Perhaps the greatest example of foreshadowing in all of history is Hailey's Comet. It appeared 20 April 1910. Many Mexicans believed it was an omen of war, pestilence, and death to come. They didn't know how right they were. It would become an apt prediction of the century ahead. This is a history of that turbulent century all the way up to the modern day, made up of excerpts from the many books written on the subject.
In November of 1910, Pancho Villa captured Chihuahua, Madero came back from Texas, and the revolution really began to heat up. Pascual Orozoco launched his own rebellion at the same time. The rebellion continued throughout the year and well into the next, with Madero slowly gaining ground. Then, in May 1911, Orozoco and Villa demanded that several federal officers were killed. Madero refused, causing Villa and Orozoco to abandon him. This didn't turn out to matter, however, as Madero replaced Diaz as president of Mexico on 21 May 1911.
Revolution soon began anew, with Emiliano Zapata calling for revolt against Madero, and Orozoco bombing a train full of federal soldiers in early 1912. Orozoco's rebellion is quickly put down by Huerta. Months later, in February 1913, there is an attempted military coup by Felix Diaz, General Mondragon, and General Ruiz. It is put down by Huerta, who then uses the confusion to stage his own coup, overthrowing Madero and becoming leader of Mexico. Huerta orders Madero and a hundred of his followers murdered, in a brutal start to a short reign.
In March 1913, Alvaro Obregon rises up in yet another revolt and captures Nogales, Sonora. The Battle of Ojinaga on 10 January 1914 sees Huerta's forces soundly defeated and pushed out of Chihuahua. On the 15 of August, the last of Huerta's forces surrender and on 20 August 1914, Venustiano Carranza becomes president of Mexico.
However, soon after, Lusitania was sunk, and American eyes turned towards Europe. That would prove not to matter in the long run, but in the short run it may perhaps have set the coming war back a year or so. The US soon cut off its arms supplies to Villa, angering him. When forces under Villa's command attacked a train near the border and killed 16 Americans, tensions began to heat up. On the 9 March 1916, Villa raided the town of Columbus, New Mexico. In a short, sharp battle, 18 Americans and around 100 Villistas were killed.
Enraged, Wilson sent Major John J Pershing and around 4800 American troops into Mexico to track down and kill Villa. This would soon spiral into a war of large proportions, but of course no one knew that at the time. The expedition started off well, with Colonel George A Dodd routing Villista forces all over the place. However, on the 5 May 1916, several troopers of the 11th cavalry and a detachment of Apache Scouts were ambushed by unknown forces, with only a couple scouts surviving. Those unknown forces are now thought to be a band of rebels led by Julio Acosta.
Only days later, a second disaster for the expedition occurred. Lieutenant George S. Patton came across the ranch of Julio Cardenas, near Rubio. With 15 men and 3 armored cars he led the first armored attack in US history, and shot 3 men himself. However, unbeknownst to him, the rebels led by Julio Acosta happened to be nearby. Upon hearing gunfire, they advance on the ranch, ambushing Patton and his troops as they clear out the ranch. Patton's group is soon overwhelmed and wiped out with only one survivor, who was able to escape on a horse in the confusion. For his actions that day, Lieutenant Patton won a posthumous Medal of Honor, and would be remembered as an American hero.
The Villistas, meanwhile, take the armored cars and move out. They set a trap for the US 7th cavalry, led by Colonel Dodd himself. A survivor, Jack Cypress, told his story in the book Mexico: A Land out of Hell :
"We chased the Mexican along, and as had happened several times previously, they ran before us. We led them like sheep to the slaughter, or so we thought. Never did it occur to us that perhaps we were the ones being led, perhaps we would run into something we should have avoided. As we rounded a corner into a ravine, we were subjected to withering fire from the flanks and front. That was when we heard the chattering sound that would come to appear in many a veteran's nightmares, the sound of machine guns ahead. They worked a fearful slaughter upon our men. Never shall I forget the terrible sounds of screaming men and horses as I fled..."
Only 124 of the original 300 mean were able to escape. When news of the disaster reached the US, the public was understandably outraged. How could such a tragedy befall our troops? How did so many young Americans die? We aren't even at war! All of these could be heard on the streets and seen in newspaper editorials. To top it all off, 1916 was an election year....
Mexico at War - A Comprehensive History
In late 1910, Porfirio Diaz was proclaimed president of Mexico for his 8th term. His contender, Francisco Madero, was thrown in jail for being too popular. Within a few weeks, Madero escaped to Texas, where he called for a revolution against Diaz's regime. This is usually considered the start of the Mexican Revolution, a period of time in which many leaders would be overthrown through violent revolution. The revolution, followed by the 2nd Mexican American War, would become a sideshow to that Great War in Europe, but that doesn't mean it wasn't just as important in the long run.In November of 1910, Pancho Villa captured Chihuahua, Madero came back from Texas, and the revolution really began to heat up. Pascual Orozoco launched his own rebellion at the same time. The rebellion continued throughout the year and well into the next, with Madero slowly gaining ground. Then, in May 1911, Orozoco and Villa demanded that several federal officers were killed. Madero refused, causing Villa and Orozoco to abandon him. This didn't turn out to matter, however, as Madero replaced Diaz as president of Mexico on 21 May 1911.
