The Mexican Revolution: Part I-The Porfiriato

The Mexican Revolution lasted from 1910 and 1920. Although Francisco Madero managed to overthrow  the dictator Porfiro Diaz, he proved to be an ineffective president, who soon lost power. A succession of generals and rebel leaders struggled to gain the president's chair, but the fighting merely grew more destructive until Alvaro Obregon emerged as the victor in 1920. Part I explains how Porfiro Diaz became dictator of Mexico, and then allowed American and European corporations and financiers to dominate the Mexican economy. While the Mexican elite became rich, the majority of the Mexican population did not share in the prosperity, which fueled resentment. 

Cast of Characters:
Porfiro Diaz-President of Mexico 
Benito Juarez-President of Mexico during the French Intervention in Mexico, initially an ally, then a rival of Diaz
Sebastian Lerdo-Juarez's successor as president, overthrown by Diaz in a revolt
Jose Yves Limantour-Minister of Finance, leader of the Cientificos faction 
Bernardo Reyes-governor of Nuevo Leon, former Minister of War, leader of the anti-cientificos faction
James Stillman-wealthy Texan, partner in several Texan railroads and chairman of National City Bank of New York
Edward Doheny-American oil tycoon who helped create the Mexican oil industry
Sir Weetman Pearson-British engineer who helped create the Mexican oil industry

Sources:
Villa and Zapata: A Biography of the Mexican Revolution-Frank McLynn
The Mexican Revolution: Volumes I & II-Alan Knight
The Mexican Revolution 1910-1940-Michael J. Gonzales
Mexico: Biography of Power, A History of Modern Mexico, 1810-1996-Enrique Krauze, translated by Hank Heifetz
Porfirio Diaz-Paul Garner
Empire and Revolution: The Americans in Mexico since the Civil War-John Mason Hart
Revolutionary Mexico: The Coming and Process of the Mexican Revolution
The Guggenheims: An American Epic-John H. Davis
Oil and Revolution in Mexico-Jonathan C. Brown
Dark Side of Fortune: Triumph and Scandal in the Life of Oil Tycoon Edward L. Doheny-Margaret Leslie Davis

Image Credit:
Dec 6 1914 General Tomás Urbina, General Pancho Villa and General Emiliano Zapata, Creator: Casasola, Agustín Víctor, 1874-1938, Elmer and Diane Powell collection on Mexico and the Mexican Revolution, DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University, Wikimedia Commons