After Huerta was ousted during the Mexican Revolution, one would have assumed that the conflict would diffuse. However, things would unfold in another way. Due to disagreements among some prominent revolutionary figures, Carranza and Obregon would band together against Villa and Zapata. The ensuing violence would put the Constitutionalists under Carranza against Villa and the Conventionists. Whatever the case, it would be the Constitutionalists who came as the victors in the end. Their victory over the Conventionists can be attributed to many reasons. One such reason included their ability to increase their power base by allying with the Casa de Obrero. Another reason was how Obregon used Villa’s overconfidence against him in Celaya and defeated him soundly. Finally, Carranza convinced many Villistas to put their arms down by offering amnesty and paying them ten gold pesos.
Yet, even after the Conventionists were defeated, the Constitutionalists still encountered problems during the constitutional convention. For instance, two factions emerged in the convention: the moderate liberals and the progressive liberals. Although both groups supported Carranza in one form or another, differences emerged. First, the moderate liberals were entirely in with Carranza and supported the ratification of the draft constitution. Meanwhile, the progressive liberals desired other things such as state intervention and societal rights.
Ultimately, everything will settle when Obregon ascends to the presidency in the 1920s. He was able to first consolidate power by appeasing the various groups that might antagonize him. For example, he compromised with Porfirian elites and foreign business interests. At the same time, Obregon tried to offer something to the landless peasants who desired reform. Finally, he also allied with organized labor. The mentioned actions by Obregon were necessary to also assist him in dealing with the issues he inherited. Some problems included: rebuilding the country, the failing Mexican economy, armed resistance groups, and others.
I believe the revolution came to a close under Obregon to a certain extent. The reason for my assessment is due to the fact that he tackled issues that plagued the revolution, such as land reform, workers’ rights, and foreign ownership. Although he did not fully resolve Mexico’s problems, Obregon had taken unprecedented actions that his predecessors never did. Ultimately, he took action in the right direction. He set the groundwork for the subsequent presidents to continue working on the issues and make the Mexican Revolution a thing of the past.
References
Gonzales, Michael J. The Mexican Revolution, 1910–1940. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2002.
