12. The Cristero War (1926-1929)
The Cristero War erupted in Mexico when Catholic rebels, known as Cristeros, took up arms against the government’s harsh anti-clerical laws. Rural communities and clergy resisted policies that restricted religious freedoms, sparking a bloody conflict that claimed tens of thousands of lives. The war’s resolution reshaped the relationship between church and state in Mexico, leaving social and political scars for generations. Read more about this tumultuous period at Encyclopedia Britannica.
