The Life and Times of Pancho Villa

Alongside Moctezuma and Benito Juárez, Pancho Villa is probably the best-known figure in Mexican history. Villa legends pervade not only Mexico but the United States and beyond, existing not only in the popular mind and tradition but in ballads and movies. There are legends of Villa the Robin Hood, Villa the womanizer, and Villa as the only foreigner who has attacked the mainland of the United States since the War of 1812 and gotten away with it. Whether exaggerated or true to life, these legends have resulted in Pancho Villa the leader obscuring his revolutionary movement, and the myth in turn obscuring the leader. Based on decades of research in the archives of seven countries, this definitive study of Villa aims to separate myth from history. So much attention has focused on Villa himself that the characteristics of his movement, which is unique in Latin American history and in some ways unique among twentieth-century revolutions, have been forgotten or neglected. Villa's División del Norte was probably the largest revolutionary army that Latin America ever produced. Moreover, this was one of the few revolutionary movements with which a U.S. administration attempted, not only to come to terms, but even to forge an alliance. In contrast to Lenin, Mao Zedong, Ho Chi Minh, and Fidel Castro, Villa came from the lower classes of society, had little education, and organized no political party. The first part of the book deals with Villa's early life as an outlaw and his emergence as a secondary leader of the Mexican Revolution, and also discusses the special conditions that transformed the state of Chihuahua into a leading center of revolution. In the second part, beginning in 1913, Villa emerges as a national leader. The author analyzes the nature of his revolutionary movement and the impact of Villismo as an ideology and as a social movement. The third part of the book deals with the years 1915 to 1920: Villa's guerrilla warfare, his attack on Columbus, New Mexico, and his subsequent decline. The last part describes Villa's surrender, his brief life as a hacendado, his assassination and its aftermath, and the evolution of the Villa legend. The book concludes with an assessment of Villa's personality and the character and impact of his movement. Based On Decades Of Research In The Archives Of Seven Countries, This Definitive Study Of Villa Aims To Separate Myth From History. So Much Attention Has Focused On Villa Himself That The Characteristics Of His Movement, Which Is Unique In Latin American History And In Some Ways Unique Among Twentieth-century Revolutions, Have Been Forgotten Or Neglected. Villa's Division Del Norte Was Probably The Largest Revolutionary Army That Latin America Ever Produced. Moreover, This Was One Of The Few Revolutionary Movements With Which A U.s. Administration Attempted, Not Only To Come To Terms, But Even To Forge An Alliance. The First Part Of The Book Deals With Villa's Early Life As An Outlaw And His Emergence As A Secondary Leader Of The Mexican Revolution, And Also Discusses The Special Conditions That Transformed The State Of Chihuahua Into A Leading Center Of Revolution. In The Second Part, Beginning In 1913, Villa Emerges As A National Leader. The Author Analyzes The Nature Of His Revolutionary Movement And The Impact Of Villismo As An Ideology And As A Social Movement. The Third Part Of The Book Deals With The Years 1915 To 1920: Villa's Guerrilla Warfare, His Attack On Columbus, New Mexico, And His Subsequent Decline. The Last Part Describes Villa's Surrender, His Brief Life As A Hacendado, His Assassination And Its Aftermath, And The Evolution Of The Villa Legend. The Book Concludes With An Assessment Of Villa's Personality And The Character And Impact Of His Movement. Ch. 1. From The Frontier To The Border -- Ch. 2. Revolution That Neither Its Supreme Leader Nor Its Opponents Expected -- Ch. 3. Disillusion And Counterrevolution -- Ch. 4. Unrequited Love -- Ch. 5. From Exile To Governor Of Chihuahua -- Ch. 6. Four Weeks That Shook Chihuahua -- Ch. 7. Villista Leaders -- Ch. 8. División Del Norte -- Ch. 9. Villa's Emergence As A National Leader -- Ch. 10. Elusive Search For Peace -- Ch. 11. Villismo In Practice -- Ch. 12. New Civil War In Mexico -- Ch. 13. Snatching Defeat From The Jaws Of Victory -- Ch. 14. Villa's Two-front War With Carranza And The United States -- Ch. 15. Resurgence Of Villa In 1916-1917 -- Ch. 16. Villa's Darkest Years -- Ch. 17. Villa And The Outside World -- Ch. 18. Attempt To Create Villismo With A Gentler Face -- Ch. 19. From Guerrilla Leader To Hacendado -- Ch. 20. End And The Survival Of Villa. Friedrich Katz. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [919]-954) And Index. The definitive biography of a Mexican revolutionary reckoned a monster by some, a hero by many more. Francisco Villa’s origins, writes University of Chicago historian Katz (The Ancient American Civilizations, 1972), have long been obscured in legend; Villa himself gave differing accounts of his rise. The sources seem to agree, however, that Villa was a minor bandit who managed through canny self-promotion to remake himself, as American president Woodrow Wilson put it, into “a sort of Robin Hood [who] had spent an eventful life in robbing the rich in order to give to the poor.” Katz places Villa’s rise to revolutionary leadership in the context of social unrest in 19th-century northern Mexico, when the comparatively wealthy state of Chihuahua attempted to break away from the rule of Mexico City, precipitating a nationwide power struggle. At the beginning of that revolution, Katz discovers, Villa had been working as a muleteer for an American mining company and was locally renowned for his knowledge of cockfighting; his chief ambition seems to have been to set up a butcher shop in the capital city. Instead, Villa took advantage of the unrest to raise an army to wage war against national leaders Francisco Madero and Porfirio Diaz. He also forged an unlikely alliance of the Chihuahuan oligarchy and the revolutionary peasantry, crossed into the US to raid arsenals and granaries, and ranged throughout Mexico to commit strategically innovative acts of guerilla warfare. Through misjudgments, however, Villa lost important battles in the north, and his army, now full of unwilling conscripts instead of volunteers, disintegrated in 1915. Assassinated in 1923 while staging an attempted comeback, Villa continues to influence Mexican politics after his death, with candidates even today invoking his name. Katz speculates that had Villa survived to lead the nation, he would have instituted important land reforms and established a more democratic government than the quasi-dictatorship that followed. An important, well-written contribution to Mexican history. Frontmatter Preface (page xiii) Prologue (page 1) PART ONE ~ FROM OUTLAW TO REVOLUTIONARY 1 From the Frontier to the Border (page 11) 2 The Revolution That Neither Its Supreme Leader Nor Its Opponents Expected The Chihuahuan Revolution, 1910-1911, and the Role of Pancho Villa (page 57) 3 Disillusion and Counterrevolution Chihuahua, 1912-1913 (page 126) 4 An Unrequited Love Villa and Madero, 1912-1913 (page 147) PART TWO ~ FROM REVOLUTIONARY TO NATIONAL LEADER 5 From Exile to Governor of Chihuahua The Rise of Villa in 1913 (page 193) 6 Four Weeks That Shook Chihuahua Villa's Brief but Far-Reaching Governorship (page 229) 7 The Villista Leaders (page 253) 8 The División del Norte (page 287) 9 Villa's Emergence as a National Leader His Relations with the United States and His Conflict with Carranza (page 309) 10 The Elusive Search for Peace (page 354) 11 Villismo in Practice Chihuahua Under Villa, 1913-1915 (page 397) 12 The New Civil War in Mexico Villismo on the Offensive (page 433) 13 Snatching Defeat from the Jaws of Victory (page 487) PART THREE ~ FROM NATIONAL LEADER TO GUERRILLA LEADER 14 Villa's Two-Front War with Carranza and the United States (page 545) 15 The Resurgence of Villa in 1916-1917 (page 583) 16 Villa's Darkest Years The Savage and Bloody Guerrilla Struggle in Chihuahua, 1917-1920 (page 615) 17 Villa and the Outside World (page 655) 18 The Attempt to Create Villismo with a Gentler Face The Return of Felipe Angeles (page 680) PART FOUR ~ RECONCILIATION, PEACE, AND DEATH 19 From Guerrilla Leader to Hacendado (page 719) 20 The End and the Survival of Villa (page 761) Conclusion (page 795) Appendix: On the Archival Trail of Pancho Villa (page 821) Abbreviations (page 837) Notes (page 839) Archival Sources (page 911) Bibliography (page 919) Index (page 955)