An early 20th century Mexican-American war

What would I have to change to make Mexico a match for the United States in the 1900s or 1910s, possibly in a war over the losses of the first Mexican-American War.

EDIT: Im wondering what I could change to make the Mexican economy and military strong enough to make a war with the U.S. an option and have them potentially win. Basically what I'm looking for is a POD to make Mexico a superpower.
 
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Just stage a raid by Pancho Villa with TR as President in 1909 to 1911 time fame, that will get you a Second Mexican-American War. Mexico will get crushed, and a large part of Northern Mexico will become part of the US, maybe even the Yucatan will go to the US.
 

Laurentia

Banned
What would I have to change to make Mexico a match for the United States in the 1900s or 1910s, possibly in a war over the losses of the first Mexican-American War.

EDIT: Im wondering what I could change to make the Mexican economy and military strong enough to make a war with the U.S. an option and have them potentially win. Basically what I'm looking for is a POD to make Mexico a superpower.

Unfortunately, this is impossible and there is no way it could happen.
 
Unfortunately, this is impossible and there is no way it could happen.

Certainly in the post-1900 forum. I'm sure you could manage it with a pre-1900 PoD... but that belongs elsewhere.

A war is certainly possible. Mexico winning that war is not.
 

CalBear

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What would I have to change to make Mexico a match for the United States in the 1900s or 1910s, possibly in a war over the losses of the first Mexican-American War.

EDIT: Im wondering what I could change to make the Mexican economy and military strong enough to make a war with the U.S. an option and have them potentially win. Basically what I'm looking for is a POD to make Mexico a superpower.


Anything is possible, but to get Mexico to superpower status you need to starts somewhere WAY before 1900, perhaps before 1700. Mexico would need to somehow be able to get control of the Ohio Valley and the Mississippi Basin. I have absolutely no clue how to get them to these goals, but that is what is needed.

Superpowers are all about resources and manpower. Mexico, even if it doesn't lose the Mexican-American War doesn't have the resources or the ability to hold the areas that would eventually become valuable (Texas Oil, the Comstock Silver strike, Northern California Gold, etc.).
 
France helps Mexico fight the USA during or right after the Civil War. Mexico and France would still loose. But that be the only chance Mexico would have. Maybe they get Austria to help more. But Prussia was always in the background. The bigger question how does the USA punish Mexico for the war? More territory? Money? How is France punished? Money?
 

Jokerang

Banned
Perhaps Mexican relations with US go sour after therevolution and some unintentional border raids, or hte Zimmerman telegram sent earlier, might start a war.

Just my thoughts
 
What would I have to change to make Mexico a match for the United States in the 1900s or 1910s, possibly in a war over the losses of the first Mexican-American War.

EDIT: Im wondering what I could change to make the Mexican economy and military strong enough to make a war with the U.S. an option and have them potentially win. Basically what I'm looking for is a POD to make Mexico a superpower.

Little nitpick but the U.S. was not a Superpower in 1900s and 1910s, so Mexico doesnt need to be one at this point. I think you would have better luck "crippling" the U.S. as POD, rather than wanking Mexico, to get a Mexico capable of defeating the U.S. at this time.
 
What would I have to change to make Mexico a match for the United States in the 1900s or 1910s, possibly in a war over the losses of the first Mexican-American War.

EDIT: Im wondering what I could change to make the Mexican economy and military strong enough to make a war with the U.S. an option and have them potentially win. Basically what I'm looking for is a POD to make Mexico a superpower.

To get a Mexican-American war is very easy, just have TR be president at the time of the Mexican Revolution, and have German support for the Mexican Government not be blocked like in OTL.To have Mexico win you'd need Germany not be involved in WW1, and then you need a miracle on top of that.

A 2nd Mexican-American War? Not so ASB (It happens in my TL).
Mexico WINNING the 2nd Mexican-American war and becoming a super power? Super ASB
 
America was at worst a "Great Power" by 1840 or so, despite the severe domestic issues. They were an economic superpower by 1880 or 1890, though not a political or military one. They were a bonafide superpower by 1920, though still clearly second fiddle to the Brits.

I don't see any point in time where something we could recognizably call "Mexico" could defeat anything we could recognizably call the "United States" in any war, especially considering Mexico's historically bad leadership.
 
America was at worst a "Great Power" by 1840 or so, despite the severe domestic issues. They were an economic superpower by 1880 or 1890, though not a political or military one. They were a bonafide superpower by 1920, though still clearly second fiddle to the Brits.

I don't see any point in time where something we could recognizably call "Mexico" could defeat anything we could recognizably call the "United States" in any war, especially considering Mexico's historically bad leadership.

Given a POD around or immediately before Mexican independence and it's possible. You would need a smoother transition to independence, and a more stable leadership after independence.
 
It's not that hard, actually. You just need Mexico to be very stable during the 19th Century, given it's size and location that would eventually lead to continued economic growth and everything that means.

I have this crazy idea that if the first Mexican Empire survived, it could have provided the needed stability. It was, after all, a constitutional monarchy with a leader that was willing to cede certain amounts of power to the liberals.
 
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