Figure 1.- The Consitutionlist offensive against Pancjo Villa eventually reached the American border (November 1915). Here we see some of the boys soldirts in the Calles/Carranna Constitutionlist Army in Agua Prieta after the bttle (1961).

The Maderoistas who defeated Huerta were by no means unified. Both Villa and Zapata refused to recognize Carranza. They with their Armies of the North and South drove on Mexico City. Carranza and Obregón with their forces fled the capital. The Villistas and Zapatistas held raucous celebrations after reaching Mexico City. They did not, however, have the organizational skills to organize an effective government. Carranza and Obregón retreated to Veracruz, Mexico's major port. There they reorganized and resupplied and launched a new offensive to retake the capital. In the fighting that followed, Obregón largely destroyed Villa's cavalry at Celaya (1915). Obregón lost his right arm, but won the battle. Celaya was actually a series of engagements which constitute the most massive battle ever fought in Latin America. Obregón commanded a modern force with artillery and machine guns. As Villa's cavalry was the major force of his army, Villa never seriously threatened the government again, although he was a continuing irritation in the North.

Carranza Becomes President

Venustiano Carranza with the Maderoista defeat of Huerta assumed the presidency. There was no election. Caranza as the principal leader of the Constitunionlists assumed the presidency. The Constituionlists were, however, not the only segment of the Maderoista resistance to Huerta.

Aguascalientes Convention (October-November 1914)

With Huerta's resignation, Mexico was essentially left without a government. The victors had very different ideas about Mexico's future. They held an extended Convention at Aguascalientes in central Mexico to settle their differences (October 10 - November 18, 1914 a Convention was held at Aguascalientes. The convention settled nothing. In fact it resulted in the the break up of the victorious coalition by making it clear just how much they differeed on major issues. Neither Villa or Carranza attended. Obregón did and did attempt to reach compromises. Caranza was disturned by the radical ideas expressed. The differenced between Caranza and Villa which was only cosmetically bridged during the fighting against Huerta were permanently broken at the comvention. The Zapatistas and Villistas despite their very real differences reached an informal alliance. Finally the Convention chosen a virtually unknown politican, Eulalio Gutiérrez to be the country's provisional president. Carranza who saw him as a tool of Villa and at any rate wanted to be president himself, refused to recognize Gutiérrez. The Convention delegates who had taken a radical turn and perhaps intimidated by the Villa's men, declared Carranza an outlaw and Villa commander of the Convention's military forces. This divided Mexico into two warring forces. The Constitutionalists were the men who followed Carranza. The Conventionists were those who followed Villa and Zapata. Ideologically, Obregón stood between the two factions. His decesion to back Caranza was largely settled on personal issues. Obregón in fact had rservations about what he saw as Carranza's tendency toward authoritarianism as well as his inflexibility. He also saw that Caranza was persinally envious of his military achievements. In the end, however, that between given the choice between Villa and Carranza that Caranza was definitelt the lesser of two evils. Villa was both eratic and ruthless and he shared Caranza's view that he was basically a bandit.

Maderoistas (1914)

Carranza as the principal leader of the Constitunionlists with the defeat of Hueta expected to be Mexico's new president. The Constituionlists were, however, not the only segment of the Maderoista resistance to Huerta. And both Zapta and Villa were not happy with him and his moderate policies. Carranza was thus outraged when the Aguascalientes Convention chosen chose Eulalio Gutiérrez to be the country's provisional president. Carranza saw him as a tool of Villa, but would have opposed virtually anyone as he wanted to be president. He refused to recognize Gutiérrez. The Conventioneers took a radical turn and perhaps intimidated by the Villa's men, declared Carranza an outlaw and Villa commander of the Convention's military forces.

Fighting (1914-15)

Villa and Zapasta with their Armies of the North and South drove on Mexico City. Carranza and Obregón with their forces fled the capital. Obregón oversaw the retreat from the capital (November 1914). Obregón was the military thinker behind the Constitutionalist military army. The Constitunionalist army fell back on Veracruz. This was Mexico's principal port and there they could obtain arms and supplies from abroad. And here Obregón set about reorganizing the Constitutionalist forces that would become the new Federal army. Villa and Zapata entered the capital (December). They had their photograph taken together in the Palacio Nacional--their first and only epic meeting. Villa approprisated the president's chair. The Villistas and Zapatistas held racous celebrations in the capital. They did not, however, have the organizational skills to organize an effective government. Villa and Zapata moved to destroy the Constitutionalists at Veracruz. The Constitutionalists reorganized and resupplied launched a new offensive of their own to retake the capital. The key to the capital was Puebla located between Mexico City and Veracruz. Villa and Zapata took Puebla (mid-December). Constitunionalist forces under Obregón, however, re-took the city (January 5, 1915). From there he began an offensive to retake the capital. The decisive battle was fought at Celaya northwest of Mexico City (April 1915). In the fighting that followed, Obregón largely destroyed Villa's cavalry at Celaya (1915). Celaya constituted the most massive battle ever fought in Latin America. Obregón largely destroyed Villa's cavalry at Celaya (1915). Obregón commanded a modern force with coherent tactics including the efficent use of artillery and machine guns. Villa's used his typical suicidal tactics--recklessness calvary charges. The results were bloody and predictable. Villa's calvalry suffered devestating losses. As the Europeans had already found in Europe, calvalry could not charge agains defensive positions defended by machine guns and artillery. Celaya was actually a series of engagements which constitute the most massive battle ever fought in Latin America. Obregón defeated Villa at nearby Leon further north (May-June). Here while winning the battle, he lost his right arm. Obregón steadily pursued Villa north, winning victory after victory. The Second Battle of Agua Prieta was fthe culmination of the campaign. Continutionalist forces commanded by future president Plutarco Elías Calles clashed with the Villista at Agua Prieta, Sonora on the U,S. border (November 1, 1915). Villa attacked the town occupied by the Constituionlists because he needed access to the border to get arms. The ability of Calles to hold the town helped cement Carranza's control over even northern Mexico--Vulla's center of power. It also was an important step in U.S. recognition, president.

Zapata and Vlla

Obregón was unable to finish off his rival but did destroy the Division del Norte. Villa would never again be a force in Mexican politics. Villa never seriously threatened the government again, although he was a continuing irritation in the North. The United States extended de facto recognition to Carranza and the Constitunionalists (October 19). Villa up to this time had been generally pro-American. He had obtained his arms in the United states by selling cattle from the haciendas his men had seized in the north. He was outraged when the Wilson Administration recognized Carranza. Villa rather than accepting resonsibility for his defeats, concluded that that Calles and Carranza wwre receiving support from the United States because the Agua Prieta was on the border next to Douglas, Arizona. This would eventualy lead to a Villista raid on Columbus, New Mexico (March 1916) and the resulting American intervention. The Mexican Government finally dealt with Zapata. Obregón decisively defeated Zapata at the Battle of Ayala (1916). Zapata was forced back into the rugged mountains of Guerrero in the south. After a vicious anti-guerilla campaign weakened his forces, he was no longer a force in narional politics. Obregón managed to eliminate Zapata. Zapata was lured into a trap by a government soldier and shot (1919). As Villa's cavalry was the major force of his army, Villa never seriously threatened the government again, although he was a continuing irritation in the North until he was also shot (1923). .

Navigate the HBC Mexican pages
[Mexican choirs] [Mexican Scouts] [Mexican school uniforms] [Mexican communions]

Created: 12:34 AM 7/26/2011
Spell checked: 2:53 AM 5/25/2014
Last updated: 2:53 AM 5/25/2014