Narciso Bassols
Encyclopedia
Narciso Bassols García was a Mexican
lawyer
, socialist politician
, ambassador
to France
, Russia
, and the United Kingdom
, and professor
of law
at the National University of Mexico. He co-founded the Popular Party
, and the League of Political Action . Bassols is most noted for his role in socializing the country's public education system.
Narciso Bassols, born in Tenango del Valle
, Estado de México, was an atheist and the nephew of Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada
. As author of the Agrarian Law of 1927, Bassols fought for agrarian reform
and is noted as stating of the long suffering Mayan people
: "hundreds of infamies, deceptions, Socialist mystifications, mass murders, immortal and ostentatious corruptions, banquets of bureaucrats, and Roman orgies all practiced by Socialist compañeros."
(UNAM) began in 1920 when he attended the University in pursuit of a law degree
. Prior to achieving his degree in 1931, he was given the position of Director of the UNAM Law School in 1928. As Director, Bassols attempted to implement a tri-semester system, which the student body rebelled against, forcing Bassols to resign. His interaction with UNAM continued as he is credited with founding of the National School of Economics, the details of which are contested by Daniel Cosío Villegas
, a fellow UNAM graduate who claims credit in his own autobiography.
to be Head of Architectural Office of the Ministry of Public Education in 1932. O'Gorman was tasked with building 24 schools in the Federal District between 1932-1935, following the style he described as "eliminating all architectural style and executing constructions technically". Bassols believed the change in rural education went hand and hand with the agrarian reform he pushed for, and intended to provide knowledge and skills to Indians. Bassols is noted as believing that mans life revolved around economics.
Bassols began to ban religious teachings in schools, and ordering the removal of religious iconography
removed as well. In instituting his policy Bassols ordered schools who failed to comply to be fined and/or closed. Bassols argued that schools should substituted religious teachings with "true, scientific, and rational knowledge," his ideas following in line with Karl Marx
's maxim that religion is an "opiate of the masses."
On December 29, 1931, Congress
passed a law, crafted by Bassols, that extended state control over schools affiliated, or incorporated, into the federal system. Through this law Bassols instituted further changes, restricting the role of church in all accredited schools, and invalidating diplomas from non affiliated schools, listing them as no longer suitable for admission into state run universities. Through the wording of Article 3, Bassols argued further that members of the clergy
could not continue to teach in affiliated schools, stating by their nature, they would influence young children.
s in adolescents lacking a complete understanding of their actions. In 1934, Bassols acted on the information and instituted Mexico's first systematic sex education program
. The program drew the ire of the National Parents Union (UNPF). The UNPF began petitioning against the program to no avail, in addition, citing the program as a communist plot. Eventually the UNPF began encouraging students of both sexes to boycott
the classes.
In May 1934, Bassols resigned the position of Secretary of Education. In his resignation he censured teachers who opposed the implementation of tenure
, and promotions based on ability, training, and performance.
briefly before moving on to Secretary of Finance between 1934-1935. In 1935, then President Lázaro Cárdenas
, cited as finding Bassols Marxist zeal inconvenient, gave him the position of Ambassador to the United Kingdom where he served until 1937. Before moving on to a position as Ambassador to France in 1938, Bassols served as Mexico's delegate to the League of Nations
. While there, Bassols condemned Mussolini's invasion of Ethiopia
, denounced the Munich Agreement
as a "capitulation" and "infamy" and supported the Molotov-Von Ribbentrop nonaggression treaty
. In 1939, Bassols resigned the position, brought on by the news that Leon Trotsky
had been granted asylum by Cárdenas, he is cited as feeling betrayed, at the time representing Mexico in talks in Geneva
with Soviet
foreign minister Maxim Maximovich Litvinov. The talks were called off as Litvinoff discovered that Trotsky had been granted asylum. Cardenas attempted to offer Bassols the position of Ambassador to Spain
, however Bassols refused to speak or meet with Cárdenas, and further refused to accept the position. Bassols returned to Mexico where he stayed until 1944. In 1944, Bassols was assigned to be the Ambassador to the Soviet Union
where he stood until his resignation in 1946.
