HIST362: Modern Revolutions

Increasingly, Mexican intellectuals aligned themselves with European-style liberalism. Industrial workers (although not unified) began to unionize, and the rural and urban poor began to object to their positions. The small but growing middle class also objected to the concentration of wealth in the upper class and foreign investors. As in the French Revolution, the consolidation of power and wealth at the top left the vast majority of citizens out of the political and economic life of the country.

In October 1910, Francisco Madero (1873–1913), an advocate for social justice and democracy, called on Mexicans to rise up to oppose the Diaz dictatorship. He was supported by Emiliano Zapata (1879–1919), who had inspired an agrarian movement (Zapatismo) in the state of Morelos by calling on the peasants to demand water rights and land reform. In May 1911, Díaz was forced to resign and flee to France after the Federal Army suffered several military defeats by the forces supporting Madero. In October 1911, Madero was elected president with resounding support from the Mexican people. However, Madero soon disavowed the support he had received from Zapata's forces and denounced the Zapatistas as simple bandits.

As you watch this video, think about the nature of revolution in the 1900s in Mexico and why many call it a civil war.