Francisco (Pancho) Villa?

Question

What could you guys tell me about this guy?

Answer 1

Sam Houston and Davy Crockett could tell you a lot more than I ever could. However, the URL below will tell you plenty, and pictures too. Have fun.

Answer 2

Two things to understand first:

Wilson was already unpopular with many Mexicans because he had sent battleships to occupy Veracruz in 1914, This was to oppose the reign of Huerta, the general who had overthrown the first popularly elected president in 50 years, but it was still a foreign intervention, something that Wilson failed to appreciate.

Villa had great support in the US during the first two stages of the Revolution. The fact that he lost that through a US decision to support Carranza in 1915 led to a number of intemperate moves, including his raid on Columbus, New Mexico.

You already know that before the 1910 uprising Villa (Aranza) was pretty much a bandit (like in Treasure of the Sierra Madre), but that after Huerta's fall shared the Government with Emiliano Zapata, until he got tired of it and went back home to Sonora, to be assassinated some five years later.

Pershing's expedition was a total failure. Therefore Pershing became commander of all US troops in France 1917-18. This is apparently how things worked in the US military. If it had not been for one unfortunate circumstance in Montana in June 1876 George Custer might well have become the next President.

Answer 3

He was a really crafty guy. I think he crossed the boarder and did something minor that offended America. At this time Wilson was President, and many people thought of him as a Pacifist at the time because of WWI at the time and his not being yet involved (It was right before the U.S. joined). To show Americans a non-Pacifist side of him, he decided to do a display of superior American military might. He sends in General Pershing with orders to capture Pancho. At first everyone was thrilled- they were going to capture that scoundrel! But as the weeks went on and on, and he wasn't captured, people began to admire Pancho- he was outwitting an entire army. Eventually Wilson ordered Pershing to withdraw, and the U.S. Army left with its tail between its legs. What Wilson should have done is simply gotten the Mexicans on his side- they didn't like him either, that is until the wily Pancho outfoxed the Americans and redesigned his image to the eye of the public.

Answer 4

The American author John Reed wrote about Pancho Villa in his 1914 classic called 'Insurgent Mexico'.