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Intervention!: The United States and the Mexican Revolution, 1913-1917
Powerful and compelling. . . . Eisenhower is not only an accomplished military historian, he's also a storyteller in the tradition of Bruce Caton and Shelby Foote."―Steve Neal, Chicago Sun-Times In May 1916, six American soldiers led by Lieutenant George S. Patton, Jr., surrounded a building near Rubio, Chihuahua. When the occupants burst out of the door, guns blazing, Patton and his men cut them down. A month later seventy American troopers charged into a strong Mexican position at Carrizal; ten were killed and twenty-three taken prisoner. In 1914, a powerful American naval force seized Mexico's principal seaport, Veracruz, and occupied the city for six months. Yet, all the while, Mexico and the United States were technically at peace.
The United States began its involvement in the Mexican Revolution in 1913 with President Woodrow Wilson's decision to remove Victoriana Huerta, leader of a military junta that overthrew and murdered Mexico's president, Francisco Madero. Diplomatic actions failing, Wilson occupied Veracruz, cutting off Huerta's supplies of arms from abroad. When in 1916 the legendary bandit Pancho Villa raided Columbus, New Mexico, Wilson sent General John J. Pershing into Chihuahua to capture him.
This story leads readers to increased respect for the people of Mexico and its revolutionary leaders―Zapata, Obregon, Carranza, and Pancho Villa. It shows that, while American troops performed well, U.S. intervention had no effect on the outcome of the Mexican Revolution. The American army had a taste of battle and Pershing went on to become the greatest American hero of the First World War.
The United States began its involvement in the Mexican Revolution in 1913 with President Woodrow Wilson's decision to remove Victoriana Huerta, leader of a military junta that overthrew and murdered Mexico's president, Francisco Madero. Diplomatic actions failing, Wilson occupied Veracruz, cutting off Huerta's supplies of arms from abroad. When in 1916 the legendary bandit Pancho Villa raided Columbus, New Mexico, Wilson sent General John J. Pershing into Chihuahua to capture him.
This story leads readers to increased respect for the people of Mexico and its revolutionary leaders―Zapata, Obregon, Carranza, and Pancho Villa. It shows that, while American troops performed well, U.S. intervention had no effect on the outcome of the Mexican Revolution. The American army had a taste of battle and Pershing went on to become the greatest American hero of the First World War.
416 pages, Paperback
First published July 17, 1993
179 people want to read
About the author
John S.D. Eisenhower
33 books30 followersJohn Sheldon Doud Eisenhower was a United States Army officer, diplomat, and military historian. He was the son of President Dwight D. Eisenhower and First Lady Mamie Eisenhower. His military career spanned from before, during, and after his father's presidency, and he left active duty in 1963 and then retired in 1974. From 1969 to 1971, Eisenhower served as United States Ambassador to Belgium during the administration of President Richard Nixon, who was previously his father's vice president and also his daughter-in-law's father.
As a military historian, Eisenhower wrote several books, including The Bitter Woods, a study of the Battle of the Bulge, So Far from God, a history of the Mexican–American War and Yanks: The Epic Story of the American Army in World War I .
As a military historian, Eisenhower wrote several books, including The Bitter Woods, a study of the Battle of the Bulge, So Far from God, a history of the Mexican–American War and Yanks: The Epic Story of the American Army in World War I .
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
October 18, 2019
An overlooked slice of history (on the American side) gets examined by a noted military historian, John Eisenhower, who was Dwight Eisenhower's son. I was pleasantly surprised by how smooth and engaging the narrative was. Given Eisenhower's immersion in military culture virtually from birth, I was expecting a much stiffer, clunkier writing style, with an emphasis on military tactics. Not at all. This is finely written history, with an emphasis on personalities, localities, and the overarching political context of the times.
Taking place on the eve of WWI, this topic is seldom written about by American historians. WWI overshadows these events, with it paling in comparison to what was going on in Europe at that time. Biographies of Woodrow Wilson, while not ignoring Wilson's attempts at intervention in Mexican affairs, do not focus heavily on that part of Wilson's presidency. One of the reasons for this might be that, yes when compared to WWI, it is definitely a much less historically significant event. But I also think it is because Wilson (while a secondary character in this book) does not come off looking well here (not that many people do here). Wilson violated the sovereignty of another nation, and at first did not have a solid pretext for doing so. Even when one existed later, after Pancho Villa's raid on Columbus, NM, it was still not done very smoothly.
But the focus here is on Mexico and its bloody, convoluted revolution. So many people are involved, many of them end up dead in a hail of bullets, that sometimes it is hard to keep track of everyone, especially at the beginning. Later, the narrative settles down a bit as Eisenhower focuses on Villa, Alvaro Obregon, and Venustiano Carranza on the Mexican side. There were multiple warring factions, each with their own grievances and ways of inciting terror. Power changes hands several times, and rarely ends without bloodshed.
