MEXICAN REVOLUTIONTHE CIVIL WAR AND US INTERVENTION

THE CIVIL WAR OF THE MEXICAN REVOLUTIONWithin the Mexican Revolution, there was a civil war between the multiple controlling parties of the Revolution:•

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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 EVENTSOctober 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 LEADERSÁlvaro Obregón, Provisional President Eulalio Gutíerrez, Pánfilo Natera, Ramón F. Iturbe, Guillermo García Aragón, and Eduardo Hay

THE SCHISMThe divide between the two sides:

Conventionalists: Constitutionalists:Villa and Zapata Carranza and ObregonLand and Liberty Constitutional Gov’tPlan de Ayala San Luis Potosi and Land Distribution Guadalupe

Convention named Eulalio Guttierrez 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 WARSDecember 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 CONQUERCarranza’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