History Modern II Notes 2/22/06
Mexican Revolution, 1910-1917 Mexican-American War (1846-1848) embarrassing defeat for the Mexican elite, huge victory for US slave-holders o Mexican elite (mostly in the north) brought about measures to modernize Mexico Porfirio Diaz elected president in 1876, gradually becomes a dictator and rules until the revolution topples him in 1911 o Shared a lot with the conservatives of Europe surrounded himself with a group of advisors know as the cientificos who created a powerful modern nation-state called Porfiriata o Cientificos educated, established a railway system that linked Mexico more securely to the US (US becomes major market for Mexican exports) and that linked the regions of Mexico together for the first time, made important connections with foreign capitalists and banks (particularly in the US and Britain) and encouraged them to invest in the Mexican economy Foreign capital finances railway system, mining industry, textile and steel production, and the oil industry (most profitable) Most of the population is excluded from the modernization (~80% were peasants) except perhaps as temporary laborers Most Mexicans were Indians, many lived in rural villages, subsistence farmers (grew corn, beans, chiles, etc.) that farmed to live (not to export) Cientificos were Social Darwinists saw the Indians as the fundamentally weaker race that was destined to fade away (very patronizing view towards most of the population) o Lands upon which peasants depended were seen as free for the taking Indian peasant villages had be traditionally connected to farmlands that had been protected during the colonial period but not after independence in 1820 Village lands are gradually taken from villages and given to the large landholders called the haciendados Haciendados focused on more profitable crops that could be exported o Morelos large sugar haciendas emerged at the expense of the villages, perfect climate for sugar 118 different villages in 1876, only 100 in 1900 Emiliano Zapata from Morelos, major peasant leader From the poor's perspective the Porfiriata was devastating factory production decimated local artisans, reflection of Mexican agriculture towards export products (sugar and cotton) was disastrous, land devoted to food production was drastically decreased (corn consumption per person decreased by about 50% - people were becoming poorer) Elite didn't like the Porfiriata either economy was booming in modernized sectors and many were becoming quite wealthy, but there was very little political freedom because Diaz was a dictator and ruled the country with an iron fist (similar to Europe prior to 1848) particularly true in the northern borderlands with the US 1910 Diaz still the center of power in Mexico but he was 80 and he couldn't stop the discussions about who would succeed him, Diaz called an election to determine his successor and even allowed opposition parties to run for office (new political freedoms after him) but in reality he had chosen his successor from his own inner circle Francisco Madero took Diaz at his word and began to form the Anti-Reelectionist Party against someone in Diaz's circle, cause became too popular and Diaz took notice, in days before the election Diaz ordered Madero's arrest, but he escaped and fled to San Antonio, Texas and when Diaz's successor won the election Madero published his Plan of San Luis Potosi
o Plan of San Luis Potosi called for rebellion against the Diaz regime and for moderate reform (largely about political reform not social reforms) Summer 1909 villages of Anenecuilco called a meeting to determine their new leader in Indian villages a council of elders governed the village, villagers didn't speak Spanish o Zapata is chosen as the new leader, only 30 (had always been an elder), could speak Spanish o As Madero's plan circulated through the country, it began to develop support for rebellion to begin in November of 1910 Fall 1910 rebellions broke out in the Northern states and in Morelos (led by Zapata who raised an army of peasants to join with Madero) Pancho Villa considered a bandit by the elite, led rebellions in the spring of 1911, followers are mostly peasant Indians from the towns, controlled much of the Northern states o Wanted social reforms far more radical that what Madero wanted, but they were willing to work together of Thousands Mexicans who had came to the US to work began to return to join the rebellion, Diaz negotiated for peace with Madero and forfeited the presidency and left for exile in Europe after saying "Madero has unleashed a tiger, now we can see if he can ride it" tiger is social discontent in Mexico through the modernization o Diaz knew Madero didn't have the political skills to control the rebellion he wanted political freedoms for the elite but didn't want any social reform, not overwhelmingly concerned with the plight of the Indians like Villa Divide in the elites led by Madero and those taking up arms (followers of Zapata and Villa) Madero called for free elections tried to rig the elections, all his men won, and then calls for an end to the revolution because of the new leadership o Became clear that his policies were not radical Zapata and Villa refused to lay down arms Plan of Ayala Zapata's idea, demanded land reform to have land returned to the villages Rebellion spread and intensified and the war itself grew fiercely Madero unable to win the war in the South against Zapata o US were heavily invested in the South became concerned that the rebellion might get out of control (US controlled oil there) Woodrow Wilson dispatched ships to the Gulf of Mexico and ordered the State Department to work on securing order in Mexico Generals of Mexican army agreed Feb. 12, 1912 General Felix Diaz (nephew of Diaz) and General Victoriano Huerta had Madero arrested in an attempt to carry out a coup, American ambassador Henry Lane Wilson invited the Generals to sign a pact that recognized Huerta as the provisional president agreed on new election in six months, Madero was assassinated Rise of Huerta to power brought more into revolution represented return of the Porfiriata no one wanted this and a war against the Zapatistas expanded and Huerta focused his energies there first Zapatistas grew in response, women's and children's brigades were formed o Almost impossible to defeat because they only made small attacks Constitutionalists led by Venustiano Carranza joined forces with Villa in the North another odd alliance Carranza only wants political change at the top o Carranza was a wealthy lawyer Huerta's base in Mexico City and he was besieged from all sides as rebellion in North and South grew in intensity
US had hoped rebellion would end with Huerta, lost confidence and decided to support the Constitutionalists intervened in the war and sent marines to Veracruz and Tampico, cutting of Huerta from ammunition supplies Who would rule now? Zapata's troops on edge of Mexico City, Villa's armies controlled the city, Carranza's armies were on the way Villa had begun to see differences with Carranza and didn't trust him anymore, when Carranza arrived, Zapata sent him a message saying "do you approve of the play of Ayala?" response was NO Neither Villa nor Zapata were educated and understood politics when they had power they didn't know what to do with it Zapata had never wanted to rule all of Mexico, just wanted the lands back returned to his village Villa remained in Mexico City and tried to defeat Carranza and the war continued, US now supported Carranza Villa's men mowed down like flies with Carranza's new weapons Villa escaped to the North and is assassinated in Texas later After Carranza defeated Villa he set his sights on the south on Zapata and mounted an offensive on Morelos, overpowered Zapatistas with scorched earth campaign Zapata was trapped and murdered and movement fell apart Elites of the North had won After 2 million deaths, those who were ruling Mexico were the same who were ruling much of the world the modernizing bourgeosie 1917 WWI coming to an end, Russian Revolution just beginning, Mexican intellectuals wrote a constitution that still guides the country today one of the most liberal of the 20th century, in reality it became little more than a piece of paper and elites continued to rule as they had been o Allowed for free elections o Outlawed child labor o Mandated 8-hour day o Moderate land reform o Public education o Allowed to unionize Mexico became a one-party state ruled by the Partido Revolucionario Institucionale (PRI) who rules until 2000 APPLICABLE TO ESSAY QUESTION modernization carried out by elite, but leaves behind the rest and even hurts them