Obregón Assassinated — End of Revolutionary Generals Era, Maximato Begins

President-elect Álvaro Obregón (who had just won a second term after a constitutional amendment allowing reelection) was assassinated by José de León Toral, a Catholic fanatic, on July 17, 1928 at a restaurant in San Ángel, Mexico City. The killing created a political vacuum filled by ex-president Calles (the 'Jefe Máximo') who manipulated three puppet presidents from 1928–1934 — the 'Maximato.' Calles founded the PNR in 1929 to institutionalize his control. The assassination marked the end of the era when military generals wielded personal political power.