Mexican Revolution

The Mexican Revolution

“Porfiriato”

Porfirio Díaz was one of the generals of the Liberal army who was President of Mexico from 1877 until 1911, a period

known as the Porfiriato because the figure of Porfirio Díaz dominated it.

During this period, the economy grew; new railways and telephone networks

were built; new banks opened; industry, mining, agriculture and commerce

expanded. Major concessions led to foreign control over large sectors of the

economy

David Siquieros Mural: "Don Porfirio [Diaz] and his Courtesans". 1957-65

Although President Díaz brought many benefits to Mexico, he was a dictator - a President who abused his power. Under Díaz,

a few land owners became very wealthy, but the majority of Mexicans remained poor.

The Rebellion Begins

During the first years of the 20th century, a new generation of

educated, young Mexicans that did not belong to Díaz'

group desired change. For the first time in thirty-three

years other political parties were formed.

The Revolution Begins!

General Victoriano HuertaGeneral Huerta established a

military dictatorship in Mexico!

For almost 11 years, civil war raged across Mexico as various rebel groups fought for power.

The most important insurgent leaders of the Constitutionalist

Movement were Venustiano Carranza, Francisco Villa, and

Emiliano Zapata.

Emiliano Zapata wanted massive

land reforms that were expressed in

his motto “Tierra y Libertad” (Land

and Liberty).

Emiliano Zapata

Pancho Villa  Villa lead and fought in a

decades worth of battles for the cause with his army

known as "The Dorados" (The Golden Boys).  The name

was ironic considering that they were mostly makeshift Revolutionaries who were recruited from village to

village where Villa and his men would pillage to have water, food and women.  During the course of the

Revolution in Mexico, Villa seemed to be blessed never sustaining life threatening

injuries.

Pancho Villa led peasant rebels in the north and attacked the Federal Army.

The revolutionaries, including Francisco Villa in the north, and Emiliano Zapata in the south, began a struggle to

overthrow President Huerta.

Mexican Revolution

Soldaderas March

Las Soldaderas were women "fighters" who made significant

contributions to both the federal and rebel armies of the Mexican

Revolution. Though few actually engaged in combat, their assistance to male soldiers in fighting the war were

monumental.

The Mexican Revolution mobilized large segments of the population, both men and women. The Villista forces included railroad workers, cowboys, and townsfolk who took up arms

against the army.

A Step Toward Democracy?

On April 10, 1919, Zapata was tricked into a meeting with one of Carranza's generals who

wanted to "switch sides." The meeting was a trap, and Zapata was killed as he arrived at the meeting.

In 1920, he tried to install a President that was favorable to him. Alvaro Obregon, who was a candidate for president, rebelled.

Steady insurgent military pressure forced Huerta to resign in July, 1914. When this happened, Venustiano Carranza then assumed power.

Under Carranza's presidency a new Constitution was adopted in 1917. The new

Constitution took into account individual and social rights, particularly to protect the

workers and the peasants, and was very nationalistic.

Alvaro ObregonObregón defeated Pancho Villa’s cavalry in a series of bloody battles in 1915 and became

president in 1920.. 

Since 1920, with the Civil War over, a new “Revolutionary Elite” ruled Mexico. However, the Revolution had devastated the nation. 1.5 million were killed,

major industries destroyed, ranching and farming were disrupted.

Pancho Villa1. In Jan., 1916, a group of Americans

were shot by bandits in Chihuahua, and on Mar. 9, 1916, some of Villa's men raided the U.S. town of Columbus, N.Mex., killing some American citizens. It is not certain that Villa participated in these assaults, but he was universally held responsible.

2. Wilson ordered a punitive expedition under General Pershing to capture Villa dead or alive. The expedition pursued Villa through Chihuahua for 11 months but failed in its objective. Carranza violently resented this invasion and it embittered relations between Mexico and the United States.

July 20, 1923 Villa Assassinated

Revolutionary ResultsSome Real Changes:•1917 Mexican Constitution

•Land reforms, limited foreign ownership of key resources

•Guaranteed rights of workers

•restrictions on clerical education and church ownership of property

•educational reforms

•Workers organized and were represented in government

General Lazaro CardenasA most significant political development

in Mexico since the Revolution came with the election of General Lázaro Cardenas as president in 1934. His

government carried out considerable land reform, he reorganized labor, and, most significant of all, he nationalized

the oil industry.

After Cardenas, the pace of reforms slowed.

Although Mexico is a democracy, one party

has dominated the country since 1929 until

very recently. Petroleos Mexicanos

Party of the Institutionalized Revolution (PRI)

• Revolutionary leaders wanted to institutionalize the new regime.

• Created a One-Party System known as the PRI.

• Incorporated labor, peasant, military, and middle class sectors.

• They controlled politics sometimes through the use of repressive means.

• Limited the President to a one six-year term.

Partido Revolucionario Institucional

The Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI)

Diego Rivera

Nationalism and Indigenism take hold in Mexico.

Attempts were made to

“Indianize” Mexico. Stressed

nationalism, glorified the past,

and denounced Western capitalism.

Indian Warrior

Blood of the Martyrs fertilizing the earth

Frozen Assets

Dividing the Land

The exploiters

The Agitator

The Arsenal - Frida Kahlo distributes arms

Diego Rivera, Leon Trotsky, and Andre Breton in 1937

Man at the Crossroads 1934. Painted by Diego Rivera. Fresco. This painting had been contracted to be made in the RCA building

(Rockfeller Center) in New York City in 1932. Before being able to complete the fresco, Rockfeller, seeing the revolutionary connotations

within, demanded Rivera take Lenin out of the painting. Rivera refused to censor his work, and the entire Fresco was destroyed. Rivera would

later reproduce a smaller version of this Fresco in Mexico City.Film Clip start at 4:31

Epic of The Mexican People Today and Tomorrow

Economy• For many years, Mexico followed a policy of economic nationalism. The government imposed high tariffs to protect local industries. By 1974, Mexico borrowed heavily from foreign nations to develop its oil industries.

• By the 1980s, Mexico was in a debt crisis.

• More recently, Mexico moved toward free trade, or trade that had low tariffs and no restrictions.

NAFTA• NAFTA (North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement)

• Members were the countries of _________, __________, and ________________.

• NAFTA would abolish most tariffs on goods traded among the three member nations.

• Goal - Expand economy by building closer ties with U.S. and Canada.

Mexico Canadathe United States

Film Clip

CHALLENGES

Many Mexicans hoped that free trade would attract foreign investment and create new jobs. Based on this cartoon, what is the

concern of some in the United States?

CHALLENGES

ZapatistasCalling themselves Zapatistas in honor of

Emiliano Zapata, some nearly 2000 masked rebels attacked and captured four towns in

Chiapas in 1994. They demanded work, land, housing, food, health care, and education.

Film Clip

Choosing Zapata as a symbol of the movement,

the Zapatistas tried to show that the basic

problems of a fair society remained unsolved and that the revolution was

incomplete.

POLITICAL CHANGE

1. Based on this cartoon, what role has the PRI played in Mexican politics?

2. Explain how the cartoon anticipates a change in Mexican politics.

1. To what is the cartoonist comparing the PRI? Why?

2. Based on this image, what (or who) is going to bring about change?

Vicente FoxMember of the National Action Party (PAN) was elected

president at the end of 2000, thus ending the PRI’s dominance of the political system of more than half a century.

A charismatic reformer, President Fox is credited as playing a vital role in

Mexico’s democratization, and with strengthening the country’s economy.

During his tenure, he succeeded in controlling inflation and interest rates,

and in achieving the lowest unemployment rate in all of Latin

America.

Felipe CalderonMr. Calderon's decision to pursue the drug

cartels and traffickers seems to be the defining element of his presidency.

More than 30,000 people have died in drug-related violence since 2006: A sign for some the gangs are being squeezed, while others see the rising murder rate in parts of Mexico

as an indication of the traffickers' power.

The issue of illegal migration, and the treatment of Mexicans on the border, is a source of abiding

tension between the US and Mexico. President Calderon has argued for immigration

reform in the US, where there are an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants.

Mr. Calderon's term in office also coincided with the global economic downturn. Given its close trading relationship with its northern neighbor,

Mexico is exposed to US weaknesses. Film Clip

Enrique Peña Nieto57th President of Mexico

His election marked the return of the PRI after a twelve-year hiatus.

Marches against Peña Nieto drew tens of thousands of people across Mexico, who

protested that during its time in power, the PRI became a symbol of corruption, repression,

economic mismanagement and electoral fraud.

Peña Nieto promised that his government would be much more democratic, modern and open to

criticism.

He also pledged to continue the fight against organized crime and drug trade and that there

would be no pacts with criminals.[