes actually rated Arista as the greatest of Mexico's presidents. Arista, however would be overthrown after sweeping budget cuts led to widespread discontent. The insurgents who overthrew him brought Santa Anna back into power for what turned out to be his last dictatorship. Arista was exiled by Santa Anna, and died in Lisbon in 1855.
Early life
Mariano Arista was born on 26 July 1802 and in 1813 enlisted as a cadet in the regiment of provincials of Puebla. He belonged to the Veracruz Lancers, and to the Mexico Dragoons. The Mexican War of Independence had already broken out when Arista joined the military and he initially fought as a Royalist, distinguishing himself so well that in 1818 he was made an officer for the Mexican Dragoons. He was promoted to ensign in September 1820 and to lieutenant in May 1821. That same year he decided to join Agustin de Iturbide's Plan of Iguala and on 11 June 1821 presented himself before the Army of the Three Guarantees, with a bugle, five officers and twenty dragoons of the Mexico Regiment, and fifty troops which he gathered from miscellaneous corps. He was assigned with all of them to the Libertad Regiment.
He was present at the siege of Puebla by the insurgents in July, 1821. He fulfilled his orders of advancing with several dragoons up to the sentry-box of Cholula which had been repulsing all attempted attacks, and entered with his small forces close to the fortified point of San Javier. Under the command of Brigadier Pedro Zarazoa, he joined in various expeditions and offered his services during the final siege of Mexico City, forming a part of the first division. Due to his excellent service, ten days after the capture of the capital, he was granted the rank of captain, and in December, 1821 was further promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel.
He belonged to the regiment of grenadiers that joined the command of General Echevarri and proclaimed against the First Mexican Empire in February, 1823, and was so passionate about the cause that he halted soldiers who wished to join the Emperor, and Arista followed the liberating army until it captured the capital.
First Mexican Republic
During the transitional government of the Supreme Executive Power, he fought against an insurgency that had risen up against the government. He was present in June, 1824 at a battle near the Hacienda of Coamancingo not far from Apam, and having reached a partisan of Vicente Gomez, he executed him after having come into conflict with various guerilla leaders. For this service, the Executive Power raised him to the rank of effective captain.
Five years later he had risen to the rank of effective lieutenant colonel. He took part in the rebellions against the election of Manuel Gomez Pedraza pronouncing at Perote with Santa Anna, and when General Anastasio Bustamante rose up in Jalapa against President Vicente Guerrero, Arista marched towards Puebla and sent four hundred cavalry to help those who had decided to join in the uprising. He took the city in spite of four thousand members of the militia who had opposed the Plan of Jalapa. He gained the favor of President Bustamante and was promoted to effective colonel on 12 February 1831 and in August of that same year, Brigadier General, in spite of being opposed to the government's annulment of the law which had expelled all Spaniards from the country. He fought uprisings against the government of Bustamante, in April 1832, under the command of General Inclan, defeating the forces which had risen up in Lerma as part of the Plan of Veracruz. After failing to dislodge Colonel Gonzales from his strongly fortified point at Santa Maria del Monte, he parleyed eventually bringing him back to supporting the government, thus pacifying all of the Valley of Toluca.