Once General John J. Pershing takes command of the Punitive Expedition, the book follows a more structured pattern - reviewing U.S. troop movements and describing their encounters with troops loyal to the Mexican government or to Villa. Eisenhower uses his military knowledge to help the reader understand how the U.S. troops placed themselves in dangerous situations. The battles themselves were few and far between, but Eisenhower does not bog down when describing them.
This is a welcome read on a forgotten part of history (outside of Mexico). Also, in an appendix, Eisenhower writes of going to visit several of the locales and how some of them are still recognizable and some are not (this was in the early 1990s). It was a nice, personal way to end a good book.
Taking place on the eve of WWI, this topic is seldom written about by American historians. WWI overshadows these events, with it paling in comparison to what was going on in Europe at that time. Biographies of Woodrow Wilson, while not ignoring Wilson's attempts at intervention in Mexican affairs, do not focus heavily on that part of Wilson's presidency. One of the reasons for this might be that, yes when compared to WWI, it is definitely a much less historically significant event. But I also think it is because Wilson (while a secondary character in this book) does not come off looking well here (not that many people do here). Wilson violated the sovereignty of another nation, and at first did not have a solid pretext for doing so. Even when one existed later, after Pancho Villa's raid on Columbus, NM, it was still not done very smoothly.
But the focus here is on Mexico and its bloody, convoluted revolution. So many people are involved, many of them end up dead in a hail of bullets, that sometimes it is hard to keep track of everyone, especially at the beginning. Later, the narrative settles down a bit as Eisenhower focuses on Villa, Alvaro Obregon, and Venustiano Carranza on the Mexican side. There were multiple warring factions, each with their own grievances and ways of inciting terror. Power changes hands several times, and rarely ends without bloodshed.
Once General John J. Pershing takes command of the Punitive Expedition, the book follows a more structured pattern - reviewing U.S. troop movements and describing their encounters with troops loyal to the Mexican government or to Villa. Eisenhower uses his military knowledge to help the reader understand how the U.S. troops placed themselves in dangerous situations. The battles themselves were few and far between, but Eisenhower does not bog down when describing them.
This is a welcome read on a forgotten part of history (outside of Mexico). Also, in an appendix, Eisenhower writes of going to visit several of the locales and how some of them are still recognizable and some are not (this was in the early 1990s). It was a nice, personal way to end a good book.
January 21, 2010
The 1st book I've read on the Mexican Revolution that makes sense of that mass of confusion and leaves the trail of Mexico's mess clear in the reader's mind. Superb. An unbiased look at Villa, Carranza, Diaz, Huerta, Zapata and all the others who wallowed in the Mexican Revolution of the early 1900's and the unsurd actions of the "Big Brother" United States attempting to control Mexican politics.
Highly recommended to anyone interested in US or Mexican history.
Highly recommended to anyone interested in US or Mexican history.
June 6, 2011
I really enjoyed this, most of my previous knowledge of events came from US military activities on the border so most of the details of the Mexican Revolution were new to me. A very easy read and enjoyable.
May 9, 2017
A part of American history of which most Americans are ignorant. It is well worth reading. One needs to be well grounded in history to more fully understand the events and attitudes of the present.
March 2, 2021
A very readable history of US involvement with the Mexican Civil War (1910-1920), with emphasis on US military interventions in 1914 and again 1916-1917. Eisenhower sets up the context for those interventions, including the destructive turmoil within successive Mexican governments and US diplomatic meddling/fumbling that made a bad situation even worse. I've read a number of books on the Pancho Villa Expedition, and this one stands out by providing the context for why actions took place and some semblance of even-handed placement of responsibility.
January 3, 2024
A fantastic cautionary tale for the U.S.'s seemingly endless appetite for foreign intervention and its disastrous social and political consequences that reverberate for decades. A relevant work for the '90s and a relevant work for the 2020s as the United States continues to interfere with the affairs of foreign nations. Eisenhower does a great job building up each of the historical characters from the peasant demagogue Pancho Villa, power-hungry gentleman President Carranza, politically astute Gen. Obregon, and resourceful young Lt. Patton.
February 25, 2016
A history of the Mexican Revolution from the perspective of President Woodrow Wilson. This is a great book with a focus on the American invasion and occupation of the city of Veracruz in 1914, and the American invasion of northern Mexico, where Wilson sent General Pershing to capture Pancho Villa after Villa raided the town of Columbus New Mexico in 1916. Eisenhower is a good story teller, and is able to make clear sense out of the complexities of the Revolution and America’s reactions.
July 26, 2012
Read during the Morton College Years.....Good stuff....The Mexican Revolution is a convoluted affair and our involvement was as well...The Patton stuff was awesome....but the real villian was Mexican General Obregon...he whacked Villa and Zapata and betrayed his rich benefactors to establish the dominance of the PRI for nearly 100 years...
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews