The Role of Foreign Powers in the
Mexican Revolution 1910-1940
From Intervention to Good Neighbors
Overview
• Extent of U.S. and European economic influence
before 1910
• U.S. Diplomatic reaction to the Mexican
Revolution
• Latin American and U.S. Interventions
• U.S. Response to Villa’s raid
• Effects of the Zimmerman note on the Mexican
Revolution
• Causes of post constitutional economic tensions
What was the extent of U.S. and European economic
influence before 1910?
• Porifirio Diaz wanted Mexico to modernize
and become a peer in the modern world.
– Long standing government would provide the
stability required to modernize
– Encouraging foreign investment would speed up
the process of economic and industrial
modernization
Foreign Investment
• Railroads
– Railroads are the basis for modernization and
industrialization, first lines connected Mexico City
to El Paso ,Texas.
– By the end of the 1880’s lines connected Atlantic
and Pacific Ports mostly controlled by foreign
• British and Americans
– Vast majority of these investments were held by
British and American interests
– Some contracts with Japan for agriculture and
ceramic manufacturing
What was the U.S. Diplomatic reaction to the Mexican
Revolution 1910-1913?
• President Taft
– Insisted that U.S. economic interests should be
protected
• President Wilson
– Recalled Ambassador Wilson
– Said Huerta’s government were butchers
• Ambassador Wilson
– Steeped in the Big Stick and Dollar Diplomacy
– Did not support Madero or Mexico
– Influential during the Ten Tragic Days
What were the U.S. Interventions in Latin America
1911-1914?
• Huerta’s Coup
– Varied reactions among Latin American countries
– US did not support Huerta’s government
– Resented European influence in Mexico
• The Tampico Affair and Veracruz Occupation
– Insignificant incident became motivation for US
intervention
– Wilson ordered US Marines to occupy customs
house in Tampico, led ti fighting and deaths on
both sides
– Led to six month occupation and anti-American
demonstrations in Mexico and Latin America
• ABC Powers Conference and Pan-Americanism
(1914)
– Argentina, Brazil, and Chile met to mediate conflict
between the US and Mexico
– Concerns about drift toward war in Europe and arms
sales by Latin American countries to all of the factions
in Mexico
– US left Veracruz and turned over to Carranza
– Latin American countries assured of non-intervention
by the USA
– Became an inspiration for Pan-American cooperation
What was the U.S. Response to Villa’s raid?
• 1915
– US recognizes Carranza government
– No more arm sales or support of any other faction
• Attack on Columbus, New Mexico
– Jan 1916, one of Villa’s general attacked a train
and killed seventeen Americans
– Wilson ordered Americans out of Mexico
– Villa went into the US and had a day long gun
battle in Columbus, New Mexico
• US Intervention
– Punitive expedition to capture or kill Villa
– Wilson conscripted 150,000 border troops
– Gen Pershing led expedition of 12,000from March
1916 until February 1917, couldn’t catch Villa
– Carranza protested US intervention, officially asked US
to recall them by April 1916.
– Talks suspended in May 1916
– Talks reconvened, US wanted to return and Mexico
wanted withdrawl
– Stalemate
• Conflict Resolution
– Villa’s radicalization alienated his supporters
– US troops needed in Europe
– By December 1916, Constitution talks underway.
• Carranza needed more openness in negotiations with
the US.
• Accepted concessions but no arms sales or loans
What was the effects of the Zimmerman note on the
Mexican Revolution?
• Before the First World War
– Germany had important business and trade
interests in Mexico
• During the War
– US sympathized with the allies
– Germany encouraged US-Mexican hostlities
– Hoped Mexican oilfields would be damaged,
important to the British
– Carranza resented Germans but saw them as an
ally in US-Mexico conflict
• The Zimmerman Note
– Note intercepted by the British, implied that
Germany would support Mexico if they attacked
the US.
– President Wilson used the Zimmerman Note as a
way to influence declaration of war
– Carranza insisted on Mexican neutrality and
denied an alliance with Germany
What were the causes of post constitutional economic
tensions
• Foreign Investment
– Article 27 about subsoil and Article 123 about
labor caused concerns
– Carranza hesitated to fully apply the laws
• Not alienate US interests
• Wanted US recognition
– US wanted Mexican support of the allies in WW I
– The USA was unable to get Carranza to abandon
the Constitution or give up neutrality
• Oil
– By 1921, Mexico generating 25% of world oil
production
– US share in Mexican oil increased from 38.5% in 1911
to 61% in 1921.
– Bucarelli Agreement (1923)
– US owned petroleum interests pressured President Harding to
withhold US recognition until investments could be guaranteed
– In 1938, Cardenas nationalized petroleum industry
– President Roosevelt cut off imports of oil and silver
– By end 0f 1939, Mexico was selling half its oil to the
Axis
• The Second World War
– Good Neighbor Policy(1933)
• End of US interventions
– Hemispheric security and co-operation crucial to
allied war effort
• What motivated foreign powers?
• How did foreign powers, particularly the US,
intervene in the Mexican Revolution?
• What were the contributions of foreign
powers to the Mexican Revolution?
Bibliography
• Benson, Philip, and Yvonne Berlinner. Access to History for the
IB Diploma: The Mexican Revolution 1910-1940. Hodder
Education An Hachette UK Company, 2014.
•