In this substantial study the authors give a Marxian interpretation of the Mexican Revolution. After describing the Díaz regime—the heyday of the foreign investor—they present the kaleidoscopic events that followed: vast peasant uprisings led by Villa and Zapata, a massive strike movement, and the effort by Madero with American backing, to control the whirlwind within liberal limits. After Madero failed, the proponents of intervention, among them Henry Wilson, envoy to Mexico, gained strength. When Huerta, with British backing, overthrew Madero, President Wilson backed Carranza, a conservative landowner, and prepared intervention in the Tampico and Vera Cruz incidents, to the fury of the Mexicans. Before a catastrophe could occur, however, Zapata and Villa overthrew Huerta and Carranza came to power. After conservative forces had defeated Villa and Zapata had subsided, Carranza ruthlessly suppressed the strike movement and quieted the peasants with empty promises.
Although Wilson gave de facto recognition to the Carranza regime, the authors emphasize the interventionist movement in the United States, aroused by Mexican nationalization of minerals. Senator Fall and Cardinal Gibbons were leading interventionists. The authors ascribe Villa’s Columbus raid to American provocation, which almost secured the full-scale occupation it sought when Pershing led his expedition to catch Villa. But both Wilson and Carranza avoided conflict, and the approach of war with Germany compelled the withdrawal of Pershing’s forces. With the adoption of the moderately liberal constitution of 1917 Carranza solidified his hold on power and the Mexican Revolution drew to an end.
The authors have used documentary material of the Mexican, United States, British, and German governments, the papers of Colonel House, and many monographs, memoirs, statistical works, and periodicals. There are eight and one-half pages of bibliography.
