Mexican Revolution

Mexican Revolution The Civil War and US Intervention

The Civil War of the Mexican Revolution • Within the Mexican Revolution, there was a civil war between the multiple controlling parties of the Revolution:

Convention of Aguascalientes • Reasons for the Aguascalientes: • Huerta’s Rule • US intervention (will be discussed later) • Failure of Huerta • Carranza’s Purpose: • Decide provisional president • Possible unification of purposes • Invitations to leading revolutionaries • Delegates based on troop deployments against Huerta

Sequence of events • October 1, 1914 - November 9, 1914 • Aguascalientes • neutral ground for the meeting • Call went out October 1 - Delegates arrived early October • Many dressed in military uniforms – armed • Obregon’s Attempt at unity failed • Zapata’s group was late • Rebuffs Carranza/Obregon • Recognizes Zapata and Villa as leaders of the revolution

Name that Revolutionary:

The leaders • Álvaro Obregón, Provisional President EulalioGutíerrez, PánfiloNatera, Ramón F. Iturbe, Guillermo García Aragón, and Eduardo Hay

The Schism • The divide between the two sides: • Conventionalists: Constitutionalists: • Villa and Zapata Carranza and Obregon • Land and Liberty Constitutional Gov’t • Plan de Ayala San Luis Potosi and • Land Distribution Guadalupe • Convention named EulalioGuttierrez the President • Villa – Leader of the conventionalist army • Carranza, from Mexico City, decried this action • Called for followers to leave • Constitutionalist Government moves to Veracruz

The Civil Wars • December 1914 – February 1917 (signing of the…) • Zapata and Villa take Mexico City – December 6, 1914 • A fleeting victory • Agree only that they both hate Carranza • Did not appreciate Carranza’s ability • Carranza in Veracruz • Initiated land reform • Usurped the moral and public opinion • The fighting gets dirty

Conventionalist Break Down • Gutierrez losing touch • Villa/Zapata distrustful of gov’t • Loss of public support • Gutierrez Flees to Nuevo Leon to start new Gov’t • Zapata and Villa separating in ideology • Villa’s armies failing in the North • Obregon and his armies succeeding in the West • Battle of Celaya – April 1915 • April – June 1915 • Zapatistas support new president • Villa claims presidency while controlling Chiuahua • Carranza governing from Veracruz

Divide and Conquer • Carranza’s Success: • Obregon’s Superior Military Planning • Red Battalions • Union Laborers hired as Soldiers and nurses • Isolated Zapatistas/Villistas lacked unified support • U.S. Supports Carranza • diplomatic Recognition October 1915 • Summer of 1915, support swings as Carranza consolidates control • Agua Prieta – U.S. assists Carranza’ defeat of Villa • Pre-empted the end of the Division del Norte • Infuriates Pancho Villa

Pancho Villa’s Revenge • Payback for U.S. Betrayal at Agua Prieta • Santa Isabel, Mexico - January 6, 1916 • 16 American Mine Workers carrying constitutionalist passes killed • Columbus, New Mexico - March 9, 1916 • Terrorized town for two hours • 18 dead Americans • Town burned down • Call for U.S. intervention in Mexico in U.S. Congress immediate

John J. “Black Jack” Pershing • “Punitive Expedition” of around 10,000 men • Pushed into the harsh deserts of Mexico • First real military action since…. • March 16, 1916 – February 5, 1917 • Patrolled up to 400 miles into Mexico by April • Diplomatic Wrangling between Wilson and Carranza to allow the expedition • Supply lines were tight • Telegraph wires consistently cut • Carranza’s Attacks • June 21, 7 killed, 7 wounded 21 taken hostage for a short time • War imminent since 1847-48 • Diplomacy wins out – Pershing stops pushing deep

U.S. begins extraction • June 3, 1916 – U.S. orders 100,000+ National Guardsmen • patrol the Mexico-U.S. border • U.S. not chasing Villa • Protecting against Carranza’s aggression • February 5, 1917 – Last U.S. Troops removed from Mexico

Mexican Revolution