, founded the Popular Party
, due to perceived corruption in the ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party
. In 1949 the Popular Party participated in its first legislative elections in Sonora
. The election was won, however the government refused to recognize the victory and instead offered the Popular Party a single seat in the Chamber of Deputies. Bassols condemned the situation, stating the Popular Party could not behave like the National Action Party
(Spanish:
Partido Acción Nacional, PAN), he is quoted as saying he would not accept "the crumbs of three or four seats." Lombardo however took a more conciliatory attitude, causing Bassols to separate from the group, abandoning his position as Vice President of the Popular Party. The Popular Party was later renamed in 1960 to the Popular Socialist Party .
Mexican people
Mexican people refers to all persons from Mexico, a multiethnic country in North America, and/or who identify with the Mexican cultural and/or national identity....
lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, socialist politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
at the National University of Mexico. He co-founded the Popular Party
Popular Socialist Party (Mexico)
The Popular Socialist Party is a communist party in Mexico. It was founded in 1948 as the Popular Party by Vicente Lombardo Toledano....
, and the League of Political Action . Bassols is most noted for his role in socializing the country's public education system.
Narciso Bassols, born in Tenango del Valle
Tenango del Valle
The municipality of Tenango del Valle and its seat, Tenango de Arista, are located in the southern portion of the Valley of Toluca in Mexico State, about 72 km southwest of Mexico City and 25 km south of Toluca. While the seat is officially named Tenango de Arista, it is more commonly...
, Estado de México, was an atheist and the nephew of Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada
Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada
Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada y Corral was a jurist and Liberal president of Mexico.-Background:...
. As author of the Agrarian Law of 1927, Bassols fought for agrarian reform
Agrarian reform
Agrarian reform can refer either, narrowly, to government-initiated or government-backed redistribution of agricultural land or, broadly, to an overall redirection of the agrarian system of the country, which often includes land reform measures. Agrarian reform can include credit measures,...
and is noted as stating of the long suffering Mayan people
Maya peoples
The Maya people constitute a diverse range of the Native American people of southern Mexico and northern Central America. The overarching term "Maya" is a collective designation to include the peoples of the region who share some degree of cultural and linguistic heritage; however, the term...
: "hundreds of infamies, deceptions, Socialist mystifications, mass murders, immortal and ostentatious corruptions, banquets of bureaucrats, and Roman orgies all practiced by Socialist compañeros."
National Autonomous University of Mexico
Narciso Bassols presence at National Autonomous University of MexicoNational Autonomous University of Mexico
The Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México is a university in Mexico. UNAM was founded on 22 September 1910 by Justo Sierra as a liberal alternative to the Roman Catholic-sponsored Royal and Pontifical University of Mexico The Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) (National Autonomous...
(UNAM) began in 1920 when he attended the University in pursuit of a law degree
Law degree
A Law degree is an academic degree conferred for studies in law. Such degrees are generally preparation for legal careers; but while their curricula may be reviewed by legal authority, they do not themselves confer a license...
. Prior to achieving his degree in 1931, he was given the position of Director of the UNAM Law School in 1928. As Director, Bassols attempted to implement a tri-semester system, which the student body rebelled against, forcing Bassols to resign. His interaction with UNAM continued as he is credited with founding of the National School of Economics, the details of which are contested by Daniel Cosío Villegas
Daniel Cosío Villegas
Daniel Cosío Villegas was a prominent Mexican economist, essayist, historian and diplomat.Cosío Villegas was born in Mexico City. After studying one year in engineering and two years of philosophy, he received a B.A. in Law from the National University and took several courses in economics at...
, a fellow UNAM graduate who claims credit in his own autobiography.
