Why Did the Mexican Revolution Begin?

The Mexican Revolution Was an armed struggle (1910-1920), which radically transformed Mexican culture and political system.

In addition, it was one of the great revolutionary revolts of the twentieth century that ended the military regime of the dictator Porfirio Diaz, later to establish important political, economic and social reforms in the country.

According to Alan Knight (1997) the Mexican Revolution was something genuinely national.

Background of the Mexican Revolution

The Mexican Revolution erupted in repudiation for the thirty-five years of uninterrupted dictatorship, in order to find a solution for the presidential succession.

The panorama showed the political crisis among the competing elites, the opportunity for the agrarian insurrection was propitious (John Tutino: 1996). The hacendado, Francisco Madero Challenged Porfirio Diaz In the presidential election of 1910 and, in protest to the fraudulent results, commanded the revolt called Plan of San Luis Potosí.

The armed conflict expelled Diaz from power and a new election was held in 1911, assuming Madero assumed the presidency.

Soldiers in the Mexican Revolution - The forgotten heroines. They are the women who joined the Mexican Revolution and did much more than cook, loaded and fired rifles.

The Porfiriato

The Mexican revolution was against El Porfiriato. Although the constitution ordered a public electoral process, Diaz and his followers manipulated the elections in his favor. The opposition faction led by Francisco Madero, formed the Anti-Reelection Party and in 1910 appeared as a candidate for the presidency.

Madero lost to Diaz, having been imprisoned before the elections. He then went into exile, where he issued the manifesto on the plan of San Luis Potosi, in order to encourage an uprising.

The main objective was to eliminate reelections. Francisco was joined by him Pancho Villa Of the northern states, and Emiliano Zapata Of the southern regions. Finally, the rebel forces defeated Diaz who was captured in Ciudad Juárez.

Consequences

Many historians think that the revolution ended in 1920, others that lasted until 1940. In any case, in that lapse 20 years great reforms were introduced:

• The tax system was abolished
• Trade unions and agricultural organizations were formally recognized.
• The oil industry was developed
• A mixed economic system was established.
• Etc.

The fraudulent election of 1910 became the focus for the outbreak of political rebellion. Elements of the Mexican elite hostile to Diaz, led by Madero, expanded to the middle class, the peasantry, and organized labor. As a result, in October 1911, Madero was elected president in a free and fair election.

Nonetheless, it began to form an opposing band. Conservatives saw him too weak and liberal, while the former revolutionary fighters and the dispossessed, too conservative.

In February 1913, Madero and his vice-president Pino Suárez Were overthrown and killed. The general's counterrevolutionary regime Victoriano Huerta Came to power, backed by US business interests and supporters of the old order.

Huerta ruled from February 1913 until July 1914, when he was expelled by a coalition of different regional revolutionary forces. The attempt of the revolutionaries to reach a political agreement after the defeat of Huerta failed and Mexico entered a bloody civil war (1914-1915).

The constitutionalist faction, under the command of the landowner Venustiano Carranza , Emerged victorious in 1915, defeating the revolutionary forces of former constitutionalist Pancho Villa and forcing the revolutionary leader Emiliano Zapata to take command of guerrilla warfare. Zapata was assassinated in 1919 by agents of President Carranza.

Featured Figures

Pancho Villa

Pancho Villa

Revolutionary and Mexican guerrilla who fought against the regimes of Porfirio Diaz and Victoriano Huerta. Villa spent much of his youth working on his parents' farm. He was fifteen when his father died and became head of the family. In his role of protector, he was forced to kill the man who was harassing one of his sisters (1894).

Successful military, commander of the guerilla and also provisional governor of Chihuahua, only twenty years after its death it was accepted in the pantheon of the national heroes. Its memory is honored today by Mexicans, Americans and people from all over the world. In addition, numerous streets and neighborhoods in Mexico and other countries bear his name in his honor.

Emiliano Zapata

Outstanding figure of the Mexican Revolution, formed and commanded the Army of South Liberation, an important revolutionary brigade. Zapata's followers were known as zapatistas.

Orphan and revolutionary from an early age, in 1897 he was arrested for participating in a protest with the peasants of his town against the hacendados. Once pardoned, he continued to shake the peasants.

He was later recruited by the Mexican army and by 1909 his leadership were so well known that in his village he was elected president of the village council.

References

1. The Mexican revolution. Retrieved from historytoday.com.
2. Knight, Alan (1997). Mexican Revolution: Interpretations. Encyclopedia of Mexico, vol. 2 P. 873. Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn.
3. Tutino. John (1986), From Insurrection to Revolution: Social Bases of Agrarian Violence, 1750-1940. Princeton: Princeton University Press, p. 327.
4. What was the outcome of the Mexican Revolution? Retrieved at reference.com.
5. Katz, Friedrich. The Secret War in Mexico: Europe, the United States, and the Mexican Revolution. Chicago: University of Chicago Press 1981, p. 35. Retrieved at wikipedia.org.
6. Encyclopædia Britannica (2016). Retrieved on britannica.com.

Pictures

1. Adela Velarde Pérez,"Adelita". Camillera of the White Cross, was not soldadera. Stock Photo Recovered from elsoldemexico.com.mx.
2. Soldiers in the Mexican Revolution - The forgotten heroines. They are the women who joined the Mexican Revolution and did much more than cook, loaded and fired rifles. Recovered at pinterest.com.
3. Francisco"Pancho"Villa, pseudonym of José Doroteo Arango Arámbula, (June 5, Durango, Mexico - July 20, 1923, Chihuahua, Mexico). Retrieved from biography.com.
4. Emiliano Zapata, August 8, 1879, Anenecuilco, Mexico - April 10, 1919 Emiliano Zapata, the Agrarian Leader. Lithography by Diego Rivera, 1932. Library of Congress, Washington, D.C., (ref. No. LC-USZC4-390).