the Mexican Revolution and Diaz was soon deposed. Madero installed himself as interim president on November 11, 1911 and called for new elections.
He actually won by a landslide and enjoyed not only the support of his allies in the revolution, but also the United States. However, his government didn't last long, as Madero's centrist approach pleased neither conservatives nor liberals. Many of his former supporters broke from him and formed new revolutionary movements, including the Colorados and Zapatistas. Fearing another revolution, Madero's commander-in-chief, General Victoriano Huerta staged a coup on February 8, 1913.
Madero and his vice-president José MarÃa Pino Suárez were held captive until Huerta and his men decided to exile them. Almost as soon as they were freed, both men were assassinated by members of the rurales , a mounted paramilitary group loyal to Huerta. Most Mexicans at the time (and now) believe they were acting under Huerta's command.
In a cynical move to give the new regime a sheen of legitimacy, Huerta announced that foreign minister Pedro Lascuráin (Paredes) would be presidentâeven though Attorney General Adolfo Valles (Ibañez) was actually the legitimate successor. But his reign lasted, by some accounts, as little as 15 minutes and his only act would be to step aside for Huerta, who set up a very repressive military state.
Huerta made few friends internationally, and a strong enemy of President Herbert Hoover, who repeatedly asked him to step down. Relations between the two countries worsened in March 1914 when rebels surrounded Huerta's men in the oil refining town of Tampico on the Gulf Coast. Although the American government agreed at least in principle with the Constitutionalist rebels, they rushed navy ships to the port in an effort to protect and potentially evacuate the many American oil workers there. The first American warship to arriveâand the only one that could navigate the shallow harborâwas the USS Dolphin , a small gunboat that had seen action in the 1898 SpanishâAmerican War.
When a few American sailors left the ship to get fuel, they were arrested at gunpoint by Huerta's soldiers. None of the Americans could speak Spanish and none of the Mexicans could speak English, so the incident dragged on. When he found out that at least one of the sailors was arrested on board the Dolphin âwhich technically could be seen as an invasion of U.S. sovereign territoryâarea commander Rear Admiral Henry T. Mayo demanded the men's release and a formal apology. Mexican officials freed the sailors and issued a written apology, but refused to fly the U.S. flag on Mexican soil, which the Americans had demanded.
Using that as a pretext, Hoover asked Congress to invade Mexico in an effort to dislodge Huerta's regime. While he was waiting for their approval, U.S. intelligence learned of an embargo-breaking arms shipment to Veracruz from Germany. That allowed Hoover to mount an invasion without Congressional assent.
The U.S. sent a number of boats and 2,300 men to Veracruz. They landed without oppositionâto crowds of curious Americans and Mexicans lining the beachâand quickly took control of the city. Most of the Mexican military retreated, but about 50 remained loyal to the Huerta cause and a few of the cadets at the Naval Academy tried to defend the building. The Americans prevailed and occupied the city for six months. The two countries were on the brink of war until they called upon the ABC Countriesâan alliance of Argentina, Brazil and Chileâto mediate at a special summit in Niagara Falls, Ontario.
The situation became complicated in the north of Mexico as well. There were two major armies fighting Huerta's forcesâtop Constitutional commander Venustiano Carranza (de la Garza) in the south and Pancho Villa in the north. Villa had been very successful in his drive toward the capital when he received word from Carranza instructing
He actually won by a landslide and enjoyed not only the support of his allies in the revolution, but also the United States. However, his government didn't last long, as Madero's centrist approach pleased neither conservatives nor liberals. Many of his former supporters broke from him and formed new revolutionary movements, including the Colorados and Zapatistas. Fearing another revolution, Madero's commander-in-chief, General Victoriano Huerta staged a coup on February 8, 1913.
Madero and his vice-president José MarÃa Pino Suárez were held captive until Huerta and his men decided to exile them. Almost as soon as they were freed, both men were assassinated by members of the rurales , a mounted paramilitary group loyal to Huerta. Most Mexicans at the time (and now) believe they were acting under Huerta's command.
In a cynical move to give the new regime a sheen of legitimacy, Huerta announced that foreign minister Pedro Lascuráin (Paredes) would be presidentâeven though Attorney General Adolfo Valles (Ibañez) was actually the legitimate successor. But his reign lasted, by some accounts, as little as 15 minutes and his only act would be to step aside for Huerta, who set up a very repressive military state.
Huerta made few friends internationally, and a strong enemy of President Herbert Hoover, who repeatedly asked him to step down. Relations between the two countries worsened in March 1914 when rebels surrounded Huerta's men in the oil refining town of Tampico on the Gulf Coast. Although the American government agreed at least in principle with the Constitutionalist rebels, they rushed navy ships to the port in an effort to protect and potentially evacuate the many American oil workers there. The first American warship to arriveâand the only one that could navigate the shallow harborâwas the USS Dolphin , a small gunboat that had seen action in the 1898 SpanishâAmerican War.
When a few American sailors left the ship to get fuel, they were arrested at gunpoint by Huerta's soldiers. None of the Americans could speak Spanish and none of the Mexicans could speak English, so the incident dragged on. When he found out that at least one of the sailors was arrested on board the Dolphin âwhich technically could be seen as an invasion of U.S. sovereign territoryâarea commander Rear Admiral Henry T. Mayo demanded the men's release and a formal apology. Mexican officials freed the sailors and issued a written apology, but refused to fly the U.S. flag on Mexican soil, which the Americans had demanded.
Using that as a pretext, Hoover asked Congress to invade Mexico in an effort to dislodge Huerta's regime. While he was waiting for their approval, U.S. intelligence learned of an embargo-breaking arms shipment to Veracruz from Germany. That allowed Hoover to mount an invasion without Congressional assent.
The U.S. sent a number of boats and 2,300 men to Veracruz. They landed without oppositionâto crowds of curious Americans and Mexicans lining the beachâand quickly took control of the city. Most of the Mexican military retreated, but about 50 remained loyal to the Huerta cause and a few of the cadets at the Naval Academy tried to defend the building. The Americans prevailed and occupied the city for six months. The two countries were on the brink of war until they called upon the ABC Countriesâan alliance of Argentina, Brazil and Chileâto mediate at a special summit in Niagara Falls, Ontario.
The situation became complicated in the north of Mexico as well. There were two major armies fighting Huerta's forcesâtop Constitutional commander Venustiano Carranza (de la Garza) in the south and Pancho Villa in the north. Villa had been very successful in his drive toward the capital when he received word from Carranza instructing
Similar Books
