The Mexican Revolution

The Mexican Revolution, the deadliest social upheaval in Latin American history, erupted in 1910 when political reformers, peasants, and exploited workers overthrew Mexico's longtime dictator, Porfirio Diaz. Although it took just six months for the rebels to defeat Diaz, the revolution would grind on for almost another decade, as a succession of political and military leaders-many of them more interested in securing power for themselves than in helping Mexico's downtrodden masses-vied for control. By the time the revolution petered out in 1920, it had claimed more than a million Mexican lives and left the country's economy in a shambles. Yet it had also laid the groundwork for a series of far-reaching social and economic reforms, including the biggest redistribution of land in the history of the Americas. In The Mexican Revolution, readers will gain an understanding of the social and political upheaval surrounding this event, its major players, and its lasting effects.