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Mexican-American military engagements From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Mexican Border War,[15] also known as the Border Campaign,[16] refers to a series of military engagements which took place between the United States military and several Mexican factions in the Mexican–American border region of North America during the Mexican Revolution. It was the last major conflict fought on U.S. soil.
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Border War | |||||||
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Part of the U.S. intervention in the Mexican Revolution, Banana Wars, and World War I | |||||||
Mexico-US border marker | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Supported by: Germany | United States | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Álvaro Obregón Venustiano Carranza Pancho Villa Felipe Ángeles Aniceto Pizana Luis de la Rosca |
Herbert J. Slocum John J. Pershing Frank Tompkins Frederick J. Herman | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
867 soldiers, militia, and insurgents killed[a] 400+ civilians killed[b] |
123 soldiers killed 427 civilians killed[14] |
From the beginning of the Mexican Revolution in 1910, the United States Army was stationed in force along the border and, on several occasions, fought with Mexican rebels or regular federal troops. The height of the conflict came in 1916 when revolutionary Pancho Villa attacked the American border town of Columbus, New Mexico. In response, the United States Army, under the direction of General John J. Pershing, launched a punitive expedition into northern Mexico, to find and capture Villa. Although Villa was not captured, the US Army found and engaged the Villista rebels, killing Villa's two top lieutenants. The revolutionary himself escaped, and the American army returned to the United States in January 1917.
Conflict at the border continued, however, and the United States launched several smaller operations into Mexican territory until after the American victory in the Battle of Ambos Nogales in August 1918, which led to the establishment of a permanent border wall.[17] Conflict was not limited to battles between Villistas and Americans; Maderistas, Carrancistas, Constitutionalistas and Germans also engaged with American forces in that period. The Bandit War[18] in Texas was part of the Border War.
The German Empire, a major trading partner with Mexico and a rival of the United States and its allies, was involved. In 1914, the United States occupied Veracruz, aiming to cut off supplies of ammunition from the German Empire to Mexico at the start of World War I. In 1917, the British government intercepted a German telegram which offered the Mexican President financial support in recapturing the territories acquired by the United States through the Texas annexation and the Mexican Cession. In exchange, the German Empire wanted Mexico's formal support in anticipation of a hypothetical United States entry into the war in Europe. While the offer was not accepted, a small German military presence could be observed in later battles along the border, such as the Battle of Ambos Nogales.
The 1910s saw escalated violence between Anglo-Americans and Mexican-Americans in Texas. There were numerous instances of violence, including lynchings, against Mexicans by vigilantes, and law enforcement, such as the Texas Rangers. Violence was at its highest from 1915 to 1919, in response to the Plan de San Diego by Mexican and Tejano insurgents to conquer Texas. This further increased the prevalence of anti-Mexican sentiment.[23] At least 300 Mexican Americans were killed in Texas during the 1910s, with total estimates ranging from hundreds to thousands killed. At least 100 Mexican Americans were lynched in the 1910s, mostly in Texas.[24][23] 20 percent of all recorded lynchings of Mexicans in the United States occurred between 1910 and 1920.[25] About 400 Anglo-Texans were also killed total in unrest and attacks along the border during the 1910s, and much property was destroyed.[26]
The United States occupation of Veracruz (21 April to 23 November 1914) came in the midst of poor diplomatic relations between Mexico and the United States, and was related to the ongoing Mexican Revolution. Tensions were further escalated by the Tampico Affair of 9 April 1914, where nine American sailors landed in a restricted dock area and were subsequently detained for an hour and a half. Following this, "the Ypiranga incident—in which the U.S. learned that the SS Ypiranga, a German steamer, was about to deliver weapons and munitions to the Mexican government at Veracruz" occurred, violating the unilateral sanction the United States had imposed on Mexico. As a result, the U.S. military seized the port beginning with the Battle of Veracruz and ending seven months later.[27]
During the Mexican Border Wars, there was a series of revolutionary attacks on the Mexican Government and Military that started in 1910 and was most prolific throughout 1920. Francisco I. Madero challenged Porfirio Díaz in the election, who has been a longtime Mexican president but recently sent the citizens into economic struggles. Madero lost to an unfair ballot and this caused uprisings throughout Mexico which made Diaz lose control and overthrew him in 1911. After Madero gained control, he had to defend himself from other powerful leaders such as Bernardo Reyes and Victoriano Huerta. They believed that Madero was attacking for the wrong reasons and was able to end his leadership in 1913. This caused a series of attacks against powerful regional leaders throughout Mexico for the next 7 years. In 1914, leaders such as Venustiano Carranza and Pancho Villa overthrew Huerta and Reyes' regime until 1915. Carranza later betrayed Pancho Villa and by 1917, Carranza created the Constitution of Mexico and promoted land reform in Mexico as well as other important documents and increased the power of the federal government.
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