Mexican Revolution

Enduring Understandings1.International conflict often leads to domestic changes.2.In times of crisis, people often turn to strong leaders in search of stability.3.Conflicts of the 20th Century were rooted in political and ideological differences around the world.Agenda1.Core self-assessment – review articles 1-5 and the comments, review the rubric, then assess latest article. Write a list of the changes you need to make2.How have you researched? Do you have books, magazines or journals, and databases? Have you cited all phrases and content borrowed from other sources? Have you avoided wikipedia and sites like ask.com?3.Questions about India and Southwest Asia4.Mexican Revolution

1. Historiography2. Timeline and analysis

5.Level 1 and 2 activities. Begin preparing for level 3.

Historiography: How has the Revolution been studied before?

Orthodox View (ca. 1930-late 1960s): Revolution was a mass, unanimous uprising; peasant v. small

number of exploiters Regime of the 1920s was a populist, nationalist regime Despite emphasis on peasant movement, mostly Top-Down Myth of the Revolution – supported by the government, 1930 Notable purveyors of this view: Frank Tannenbaum, Robert E.

Quirk, Charles Cumberland

Historiography (cont’d)

Revisionist View (1968-1970s): There really was no revolution – it was just a political

‘shuffle’ of elites or just a ‘great rebellion’ Just a change from one dictator (Diaz) to another

(Calles/Cardenas) As revision develops, studies moved away from Top-Down

and focused on the social movements (e.g. Jean Meyer’s La Cristiada)

Development of the Microhistory (e.g. Paul Friedrich’s Agrarian Revolution in a Mexican Village and *Luiz Gonzalez’s San Jose de Gracia*)

Notable purveyors of this view: Ramon Ruiz, Jean Meyer

Historiography (cont’d)

Post-revisionist view (1980s-now) Synthesis of the orthodox and revisionist views Revolution was first and foremost a social

movement Regional perspective is key; generalisation must

be carefully constructed Continued debate over top-down (e.g. E Krauze) v

bottom-up (regional microhistorians) Notable purveyors of this perspective: Alan Knight,

Linda Hall, John Womack, DA Brading

Historiography (cont’d)

Top-Down v Bottom-up Who was more influential: the leaders or the masses? Cannot understand the revolution looking only at the

leaders – it was a social revolution Yet can still learn a lot about the revolution from the

careers of the leaders – especially leaders such as Villa, Madero, Zapata, Obregon, Cardenas

We will be looking at these leaders

Radicals/Revolutionaries v. Reformers

What is a Radical/Revolutionary? Can be divided into 2 groups:

Agraristas – groups led to revolt due primarily to agrarian grievances. Thus, main goal was agrarian reform (e.g. Zapata)

Serranos – groups led to revolt due to threats to way of life, varied based on region. Main goals included autonomy, political control, cultural independence (e.g. Pancho Villa)

Both groups have common ground: they entered into revolution due to expansion under the Porfiriato

Radicals/Revolutionaries v. Reformers (cont)

What is a Reformer? Working through governmental or legal institutions

to bring about change After the Armed Revolution, succession of

Presidents who attempted to institutionalise the revolution through reforms

Types of reforms depended on the President – e.g. Obregon – political; Calles – cultural; Cardenas – socio-economic

Can a Reformer be a Radical? Are all Revolutionaries Radical?

Causes of the Mexican Revolution

Reign of Porfirio Díaz Ruled as a dictator

“New Creoles” Modernized Mexico Masses suppressed

Working class wages declined

95% of rural population did not own any land

Mestizo population grew rapidly after 1850

Porfirio Díaz (1876-1910)

Start of the Revolution

Election of 1910 Francisco Madero ran

against Díaz Díaz had Madero

arrested on election day Madero called for Díaz to

be overthrown Movement supported by

peasants and the middle class

Díaz forced to resign in May 1911 Francisco Madero (1911-1913)

Mexican Revolutionaries (1910)

Francisco MaderoPancho Villa

The Revolution Spreads

Madero was unprepared Lack of land reforms led to

open rebellion Emiliano Zapata

“Land and Liberty” Pancho Villa

Madero was overthrown by General Victoriano Huerta in February 1913 Madero was eventually

assassinated

Pancho Villa Emiliano Zapata

Mural to Zapata in Cuba

Map of the Revolution

The Revolution Continues

Huerta was opposed by a coalition led by Venustiano Carranza (top), Alvaro Obregón (bottom), Villa, Zapata, etc.

Huerta was overthrown in 1914 Carranza appealed to masses

Mexican Constitution of 1917 Villa and Zapata continued to rebel

until 1919 and 1920 Carranza was overthrown in 1920

Replaced by Obregon (1920-1924)

Timeline of the Revolution

Women in the Revolution

Intellectuals Called for equal rights, women’s suffrage, and

other reforms Often endured threats, imprisonment, etc.

Soldaderas Served as nurses, cooks, foraged for food,

washed clothes and other services Served in the rebel army and the federal army

Women Soldiers

Women in the Revolution

Women in the Revolution

Aftermath of Revolution

Over one million people died Revolution lacked a plan, a philosophy,

intellectual leadership, or political parties Farming, ranching, and mining economies

were destroyed Oil industry improved during revolution

No major bank or newspaper survived

Constitution of 1917

Conferred strong powers to the president Laid basis for land reform

No major redistribution until 1934 Government ownership of mineral and water

resources New labor laws

No major labor laws until 1931 Placed restrictions on the church and clergy

Church went on strike in 1926

Aftermath Continued

Alvaro Obregón (1920-1924) Built schools and encouraged nationalism

Diego Rivera

Mexico becomes a single-party system Party of Revolutionary Institutions (PRI)

Dominated politics until 2000

Lázaro Cárdenas (1934-1940) Redistributed 45 million acres of land

253 million would be redistributed by 1984 Promoted economic nationalism

Nationalized railroads (1937) and oil (1938)

Diego Rivera

Diego Rivera