Revolution soon began anew, with Emiliano Zapata calling for revolt against Madero, and Orozoco bombing a train full of federal soldiers in early 1912. Orozoco's rebellion is quickly put down by Huerta. Months later, in February 1913, there is an attempted military coup by Felix Diaz, General Mondragon, and General Ruiz. It is put down by Huerta, who then uses the confusion to stage his own coup, overthrowing Madero and becoming leader of Mexico. Huerta orders Madero and a hundred of his followers murdered, in a brutal start to a short reign.
In March 1913, Alvaro Obregon rises up in yet another revolt and captures Nogales, Sonora. The Battle of Ojinaga on 10 January 1914 sees Huerta's forces soundly defeated and pushed out of Chihuahua. On the 15 of August, the last of Huerta's forces surrender and on 20 August 1914, Venustiano Carranza becomes president of Mexico.
World At War - The early 20th Century
Make no mistake, Mexico was hardly the only nation embroiled in conflict as the 1910s rolled on. In Asia, there was conflict and strife in China. The US continued its strategy of gunboat diplomacy, including the Tampico Affair, which was a warning of things to come. On 9 April 1914, 21 US sailors were detained by Mexican troops. This prompted the US occupation of Veracruz, which would last from April to November 1914. Tensions boiled over in Europe, when Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated, throwing Europe into a war that would prove to be far bigger and more deadly than any before it.Pancho Villa's War
Carranza's reign got off to a bad start. Within days of each other, both Emiliano Zapata and Pancho Villa refused to recognize him. The two would come to be strong allies in the coming years. Carranza sent Obregon to quell this rebellion, and on 6 April 1915 Villa was significantly defeated by Obregon at the Battle of Celya. Soon after, Villa was beat yet again at the Battle of Trinidad. However, Obregon lost his right arm to shellfire in this battle. The day after the battle, President of the US Woodrow Wilson threatened to intervene in the war if unrest continued.However, soon after, Lusitania was sunk, and American eyes turned towards Europe. That would prove not to matter in the long run, but in the short run it may perhaps have set the coming war back a year or so. The US soon cut off its arms supplies to Villa, angering him. When forces under Villa's command attacked a train near the border and killed 16 Americans, tensions began to heat up. On the 9 March 1916, Villa raided the town of Columbus, New Mexico. In a short, sharp battle, 18 Americans and around 100 Villistas were killed.
Enraged, Wilson sent Major John J Pershing and around 4800 American troops into Mexico to track down and kill Villa. This would soon spiral into a war of large proportions, but of course no one knew that at the time. The expedition started off well, with Colonel George A Dodd routing Villista forces all over the place. However, on the 5 May 1916, several troopers of the 11th cavalry and a detachment of Apache Scouts were ambushed by unknown forces, with only a couple scouts surviving. Those unknown forces are now thought to be a band of rebels led by Julio Acosta.
Only days later, a second disaster for the expedition occurred. Lieutenant George S. Patton came across the ranch of Julio Cardenas, near Rubio. With 15 men and 3 armored cars he led the first armored attack in US history, and shot 3 men himself. However, unbeknownst to him, the rebels led by Julio Acosta happened to be nearby. Upon hearing gunfire, they advance on the ranch, ambushing Patton and his troops as they clear out the ranch. Patton's group is soon overwhelmed and wiped out with only one survivor, who was able to escape on a horse in the confusion. For his actions that day, Lieutenant Patton won a posthumous Medal of Honor, and would be remembered as an American hero.
The Villistas, meanwhile, take the armored cars and move out. They set a trap for the US 7th cavalry, led by Colonel Dodd himself. A survivor, Jack Cypress, told his story in the book Mexico: A Land out of Hell :
"We chased the Mexican along, and as had happened several times previously, they ran before us. We led them like sheep to the slaughter, or so we thought. Never did it occur to us that perhaps we were the ones being led, perhaps we would run into something we should have avoided. As we rounded a corner into a ravine, we were subjected to withering fire from the flanks and front. That was when we heard the chattering sound that would come to appear in many a veteran's nightmares, the sound of machine guns ahead. They worked a fearful slaughter upon our men. Never shall I forget the terrible sounds of screaming men and horses as I fled..."
Only 124 of the original 300 mean were able to escape. When news of the disaster reached the US, the public was understandably outraged. How could such a tragedy befall our troops? How did so many young Americans die? We aren't even at war! All of these could be heard on the streets and seen in newspaper editorials. To top it all off, 1916 was an election year....