Revolutionary Borderlands
The North of Mexico was a critical geographical area that all revolutionaries wanted to control. Its proximity to the border meant that rebels in this area could access arms, ammunition, and supplies for their armies from the United States. Another advantage of the region was the railway system, which connected major cities of national and international importance. Through much of the Mexican Revolution, Francisco “Pancho” Villa would dominate the region as the general of the División del Norte, or Division of the North, the largest revolutionary force in the Mexican Revolution.
Crucial Geography
The Ciudad Juárez-El Paso metro area in particular has always played an important role in the United States-Mexico border. Even before the Revolution started, the importance of this region was apparent when President Porfirio Díaz and President William Taft met in El Paso, Texas. Only a couple of years later, Ciudad Juárez would be the pivotal battle that would lead to Díaz stepping down from the presidency. Villa would take full advantage of the region’s strategic placement, making the border city of Ciudad Juárez one of his most important strongholds.
Villa established the Agencia Comercial y Financiera for the División del Norte on February 10, 1914, and appointed Lázaro de la Garza as the Agente Financiero. Villa and Garza used the Ciudad Juárez-El Paso area as a strategic and convenient point of access. From the United States, Garza would coordinate deliveries, meetings, finances, and handle U.S.-Mexico relations. This contact made it easy to access arms, aid, money, and supplies, which were necessary for Villa’s reign over the North.
Explore Pancho Villa's correspondence with Lázaro de la Garza below or through this ArcGIS Story Map.
Another advantage was that the border region was well connected through the Ferrocarril del Noroeste and Ciudad Juárez was the starting point of the railroads. Villa and his army could move between Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Torreón, and Mexico City easily. Because Villa had a stronghold in this area, he had an influence over the Ferrocarril del Noroeste. In one letter to the manager of the company, Villa asks them to have one of their train cars available to transport them to Chihuahua. He also promises that he won’t damage their railroad lines anymore and that they are welcome to start repairs. This control over the railroad system gave Villa and his army the upper hand during the Revolution.
The Man Behind the Myth
Pancho Villa haunts the border, sometimes appearing to be more myth than man. There are many different versions of his mythology – Robin Hood, tenacious general, brutal killer. Though we know a lot about him during the Revolution, we don’t know much about his early life, adding to his allure. How does one separate man from myth? And at what point does myth become truth?
Villa was born on June 5, 1878, in Durango under the name Doroteo Arango. There are many different versions of his pre-Revolution life. According to his own account, he began as an outlaw after shooting a hacendado, the owner of an estate, who was trying to assault one of his sisters. Another account written by Celia Herrera paints him as a violent man, attributing his origins to Villa killing one of his friends in a fight. Regardless of which version one believes, his rogue beginnings thrust him to be one of the most well-known generals of the Revolution.
Villa joined the Revolution in 1910 after Abraham González, the leader of the Maderistas in Chihuahua, recruited him. Shortly after successfully besieging Ciudad Juárez in 1911, General Huerta charged him with insubordination and sentenced him to death. President Madero spared his life but sent him to prison in 1912, though Villa would not last long in prison. After seven months, he escaped and took refuge in El Paso, Texas. Upon his return to the Revolution, he took charge of the Division of the North and maintained control of northern Mexico.
Northern Soldaderas
When we think about the Division of the North, we picture ranks of men in their uniforms, marching towards their next target. However, some Villistas mentioned that there were approximately 400 women soldiers, known as soldaderas, fighting alongside them in the Battle of Torreon in 1914. But Villa was known for not tolerating soldaderas amongst his ranks. Rather, he saw them as a burden, both at the barracks and on the battlefield. The most harrowing display of this contempt was in 1916. It is said that a soldadera attempted to kill Villa, but missed. In and act of solidarity, the rest of the soldaderas refused to give one of their own up, and Villa had all of them executed, demonstrating how quickly he was willing to eliminate them. Though Villa did not give formal recognition, this does not take away from the role and impact that women had in his revolutionary efforts.
Sanctuaries, Suppliers, and Theatres
The North became a coveted military area during the Revolution that Pancho Villa took control of. His involvement in the Revolution is infamous, controversial, and inextricably linked to the border. The link between border cities implicated more than just the revolutionaries and their armies, however. Some residents of the area provided aid to soldiers, others would stand and watch the fighting from a distance, and Mexican citizens crossed the border to safety. Border cities served as sanctuaries, suppliers, and theatres, changing the lives of civilians on both sides.