Secretariat of Public Education
In 1931, at age 35, Bassols took position of Secretary of Public Education By accepting this position, Bassols became the first Marxist to hold a ministerial office in Mexico.Rural schools
Bassols, in addition to other changes to the education system, began to alter the manner in which school prepared rural students. Bassols argued "a hungry Indian cannot be turned into a good scholar, and, furthermore, his studies only have value in so far as they aid him completely to transform his economic life". Bassols believed that schools should rely less on the classics of Dewey, and more on practical skills and technical knowledge. Motivated partially by the onset of world recession in 1929, Bassols felt a greater emphasis should be placed on the teachings of better production methods for satisfaction of local needs. To accomplish this he began integrating the already existing normal schools, agricultural centers, and cultural missions into unitary "Regional Peasant Schools." To accomplish this integration, Bassols brought on Juan O'GormanJuan O'Gorman
Juan O'Gorman was a Mexican painter and architect.-Biography:O'Gorman was born in Coyoacán, then a village to the south of Mexico City and now a borough of the Federal District, to an Irish father, Cecil Crawford O'Gorman and a Mexican mother...
to be Head of Architectural Office of the Ministry of Public Education in 1932. O'Gorman was tasked with building 24 schools in the Federal District between 1932-1935, following the style he described as "eliminating all architectural style and executing constructions technically". Bassols believed the change in rural education went hand and hand with the agrarian reform he pushed for, and intended to provide knowledge and skills to Indians. Bassols is noted as believing that mans life revolved around economics.
Role of religion
During Bassols tenure as Secretariat of Public Education, he began a process of revamping the education system. One of the first policies implemented was a stricter following of Article 3 of the constitution, specifically the portion modified to read as follows:Bassols began to ban religious teachings in schools, and ordering the removal of religious iconography
Iconography
Iconography is the branch of art history which studies the identification, description, and the interpretation of the content of images. The word iconography literally means "image writing", and comes from the Greek "image" and "to write". A secondary meaning is the painting of icons in the...
removed as well. In instituting his policy Bassols ordered schools who failed to comply to be fined and/or closed. Bassols argued that schools should substituted religious teachings with "true, scientific, and rational knowledge," his ideas following in line with Karl Marx
Karl Marx
Karl Heinrich Marx was a German philosopher, economist, sociologist, historian, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. His ideas played a significant role in the development of social science and the socialist political movement...
's maxim that religion is an "opiate of the masses."
On December 29, 1931, Congress
Congress of Mexico
The Congress of the Union is the legislative branch of the Mexican government...
passed a law, crafted by Bassols, that extended state control over schools affiliated, or incorporated, into the federal system. Through this law Bassols instituted further changes, restricting the role of church in all accredited schools, and invalidating diplomas from non affiliated schools, listing them as no longer suitable for admission into state run universities. Through the wording of Article 3, Bassols argued further that members of the clergy
Clergy
Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. A clergyman, churchman or cleric is a member of the clergy, especially one who is a priest, preacher, pastor, or other religious professional....
could not continue to teach in affiliated schools, stating by their nature, they would influence young children.
Sex education
1932, the Mexican Eugenics Society reported to Bassols that it found a high frequency of unwanted pregnancies and abortionAbortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
s in adolescents lacking a complete understanding of their actions. In 1934, Bassols acted on the information and instituted Mexico's first systematic sex education program
Sex education
Sex education refers to formal programs of instruction on a wide range of issues relating to human sexuality, including human sexual anatomy, sexual reproduction, sexual intercourse, reproductive health, emotional relations, reproductive rights and responsibilities, abstinence, contraception, and...
. The program drew the ire of the National Parents Union (UNPF). The UNPF began petitioning against the program to no avail, in addition, citing the program as a communist plot. Eventually the UNPF began encouraging students of both sexes to boycott
Boycott
A boycott is an act of voluntarily abstaining from using, buying, or dealing with a person, organization, or country as an expression of protest, usually for political reasons...
the classes.
In May 1934, Bassols resigned the position of Secretary of Education. In his resignation he censured teachers who opposed the implementation of tenure
Tenure
Tenure commonly refers to life tenure in a job and specifically to a senior academic's contractual right not to have his or her position terminated without just cause.-19th century:...
, and promotions based on ability, training, and performance.
Foreign diplomat
In 1934, following Bassols' resignation, he accepted the position of Secretary of the InteriorSecretary of the Interior (Mexico)
The Mexican Secretary of the Interior is the head of the Secretariat of the Interior, concerned with the country's internal affairs, the presentation of the president's bills to Congress, their publication and certain issues of national security. The country's main intelligence agency, CISEN,...
briefly before moving on to Secretary of Finance between 1934-1935. In 1935, then President Lázaro Cárdenas
Lázaro Cárdenas
Lázaro Cárdenas del Río was President of Mexico from 1934 to 1940.-Early life:Lázaro Cárdenas was born on May 21, 1895 in a lower-middle class family in the village of Jiquilpan, Michoacán. He supported his family from age 16 after the death of his father...
