Mexican Revolution (1910–1920): Fought Against Dictator Porfirio Díaz, Not Foreign Rule

The Mexican Revolution was not a war for independence from a foreign power. Mexico had been independent from Spain since 1821.

It was a civil war against the 35-year dictatorship of Porfirio Díaz (1876–1911), driven by:

• Political repression (no democracy, rigged elections)
• Land concentration (haciendas vs. landless peasants)
• Foreign economic dominance (US/UK oil, mining, rail concessions)
• Labor exploitation (industrial, agricultural)
• Regional caudillo rivalries

🔑 Key Figures:

• Francisco I. Madero – initiated 1910 revolt; president 1911–13.
• Emiliano Zapata – southern agrarian leader (Tierra y Libertad).
• Pancho Villa – northern Division del Norte.
• Venustiano Carranza – constitutionalist; president 1917–20.
• Álvaro Obregón – general; president 1920–24; ended major phase.

📜 Outcome:

• 1917 Constitution – land reform (Art. 27), labor rights (Art. 123), anticlerical, nationalist.
• PRI hegemony (1929–2000) – institutionalized revolution.
• ~1–2 million deaths (of 15M pop).

The Revolution transformed Mexico's social structure, not its sovereignty.