Editing Porfirio Díaz (section)

==Reform War==
{{Main|Reform War}}
[[File:Benito Juarez Oleo (480x600).png|thumb|Díaz's former law professor, [[Benito Juárez]] became president at the start of the [[Reform War]]]]
Juan Álvarez was elected president in October 1855 and his administration inaugurated what would come to be known as [[La Reforma]] an unprecedented attempt to pass through progressive constitutional reforms for Mexico culminating in the promulgation of the [[Federal Constitution of the United Mexican States of 1857|Constitution of 1857]]. [[Conservative Party (Mexico)|Conservative Party]] resistance ended up triggering the outbreak of the [[Reform War]] in late 1857, at the same time when Díaz's old mentor, [[Benito Juarez]] became president. The Conservatives set up their rival government in opposition to Juarez and the Liberals.

Díaz at this time was still in Oaxaca. He had previously accepted a commission as captain in the National Guard in December 1856.{{Sfn|Hannay|1917|p=42}} As the Reform War broke out, he maintained his command in Ixtlan, until the Conservative General Marcelino Cobos defeated the Liberal forces in Oaxaca in January 1858{{Sfn|Hannay|1917|p=44}} Díaz was shot in the leg and would not recover for four months.{{Sfn|Hannay|1917|p=45}}

Díaz rejoined the war and was present when Cobos was defeated in [[Xalapa]] in February 1858. Diaz was subsequently named Governor and Military Commandant of the district of [[Tehuantepec]].{{Sfn|Hannay|1917|p=45}} He was given command over 150 men and tasked with raising funds and receiving arms imported from the United States.{{Sfn|Hannay|1917|p=46}} Díaz chose the coast town of [[Juchitán de Zaragoza]] as his headquarters and exercised his command for two years.{{Sfn|Hannay|1917|p=46}} For winning repeated victories against the Conservatives he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel.{{Sfn|Hannay|1917|p=47}}

At the beginning of 1860, Díaz went to the aid of the Liberal general José María Díaz Ordaz in defending Oaxaca City against Cobos. The latter fell upon Díaz at [[Mitla]] on 20 January and defeated him, but Cobos retreated as Ordaz arrived with reinforcements, only for Ordaz to lose his life in the effort. His command over the forces of Oaxaca was passed down to Cristóbal Salinas.{{Sfn|Hannay|1917|p=48}} Díaz's old mentor Marcos Perez fell into a quarrel with Salinas over his strategy, and Díaz failed to mediate. Juarez replaced Salinas with Vicente Rosas Landa, but the Liberals in Oaxaca were defeated at the hands of Cobos in November 1859. Díaz and Salinas found refuge in the mountains of Ixtlan.{{Sfn|Hannay|1917|p=49}}

While the fortune of the Liberals appeared to be at a low ebb at Oaxaca, the Conservatives as a whole at this point, were losing the war throughout the entire country, rapidly being drained of funds and resources. This helped Díaz and Salinas take back Oaxaca City by August 1860.{{Sfn|Hannay|1917|p=49}} Díaz was promoted to colonel and transferred from the National Guard to the regular army.{{Sfn|Hannay|1917|p=50}} He was present at the decisive [[Battle of Calpulalpan]], which decisively ended the war in favor of the Liberals.{{Sfn|Hannay|1917|p=50}}

The victorious President Juarez reentered the capital in January 1861. Díaz also joined the national congress as a deputy from [[Ocotlán de Morelos|Ocotlan]].{{Sfn|Hannay|1917|p=50}} The Conservative government had ceased to operate and its president, [[Miguel Miramon]] had fled the nation, but Conservative guerillas were still active in the countryside. In June 1861, the Conservative General [[Leonardo Márquez]] made a raid upon the capital and Díaz left his congressional seat to join [[:es:Ignacio Mejía|Ignacio Mejía]] and [[Jesús González Ortega]] in once more defending the city.{{Sfn|Bancroft|1888|p=16}}{{Sfn|Hannay|1917|pp=51–52}} At [[Xalatlaco]], Díaz without waiting for orders fell upon the forces of Marquez and won a notable victory. The Conservative forces were scattered and fled into the hills.{{Sfn|Hannay|1917|p=52}}