, cited as finding Bassols Marxist zeal inconvenient, gave him the position of Ambassador to the United Kingdom where he served until 1937. Before moving on to a position as Ambassador to France in 1938, Bassols served as Mexico's delegate to the League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
. While there, Bassols condemned Mussolini's invasion of Ethiopia
Second Italo-Abyssinian War
The Second Italo–Abyssinian War was a colonial war that started in October 1935 and ended in May 1936. The war was fought between the armed forces of the Kingdom of Italy and the armed forces of the Ethiopian Empire...
, denounced the Munich Agreement
Munich Agreement
The Munich Pact was an agreement permitting the Nazi German annexation of Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland. The Sudetenland were areas along Czech borders, mainly inhabited by ethnic Germans. The agreement was negotiated at a conference held in Munich, Germany, among the major powers of Europe without...
as a "capitulation" and "infamy" and supported the Molotov-Von Ribbentrop nonaggression treaty
Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact
The Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, named after the Soviet foreign minister Vyacheslav Molotov and the German foreign minister Joachim von Ribbentrop, was an agreement officially titled the Treaty of Non-Aggression between Germany and the Soviet Union and signed in Moscow in the late hours of 23 August 1939...
. In 1939, Bassols resigned the position, brought on by the news that Leon Trotsky
Leon Trotsky
Leon Trotsky , born Lev Davidovich Bronshtein, was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and theorist, Soviet politician, and the founder and first leader of the Red Army....
had been granted asylum by Cárdenas, he is cited as feeling betrayed, at the time representing Mexico in talks in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
with Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
foreign minister Maxim Maximovich Litvinov. The talks were called off as Litvinoff discovered that Trotsky had been granted asylum. Cardenas attempted to offer Bassols the position of Ambassador to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, however Bassols refused to speak or meet with Cárdenas, and further refused to accept the position. Bassols returned to Mexico where he stayed until 1944. In 1944, Bassols was assigned to be the Ambassador to the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
where he stood until his resignation in 1946.
Popular Socialist Party
In June 1948, Bassols, along with Vicente Lombardo ToledanoVicente Lombardo Toledano
Vicente Lombardo Toledano was one of the foremost Mexican labor leaders of the 20th century. He founded the Confederation of Mexican Workers , the national labor federation most closely associated with the ruling party, the Institutional Revolutionary Party , for most of the last sixty-five years...
, founded the Popular Party
Popular Socialist Party (Mexico)
The Popular Socialist Party is a communist party in Mexico. It was founded in 1948 as the Popular Party by Vicente Lombardo Toledano....
, due to perceived corruption in the ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party
Institutional Revolutionary Party
The Institutional Revolutionary Party is a Mexican political party that held power in the country—under a succession of names—for more than 70 years. The PRI is a member of the Socialist International, as is the rival Party of the Democratic Revolution , making Mexico one of the few...
. In 1949 the Popular Party participated in its first legislative elections in Sonora
Sonora
Sonora officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 72 municipalities; the capital city is Hermosillo....
. The election was won, however the government refused to recognize the victory and instead offered the Popular Party a single seat in the Chamber of Deputies. Bassols condemned the situation, stating the Popular Party could not behave like the National Action Party
National Action Party (Mexico)
The National Action Party , is one of the three main political parties in Mexico. The party's political platform is generally considered Centre-Right in the Mexican political spectrum. Since 2000, the President of Mexico has been a member of this party; both houses have PAN pluralities, but the...
(Spanish:
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
Partido Acción Nacional, PAN), he is quoted as saying he would not accept "the crumbs of three or four seats." Lombardo however took a more conciliatory attitude, causing Bassols to separate from the group, abandoning his position as Vice President of the Popular Party. The Popular Party was later renamed in 1960 to the Popular Socialist Party .