Mexican revolution

1.

When-1910-1920
Where-Mexico
What was it aboutThe Mexican Revolution began as a movement of middle-class protest against the longstanding dictatorship of Porfirio Diaz (1876-1911). Within six months, Diaz was
overthrown and Mexico had entered upon a decade of fierce civil strife.

2. Who were the most significant actors?

Porfirio Diaz-coming to power as president in 1876 and ruling until May 1911. Diazs
regime is remembered for the advances he brought in industry and modernization, at the
expense of human rights and liberal reforms. Diaz became the dictator and claimed to
stay in charge once he recognized that Mexico was ready for self-governing.

Francisco I. Madero- a young man from a wealthy land-owning family in the northern state of
Coahuila, announced his candidacy to challenge Daz for the presidency in the next election. To
ensure Madero did not win, Daz had him thrown in jail, then declared himself the winner. Madero
escaped and fled for a short period to San Antonio, Texas. Madero issued a "letter from jail," known
as the Plan de San Luis Potos. Madero's vague promises attracted many peasants throughout
Mexico. He received the support from their putting pressure on Daz. Spontaneous rebellions arose
in which ordinary farm laborers, miners, and other working-class Mexicans, along with much of the
country's Indian population, fought Daz's forces with some success. Daz's army suffered several
major defeats, and his administration started to fall apart. Daz signed the May 21, 1911 Treaty of
Ciudad Jurez. It stated that Daz would abdicate his rule and be replaced by Madero. An
inexperienced and weak leader, Madero quickly lost much of his support while in power. Madero's
time as leader was ended in February 1913.

Victoriano Huerta- n early 1913, Gen. Victoriano Huerta, who commanded the armed forces,
conspired with Mexican politicians, and U.S. ambassador to remove Madero from power. Citizens
agreed to move against Madero and install Huerta as president. When Huerta ascended to the
presidency, he was acknowledged by most world governments. On March 26, 1913, Carranza
issued the Plan de Guadalupe, which refused to recognize Huerta as president and called for war
between the two factions. In April 1914, U.S. opposition to Huerta had reached its peak
when American forces seized and occupied the port of Veracruz, resulting in the death of 170
Mexican soldiers and an unknown number of civilians. In late July the situation worsened for Huerta,
and after his army suffered several defeats, he stepped down and fled to Puerto Mxico.

Pancho Villa- With his army, known as "Villistas", he joined the ranks of the Madero movement. He
led his Villistas in many battles, including the attack on Ciudad Jurez in 1911, which led to the
defeat of Mexican President Gen. Porfirio Daz. one of Villa's subordinates appropriated an
expensive horse. When the owner complained to Huerta, Huerta ordered Villas subordinate to be
executed. Villa objected, and Huerta relented, but Huerta nursed a grudge. In June, Villa notified
Huerta that inasmuch as the Orozco revolt has been put down, he and his irregulars would consider
themselves no longer under Huerta's command, and would depart. Huerta became furious, and
ordered that Villa be executed. Villa fled to the United States. Soon after the assassination of
President Madero he returned to Mexico to fight Huerta. Villa and his army, along
with Carranza and Obregn, joined forces to fight against the Huerta dictatorship. Villa and Carranza
had different goals. Because Villa wanted to continue the revolution, he became an enemy of
Carranza. After Carranza took control in 1914, Villa and other revolutionaries who opposed him met
at what was called the Convention of Aguascalientes. Even though Villa's forces were badly depleted
he continued his fight against the Carranza government. Finally, In 1923 Villa was assassinated by
a group of seven gunmen who ambushed him.

Venustiano Carranza- became president in 1914, after the overthrow of the Huerta government.
He was driven out of Mexico City by Villa and Zapata in December 1914, but later gained the support
of the masses by the development of a program of social and agrarian reform. He was elected
president in 1917. To try to restrain the revolutionary slaughter, Carranza formed the Constitutional
Army to try to bring peace by the adoptionalbeit reluctantlyof the majority of the rebels' social
demands into the new constitution. During his presidency he relied on his personal secretary and
close aide. he was able to gain the support of women, workers and peasants. Carranza rewarded
her efforts by lobbying for women's equality. He helped change and reform the legal status of women
in Mexico. Although his intentions were good, Carranza was not able to stay in power long enough to
enforce many of the reforms of the Constitution of 1917. There was greater decentralization of power
because of his weakness.

