Mexican Revolution

Mexican Revolution By: Heman Matharu and Stuart Bibeau

Mexican Revolution • 1910- 1934

Causes of Revolution • Rigged election of Porfirio Díaz • Exploitation and poor treatment of workers • The disparity between low income individuals and high income individuals

Díaz • Was the President of Mexico from 1876 to May 1911. • He brought many advances in industry and modernization, but oppressed human rights, liberties, and social reforms. • Encourage the building of new political infrastructure. • Was forced to resign by Madero in May 21, 1911.

Madero • Ran for President with the platform for land and agrarian reform. • Became the 33rd President of Mexico after signing the Treaty of Juárez. • Called for a democracy and social justice. • Criticized for betraying the people’s interest. • Assasinated at the last day of La DecinaTrágica (“Ten Tragic Days”)

Huerta • Mexican general who was appointed by Madero. • Conspired a coup d’etat with Felix Diáz and other Mexican politicians to overthrow Madero. • Succesfully assassinated Madero and became the new President. • Was considered a legitimate ruler by most countries, except by the US - Woodrow Wilson. • Ousted by Carranza in late July of 1914.

Carranza • Constitutionalist who overthrew the Huerta government • Called for social and agrarian reform and enforced them with the newly formed Constitutional Army • Was assassinated in May 21, 1920 by his minister of war and other generals of his army

Stage 1 • Díaz demanded that peasants or farmers could not declare ownership by land by occupying it. Only by a legal title, couldthey claim ownership of this land. • Díaz sought out reelection through whatever means necessary: intimidation, rigging, etc.

Stage 2 • Díaz, sure of reelection, ran against Madero. • Once he found out he would lose the election, he arrested and jailed Madero falsely for conspiring to the violent overthrow of the government on election day • Díaz then rigged the elections so he would be reelected. Madero escapes prison. • Toribio Ortega, a Madero supporter, took arms at Cuchillo Parado, Chihuahua on Nov 10, 1910, about a month after Madero published his letter from jail.

Stage 3 • Madero promised agrarian reforms lead to the support of peasants, farmers, miners, and other working class Mexicans • Madero’s army was then supported by other revolutionaries: Pancho Villa, Ricardo Flore Magón, Emiliano Zapata, and Venustiano Carranza.

Stage 4 • Madero and Díaz sign the treaty of Ciudad Juárez, which made Madero the President as Díaz was exiled. • Madero angered radical and conservative revolutionaries • Refused to enact social reforms (better working hours, pay, and condition) - Orozco split and formed the Orozquistas or Colorados, which the working class joined • He refused to enact land reforms to return the land usurped by the hacendados - Zapata broke off and fought with Orozco, which the farmers joined

Stage 5 • Victoriano Huerta, a general appointed by Madero, conspired a coup d’etat after a stalemate battle of Madero’s army and Felix Díaz’s army. • Orozco sides with Huerta, he becomes a general shortly after the coup d’etat • Zapata reunites with Villa and other revolutionaries • Madero and his VP are executed one week after the coup d’etat called La Decena Trágica • Huerta becomes the President after Madero resigns on the final day of La Decena Trágica. However, he is criticized for usurping the Presidency unconstitutionally.

Stage 6 • Constitutionalists party formed from disgruntled Mexicans who felt that the rule of Huerta promoted United States influence in Mexican affairs, still upset with social inequalities • Led by Venustiano Carranza and Álvaro Obregón Organized armies to fight against Huerta and American influence called the Constitutionalists army in 1912

Stage 7 • In 1914, Huerta overthrown by Constitutionalist party of Carranza and Obregón • Both Presidents were the leaders of larger Mexican cities • Gained control of the export of oil to foreign countries

Stage 8 • The Constitutionalists were met by opposition from the lower agrarian classes who wanted social equality • Men such as Pancho Villa and Zapata lived in the mountains and would revolt against the large plantations or farms, known as haciendas, by storming down and burning the haciendas and giving them back to the Indians who had initially owned the land before interference by the government

Stage 8 • These revolutionaries were gaining power, and the Constitutionalists sought to suppress this power • They used the oil profits from foreign countries to buy the guns needed to suppress the revolutionaries • Revolutionaries were popular in the agricultural areas • Many historians claim that they also would have been popular in the big city areas • Without access of big cities, local leaders like Villa could not gain national support

Stage 8 • Even though they opposed Villa and Zapata’s forces, the reforms instituted by the Constitutionalists were the same reforms sought by Villa and Zapata’s ardent supporters • Reforms instituted in Constitution of 1917 • One- term president term for leader of the country (Carranza) • Minimum wage and maximum hours for farm laborers were specified into law • Voting rights for all citizens • The government would control education, specifically in urban areas • Slavery was ended as a form of paying back a debt, instead practices such as interest were used to pay back a debt • Foreign interference limited, restrict land owned by foreign companies

Stage 9 “PERIOD OF TERROR!” • Fights between Constitutionalists and the cowboys and Indians associated with Villa and Zapata led to approximately two million deaths • With the approval of the Constitutionalists by President Woodrow Wilson, Villa attacked New Mexico settlement • United States army supported Constitutionalists, seek to kill Villa • Carranza’s reforms cause inflation, stops worker strikes

Stage 9 “PERIOD OF TERROR!” • Zapata killed in 1919 in secret army operation, Villa forced into exile • In 1920 Presidential Election, Carranza supported Ignacio Bonillas as President • Bonillas unliked by people during campaign • Obregón ran against Bonillas as President • Carranza kills Obregón campaign workers • Obregón moves to Mexico City to lead armed fight against Carranza forces

Stage 9 “PERIOD OF TERROR!” • Generals support Obregón • Carranza takes Mexican government valuables in golden train • Captured by former ally and killed • Obregón elected President • Revolution quenched

Stage 10 • Obregónassasignated in 1928 after group led by Adolfo de la Huerta exiled • PlutarcoElíasCalles becomes President and forms National Revolutionary Party • Calles’s successor LázaroCárdenas became President and made Mexican Revolutionary Party • Successful ruler • Implements Constitution of 1917 reforms

Stage 10 • He closed schools run by the Catholic Churches • He redistributed approximately 45 million acres of land to lower level workers • Cárdenas removed generals from government positions • Nationalized oil and railroad industries, reached treaties and peace agreements with British and American oil companies

Results • The ideals of the revolutionaries changed • The major goals of the revolution succeeded, except for the goal of full democracy • Goals accomplished in Constitution of 1917 and the Cárdenas Presidency • Achievements preserved under the rule of the Mexican Revolutionary Party • Poor/small farmers biggest winners, gain land, right to vote • Biggest losers were the military leaders, lose power and money from rule and friendship with Germany and United States, oil companies • Women, Indians, and former slaves gained rights to suffrage and land, farming competition increases, still rough economic conditions, Government backed by nationalization of oil, nationalism after event ends Revolution

Works Cited • "American Buddha Online Library." American Buddha Online Library. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Apr. 2014. • "The Mexican Revolution: A Nation in Flux - Part 2." : Mexico History. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Apr. 2014. • "Users.erols.com/jonwill." Users.erols.com/jonwill Site Info. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Apr. 2014.

Mexican Revolution