Is there a light at the end of the tunnel in Mexico?
Constitutionalists needed to win over the conventionalists to put an end to the current revolution and form a constitution. Vesustiano Carranza led the Constitutionalists, and was supported by Alvaro Obregón, they wanted to show the people of Mexico they had a better way, at that would give back to the people, and there would be something for all that people could benefit from. What they didn’t tell the people was they didn’t have any intentions of complete reforms, and they planned on still protecting the wealthy landowners.
The Conventionalists were led by Pancho Villa, the charismatic revolutionary leader, and Emiliano Zapata. The problem with their alliance or the lack of one could be summed up in their first meeting in Mexico City and how both men and their armies differed. Not much conversation with either, and Villa’s men and their actions soured Zapata and people that followed Villa. At the end of their meeting in Mexico City they seemed united, but their unity dissolved quickly when Zapata refused to aid Villa at Puebla. Zapata decided that Villa could do the large combat, he would stay close to home and concern himself with smaller skirmishes. Zapata chose to remain an independent actor. This lack of alliance or trust would show they didn’t have a plan to combat the Constitutionalists of Carranza and Obregón. Both men were more concerned with their own areas, a plan to defeat Carranza was not going to happen.
Alvaro Obregón was a very smart military tactician. His success as a businessman an revolutionary commander gave him experience to find solutions to complex problems. (Gonzales 182). Obregón was much better at warfare than Pancho Villa. He studied the European conflict and how they used military techniques such as barbed wire, trenches, and machine guns. (Gonzales 148) He was much better in getting troop movements, and even losing an arm at the Battle of León, he was able to defeat Pancho Villa and decimate his ability to engage in combat. Villa’s lack of the ability to resupply his armies showed he wasn’t no match for Obregón’s forces. Obregón had ammunition, the necessary involvement of troops, much better defending the landscape over Villa, and he was able to prepare for battle.
After dispatching Villa, Carranza pushed for constitutional convention, this was a break for the years of bloodshed. The list final list of convention delegates reflected the political heterogeneity of the Constitutionalist movement as well as the middle-class origins of its national leadership. (Gonzales 162) Factions engaged such as Moderate liberals who wanted to maintain the spirit of the Constitution of 1857, supported Carranza. Convention organizer, all belonging to Carranza wanted to quickly push through their own reforms. Although intended to facilitate ratification of Carranza’s draft, articulate leftists frequently succeeded in getting their versions of key articles through committee and onto the convention floor. (Gonzales 163) Early 1917, the new Constitution was ratified, and Carranza became president with Obregón waiting in the wings.
Obregon stayed out of Carranza’s way. Carranza settled an old score with having Zapata killed.
This did not solve Carranza’s problems, Obregon was becoming a factor politically and now an adversary. Carranza made a tactical error by removing Obregón’s rank, which soured upon the people of Mexico. Carranza knew he could not defeat Obregón in an election, he chose to engage in combat to take him down, Obregón amassed an army in Sonora and with favor other generals such as Pablo Gonzalez, Carranza’s reliance on old ideas failed him because while on the run, in 1920, he was shot dead while in his sleep by his bodyguard.
Obregón made peace with Pancho Villa after becoming president. He knew he needed to do more for the lower class of people in his country. . His biggest contribution was his creation of educational reforms, he mended fences with the United States and was able to seek peace with other rebellious factions like the Zapataistas. He allowed some Diaz era caudillos to return to business, while offering some land reforms. He knew Mexico was bankrupt and cut the military’s budget.
The revolution in retrospect came to a close with Obregón, he showed he was able to put down any rebellions, with his military war experience, He also stopped the De la Huerta’s revolt in Sonora. He also is to believe that he ordered the assassination of Pancho Villa with the probability of Villa getting back into the game and raising an army against him.
In the end like those before him, Madero and Carranza, Obregón joined them in death by the hands of an assassin in 1928.
References
Gonzales, Michael J. The Mexican Revolution, 1910–1940. University of New Mexico Press, 2002.
