Villa and Zapata: Conclusion

Ten years. between 350,000-1 million died. There were three strands in the Revolution.

1. improving the hacendados and those against it

2. Village movement- free peasants

3. least clear cut, cowboys, miners, and other marginal people

It was Madero's strand that was the most successful (the first one). Villa and Zapata won at best partial victories. The Revolution broke up old political monopolies, great sociological change. However, the largest change were the popular attitudes (pg 403). Many great men involved.

Villa and Zapata: Epilogue

Obregon won the Presidency. Villa had four new ambitions (pg 386). Villa ran his estate on military lines. Obregon was always a capitalist. Obregon was for education, the Mexican realist movement (Rivera..) occurred during his presidency. Obregon was anti-clerical. As Villa got older he revealed himself as a man of the Right. Villa's first two years out of the public life he was only concerned with his tangled private life (women and their kids). For the next Presidential election there were two candidates, Obregon favored Calles. Obregon asked Villa to tell the press that he was not interested in running in the election. Villa gave a press interview but he did not do what Obregon wanted (to snub Obregon), he said he would either run himself, or give his support to de la Huerta. This greatly angered Obregon. Obregon began to think of how to kill Villa. Villa was assassinated. Calles became the President, de la Huerta fled to the US. During Calles' presidency there was a great deal of bloodshed. Meanwhile Obregon decided he wanted to be the President again. Obregon became a target for assassination attempts. Obregon was eventually killed in 1928. With Obregon the great leaders of the Mexican Revolution were gone forever.

The Decline of Villismo

After Villa was injured people thought his days with any type of power were limited. However, Villa reappeared. The harvest had just ended so people flocked to help him. Villa had three main advantages over Carranza (pg 363). Villa was more humane than Carranza in that he released his prisoners that were not officers. However, one of his officers, Uribe, clipped ears of prisoners so they would be recognizable if they fought against Villa again. Villa lived by the policy, "my enemy's enemy is my friend". The unemployed and disaffected flocked to Villa. Villa took town after town, including Chihuahua and Torreon (people continued to flock to him). Villa was anti-American. Villa gained a new amount of brutality, allowed his men to rape women, kill women....This alienated people who had previously supported Villa. Carranza would win towns and Villa would win towns (back and forth). Angles came back (from the US) and urged Villa to switch from guerilla warfare to regular campaigning. Angles was someone who could have untied everyone. He eventually attempted to go back to the United States after he saw the amount of American hatred towards Villa (they would never let him gain all power). He was captured by Carranza and executed in a mock trial. Obregon came back after being in retirement and announced his candidacy for President. Carranza vs. Obregon. Carranza was eventually killed, de la Huerta became the provisional President. de la Huerta granted Villa an agreement (Villa had to retire from public life, was allowed a body guard of 50 men). Obregon eventually said he would honor the agreement when he became President. Villa laid down his arms and agreed to the terms. The death of Carranza and the surrender of Villa effectively ended the Mexican Revolution.