The Mexican Revolution
Latin America and the influence of
the American Colossus
Neocolonialism in Latin America
• Neocolonialism = dependence upon Britain &
later U.S. instead of Spain or Portugal
• Growing trade with Europe helped stabilize
political climate of L. Am.
• More stability in L. Am = more foreign
investment
– L. Am exchanged raw mats. and food for finished
goods from Europe and N. Am
– Led to abandonment of native factory capitalism
– Integrated into international economic system
Limited Progress for L. Am
• L. Am countries locked into export of a few
primary items (coffee, sugar, etc.)
• Vulnerable to fluctuations in international
markets
• Domestic capitalism unlikely w/out sweeping
reforms in land and labor policies
– Would be painful for ruling elites so they chose
easier road of dependency upon GB or US
Land Policy as a Cause of the
Mexican Revolution
Land and Labor
• Indigenous lands typically seized to
expand haciendas
• Local labor force fell into debt peonage
– Scrip, company stores, inheritable debt,
forced labor to pay debts
• Poor work conditions, long hours, unions
outlawed and strikes brutally broken
• Caused a range of resentments among
indigenous and agricultural population
Latin America 1900-1930
• Recurrent imperialist interventions by U.S.
• International competition for favored access to
L. Am markets
– Strategic raw mats., cheap labor, investments
• Market forces eroded family – more women
working – as well as rural isolation
– Migrants streamed to urban slums and foreign
lands seeking employment
• Fed flames of 1910 Rev. in Mexico
• WW I did inspire some industrialism due to
necessity
Increasing American Control
• U.S. investment in L. Am 2nd only to GB by
1914
• Economic intervention = political influence
• Armed intervention and “Dollar Diplomacy”
– Cuba, Dominican Rep., Nicaragua & others become
dependencies or protectorates of U.S.
• Mexican exports increasingly geared to needs
of U.S.
– U.S.- and GB-controlled oil 3rd among world oil
producers
– “Mexico, mother of foreigners and stepmother of
Mexicans”
The Porfiriato in Mexico
• Gen. Porfirio Diaz seizes pwr in Mex. 1876
• Won pwr w/ support of broad coalition
– Incl. regional caudillos, liberals, indigenous and
mestizo small landholders, and U.S. capitalists and
large TX landholders who viewed predecessor as
anti-American
• Diaz ruled for more than 31 years – era known
as the Porfiriato
– One of longest personal dictatorships in L. Am
history
• Eventually relied on wealthy Mexicans and
foreign capitalists to ensure his position
Porfirio Diaz
• President of Mexico
– 1876-1880
– 1884-1911
Protecting the Porfiriato
• Opponents beaten, murdered, imprisoned
• Rurales – mounted police who suppressed
peasant unrest and broke strikes
• Army enjoyed special privileges but officers
chosen because of loyalty, not skill
• Land laws passed to concentrate land
ownership among Mexican elites
– Deprived indigenous and small landholders of land
• A major problem – weakening economy raised
cost of living and anger for mass of population
Growing Discontent
• Labor strikes and agrarian unrest continued
despite repression
• Professionals & intellectuals who hoped for
social advancement or reforms
• Upper-class liberal reformers – Francisco
Madero (landowner and businessman)
– Upper-class feared continued repression would
cause masses to revolt and overthrow capitalism in
MX.
• Social and economic problems by 1910 had
eroded support for the Diaz regime
Francisco Madero starts Rev of
1910
• Believed in democracy by
elite in name of people
– Similar to early U.S. leaders
• Critical of Diaz’s social
policies
– Thought they would lead to
massive unrest
• Limited reforms for
workers and peasants
would head off radicalism
Madero
• Madero planned overthrow of Diaz from U.S.
– Suggests U.S. displeasure with Diaz
– Taft hoped for better attitude by Mex. toward U.S.
• Upon return to Mex., 2 major rebel leaders
emerged
– Pancho Villa led peasant revolt in northern border
region
– Emiliano Zapata led indigenous revolt in agricultural
southern Mex.
– Both pledged loyalty to Madero over Diaz
• An urban labor revolt also undermined Diaz
Compromise leads Diaz to resign
• May 21, 1911 – Diaz resigns, leaving his
ambassador to the U.S. as interim prez
– Porfiristas saw move as a way to calm things down
until they could reconsolidate their control
– Continuing hostilities with Zapata by Porfiristas
continues the revolutionary wave.
