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Battle of Cuautla
Zapata led an uprising, and the ending result of this battle was their dictator, Porfirio Diaz, fleeing the country. They chose to replace him with Francisco Madero, a liberal revolutionary. However, Zapata and Madero did not agree on many things, so this new leadership was at a standstill. -
The Plan
In San Antonio, Francisco Madero declared that the 1910 election was illegal and called for an uprising of the people. He wanted to establish democracy in the country and make the government and economy better. This plan marked the beginning of the Mexican Revolution. -
Battle of Ciudad Juarez
Rebel forces attacked federal forces at Ciudad Juarez, right along the US border. The city was defended by federal leader Juan Navarro, and machine guns were used throughout the fight. It was the first major battle of the revolution, and the rebels won, which brought Francisco Madero to power. -
Huerta’s Rise to Power
Victoriano Huerta took control of the government after the assassination of President Madero. Many Mexicans refused to believe in his administration, and revolted. Other countries got involved, and even the US declared themselves against Huerta. -
Pact of the Embassy
Generals Huerta and Diaz meet with the US ambassador, Henry Lane Wilson, to create the Pact of the Embassy. They agreed to recognize Huerta as president, and Huerta would support Diaz in his campaign for president. It also ended the Decena Tragica. -
United States occupation of Veracruz
Unarmed USs sailors were arrested by Mexican commanders, and President Wilson ordered them to seize a chief port. US troops had a hold of this port for over 6 months. The US also cut off Mexicans from many needed sources of munitions and other supplies. -
Battle of Zacatecas
President Huerta sent forces to defend the town of Zacatecas from Pancho Villa and his army. Villa won the battle which was a hard blow for Huerta, and many soldiers began to side with Villa instead. It also showed that Carranza and Villa could not both be important rulers in Mexico once Huerta was gone. -
Shift in Power
Huerta went into exile in July of 1914. Carranza then declares himself president, while Villa heavily objects. There was a brief period of bloodshed, until Villa, Obregon, and Zapata held a convention where they decided that their rivalry made order impossible, so they elected Eulalio Gutierrez as a temporary president. -
WWI starts
The Germans promised money and guns to Huerta if he would start a war with the United States, and again they made an offer to Carranza. The US found out about these letters and offers, and the relations between them and between Mexico and Great Britain started to deteriorate. The US government tried to put economic pressure on Mexico, but it did not work like they had wanted it to. -
The second battle of Agua Prieta
This battle was fought on November 1, 1915, between the armies of Pancho Villa and Plutarco Elias Calles. The battle helped establish Carranza’s control over Mexico. Villa thought that Calles had received support from the US, and was skeptical about his win. -
Battle of Celaya
This battle in Celaya was fought between Obregon and Pancho Villa’s armies. It was one of the largest and bloodiest battles in Mexican history. Villa’s army failed to capture Obregon’s positions, due to the machine guns, trenches, and barbed wire protecting them. Villa retreated, and left Carranza in control of Mexico. -
Battle of Columbus
Pancho Villa was angry that Americans were siding with his rival, so he attacked Columbus, New Mexico. Villa and his army killed 19 people and burned the town. This raid angered Americans, and they decided to do something about it. -
Pershing led troops into Mexico
After the attack on Columbus, President Wilson sent troops to Mexico in order to capture Villa. He led 6,000 men, and they attempted for two years to find and capture Villa. Although he never captured Villa, Villa never attacked the US again. -
The Constitution of 1917
Mexico adopts this constitution, which defines citizenship, organizes the government, mandates land reform, and gives basic human rights to Mexicans. Carranza was in control of most of Mexico, and had decided that the people needed something to rule them. It claimed rights over the subsoil, instituted new regulations, and decreed sanctions against the Catholic Church. -
US declares war on Germany
The US declared war on Germany for many reasons, but one factor that pushed him to this decision was the Zimmerman note. This was a note that the Germans sent to the Mexicans, telling them to attack the US. Although Mexico did not do this, the US still felt threatened and unsafe by its own surrounding countries. -
Spanish Flu
The Spanish flu was one of the worst pandemics in history. It hit Mexico hard, but instead of targeting senior citizens like it did in many other countries, it killed more young people than in any other areas of the world. About .7% of the population of Mexico City died of the Spanish Flu. -
Obregon began campaigning for president
On June 1, 1919, Alvaro Obregon began to campaign for the presidency. He believed that Carranza had gone out of favor with the state governments and the Mexican people. He had widespread support due to his neutrality and ideas to unite the country against repressive leaders. -
Obregon Presidency
Obregon was elected as Mexico’s new president on December 1, 1920. He brought relative peace and prosperity to the country, and thus ended the revolution. He gave sanction to organizations of laborers and peasants. -
Carranza Dead
Carranza fled Mexico City with a load of gold from the Mexican treasury, along with his supporters. He hoped to set up a rival government in Veracruz, however he was assassinated before this could happen. Many people were happy when the news broke that he was dead. -
End of the Revolution
Many people mark the end of the revolution with the election of President Alvaro Obregon in 1920. However, others say that it ended in 1917 with the creation of the Constitution of Mexico in 1917. However it happened, the Mexican revolution was over, and peace and prosperity reigned throughout the country for many years following.