Emiliano Zapata- was a leading figure in the Mexican Revolution. He is considered one of the
national heroes of Mexico. Many peasants and indigenous Mexicans admired Zapata as a practical
revolutionary whose populist battle cry, "Tierra y Libertad" (Land and Liberty), was spelled out in
the Plan de Ayala for land reform. He fought for political and economic emancipation of the peasants
in southern Mexico. Zapata was killed in 1919 by Gen. Pablo Gonzlez .

3. Key dates

1910:Daz runs for reelection but when Francisco I. Madero enters the race, he has
Madero put in jail and wins the election
1910: Madero escapes to San Antonio, TX, where he drafts the Plan of San Luis Potos
that calls for the overthrow of the Daz regime.
1910: The Revolution begins
1911:Having lost in Jurez, Daz resigns and flees to Paris, France (May 25)
1911: Madero wins election to the Mexican presidency
1911:Emiliano Zapata drafts the Plan de Ayala that denounces Madero
1913:Huerta assumes the presidency
1913:Venustiano Carranza drafts a Plan de Guadalupe that accuses Huerta of restoring a
dictatorship and committing treason
1913:Villa attacks Huertas troops in the Second Battle of Jurez
1914: Huerta faces increasing suspicion and opposition
1914:Carranza declares himself president, but the claim is contested for nearly a year on
legal and military grounds
1914: Carranza flees to Veracruz,
1915: Carranza returns to Mxico City
1917:A new Mexican Constitution is drafted and Carranza is elected president
1920:Obregn is elected president of Mxico

4. What type of revolution is it?

Anarchist Revolution

5. Life after the revolution

One of the major issues that faced Obregns early post-revolution government was
stabilizing Mexico. Regional caciques (chiefs) were still fighting each other in small
skirmishes. The populace was demanding reforms, promised by the 1917 constitution. Many
issues faced the working poor, such as debt peonage and company stores that kept the
populace poor. The military had generals who wanted to overthrow the regime and take
power for themselves. With regard to the masses, Obregn, who was conservative but still a
reformer, started listening to demands to appease the populace. Obregns first focus, in
1920, was land reform. He had governors in various states push forward the reforms
promised in the 1917 constitution. Regarding the military, one of his first moves was to
incorporate the irregulars who fought in the revolution. He tried to weaken the powers of the
ultra-conservative officer corps, who were not friendly to his regime. Some of his reforms
began to anger the officer corps. Shortly after the failed coup, Obregns term ended
and Plutarco Calles took power. One such move, in regard to land reform, was to nationalize
most farmland and give it to the peasants across Mexico. He also put into effect a national
school system that was largely secular to combat church influence in late 1924. After the war
ended in 1929, supporters of Calles and Obregn began to form a united political party
called the National Revolutionary Party or PNR. This was to unite the various revolutionary
factions of the civil war to prevent further Cristero revolts and build stability. After a series of
interim presidents controlled by the party, Lzaro Crdenas took power in 1934. in 1936
Crdenas began building collective farms called ejidos to help the peasantry, mostly in
southern Mexico. These appeased the peasants, creating long-lasting stability; however,
they were not very good at feeding large populations, causing an urban food crisis. To

alleviate this, Crdenas co-opted the support of capitalists to build large commercial farms to
feed the urban population. This put the final nail in the coffin of the feudal hacienda system,
making Mexico a mixed economy, combining agrarian socialism and industrial capitalism by
1940. Crdenas left office in 1940, marking the end of the social revolution and ushering in
half a century of relative stability.
6. Who wins?
Citizens because nearly every major revolutionary leader was assassinated.

7. How it affects Latin America as a whole?

Although most nations remained neutral, the war disrupted traditional markets and caused
a realignment of national economies. A spurt of manufacturing occurred among nations
forced to rely upon themselves. At the end of the war all had to face the emergence of
the United States as the regions dominant foreign power.

Theis- The Mexican Revolution effect on Latin America was a positive effect because it
caused people to fight against dictatorship and get what they wanted for a successful
government.