The Mexican Revolution: Part XII-The 1920 Presidential Election...or the Fall of Venustiano Carranza

The Mexican Revolution lasted from 1910 to 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 XII explores Felix Diaz's surprisingly successful revolt, and the rapid decline in the influence of both Villa and Zapata. However, the key event was Carranza's break with his key general Alvaro Obregon, which has drastic consequences. 

Cast of Characters:
Francisco Villa-rebel leader in Chihuahua, his followers are called villistas
Emiliano Zapata-leader of an agrarian movement in Morelos, his followers are called zapatistas
Gildardo Magana-key zapatista adviser
Venustiano Carranza-president of Mexico, former governor of Coahuila, and leader of the Constitutional movement against Huerta
Alvaro Obregon-a leading general in Carranza's Constitutionalist army
Felix Diaz-repeat rebel, Porfiro Diaz's nephew
Manuel Palaez-rebel leader in Tampico, funded by oil companies in exchange for security
Felipe Angeles-Pancho Villa's leading general, former general in the federal army 
Pablo Gonzalez-a leading general in Carranza's Constitutionalist army

Sources:
Villa and Zapata: A Biography of the Mexican Revolution-Frank McLynn
The Mexican Revolution: Volumes I & II-Alan Knight
Mexico: Biography of Power, A History of Modern Mexico, 1810-1996-Enrique Krauze, translated by Hank Heifetz
The Mexican Revolution 1910-1940-Michael J. Gonzales
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 Life and Times of Pancho Villa-Friedrich Katz
Centaur of the North: Francisco Villa, the Mexican Revolution, and Northern Mexico
Emiliano Zapata: Revolution and Betrayal in Mexico-Samuel Brunk
Zapata and the Mexican Revolution-John Womack, Jr.
Ranchero Revolt: The Mexican Revolution in Guerrero-Ian Jacobs
Venustaino Carranza's Nationalist Struggle, 1893-1920-Douglas W. Richmond
Alvaro Obregon: Power and Revolution in Mexico, 1911-1920-Linda B. Hall
The Last Caudillo: Alvar Obregon and the Mexican Revolution-Jurgen Buchenau
The Secret War in Mexico: Europe, the United States and the Mexican Revolution-Friedrich Katz
Felix Diaz, the Porfirians, and the Mexican Revolution-Peter V. N. Henderson
Oil and Revolution in Mexico-Jonathan C. Brown
Oil, Banks and Politics: The United States and Postrevolutionary Mexico, 1917-1924-Linda B. Hall

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