• Madero wins presidency in Oct. 1911
– the “Apostle of Democracy”
– Really only provides the illusion of democracy
– Some changes for workers but Madero abandon’s
real land reforms
A break with Zapata undermines Madero
• One-time ally Zapata breaks from Madero and
issues Plan of Ayala on 11/28.1911
– Lands taken from peasants and indigenous
population would be returned to original owners
– Zapatista movement spreads throughout central
and southern Mexico
• Now Madero lacked support of elites and poor
– Madero used military to fight Zapata & others
throughout 1912
– Gen. Victoriano Huerta defeated revolts but further
alienated a large segment of Mexican population
– Madero’s main allies now the military
– Also lost the support of the U.S.
U.S. intervention – Part One
• Feb. 1912 – U.S. troops stationed at border
– U.S. Ambassador threatens intervention if U.S.
interests and lives not protected
• While secretly plotting with Gen. Huerta, the
U.S. warned Madero of U.S. action
• U.S. encouraged Huerta to arrest Madero &
others in govt. and do “what was best for
(Mexico)”
• Madero murdered in jail – Huerta becomes new
prez to the approval of landed elite, capitalists
and the church
Huerta vs. the Revolutionaries
• Villa and Zapata renewed their struggles with
landed elites
– Huerta’s armies tied down fighting rebels
• Villa a “Robin Hood” – type character who took
revenues of northern estates and used $ to help
poor
• Zapata took lands away from large landholders
and redistributed it to peasants
• Venustiano Carranza emerged in 1913 to call
for the overthrow of the dictator Huerta
Venustiano Carranza
• Large landowner who called for constitutional
govt.
– Joined by Villa
• Woodrow Wilson refused to recognize Huerta’s
regime – claimed it came to power illegally
– Also convinced that Huerta couldn’t provide political
stability
– Feared Euros might gain better access to Mex
markets
• WW I shifted Euro interests to winning support
from the U.S. – abandoned financial support of
Huerta
Mexican Revolutionaries
Francisco Madero
The “Apostle of
Democracy”
Pancho Villa – “Robin Hood”
for the northern peasant
class along the border.
Venustiano Carranza
The Constitutionalist
Emiliano Zapata
Champion of
the landless
and poor of
southern and
central Mexico
U.S. Intervention - Part Two
• Wilson used the arrest of U.S. sailors in Tampico to
justify sending a fleet to Mex.
• U.S. troops occupied Veracruz to prevent German
Arms shipment to the Huerta govt.
– Set off wave of anti-U.S. sentiment in Mexico and other L.
Am countries
– Including Carranza (Wilson’s hope for stable Mex.)
• Wilson disapproved of Zapata & Villa and tried to
negotiate the removal of Huerta
– supported the presidency of Carranza
• Carranza spurned Wilson’s “help” and Huerta fled to
Europe
• No more Huerta meant no reason for U.S. troops
– They left Veracruz on Nov. 23, 1914
Constitutionalist alliance fails
• As interim leader - Carranza vague on his position on
agrarian reforms
– Villa and Zapata supported Zapata’s Plan of Ayala for land
reform
– Carranza refused to accept Plan, leading Villa & Zapata to
occupy Mex. City
• Carranza forced to promise often conflicting policies to
varying groups to prolong influence
– Skillfully drove wedge between workers and peasants –
divide and conquer
– Armed conflict resumes
• Carranza forces defeat Villa and Zapata by end of
1915
U.S. Intervention – Part Three
• Oct. 1915 – Wilson recognizes Carranza
regime but continues efforts to interfere
– Embargoes arms to Carranza opponents
• Angry with U.S. – Villa raids Columbus, NM
• Wilson sends Gen. Pershing to pursue Villa
– Wrongly assumes Carranza would approve
• Carranza demands U.S. withdrawal and rallies
support of other L. Am countries against U.S.
aggression
• Failure to capture Villa and concern of major
war with Mex. leads to U.S. withdrawal
Constitution of 1917
• Progressive constitution hammered out by
representatives at 1916 convention
• Included far-reaching protections of labor and
small landholders
• Protected private property, placed controls on
foreign biz, supported growth of natl. capitalism
• Carranza the first legally elected president of
Mex. since Madero
• Once prez, he fails to implement many reforms
• Other than standing up to U.S. and remaining
neutral in WW I, Carranza ignores his pledges
The fall of Carranza
• Zapata murdered by Carrancistas in 1919
– Struggle for “tierra y libertad” continued w/out
Zapata
• When Carranza tried to extend his power
beyond his legal term – former supporter Alvaro
Obregon turned on him
– Carranza was killed after fleeing Mex. City in May
1920
• Obregon assumed presidency in Nov. 1920
– Revolution over – Mexican population declined by 1
million 1910-1920 (dead, missing, emigrated)