Obregon

Raymond Morua
November 24, 2010
The Undisputed Obregon
The Revolution of 1910 was and still is a monumental event in México’s history. The event spawned the romanticism of the people’s champion, Emiliano Zapata. The revolution also gave the bravado of Pancho Villa a world stage. While Francisco Madero’s movement gave iconic birth to both men, the man who was victorious is overshadowed and seen as a sellout. Alvaro Obregon’s role in the revolution is also iconic, yet much more significant than the former two men. Obregon is the hero that México deserves, but wasn’t seen as the one it needed. Many of his presidential decisions and actions are seen as controversial, but in order to understand his decisions you must first understand the man. Alvaro Obregon’s involvement in the revolution made more than Mexican history, Alvaro Obregon made world history.
Obregon was no stranger to struggle or hardship. His father passed away shortly after he was born, Obregon was the youngest of 18 children. His families land was taken away because his father’s business partner was a supporter of Maximilian. As a young boy he was attracted to books, poems, learned the various tasks of running a farm, and spent most of his time with the courageous Mayo Indians (Krauze 374-375). All of these events would go on to encourage and motivate his decisions and public policies.
Sonora was Obregon’s home and is geographically isolated from most of México. This allowed for Sonora to develop and progress at its own pace, and in a political sense; was not totally controlled by Diaz. The isolation that Sonora enjoyed made political opposition safer than

other locations in Mexico. Sonora also benefited from their geographic position in the form of commerce; the U.S. was their biggest trade partner. Many Sonoran’s backed the candidacy of Madero and the Sonoran elites had never been united behind Diaz. Sonora was also very anticlerical and greatly influenced by freemason ideology (Hall 10-11).
In 1910 Obregon put his early political career in jeopardy before it even began. Jose Otero, a local leader wanted Obregon to sign a statement of support for Diaz. Obregon refused which later resulted in controversy in his running for presidente municipal. In 1911 he was decided the victor, and quickly got to work instituting a number of programs mainly dedicated to education and public works. Obregon impressively served his constituents; of his budget of 20,040 pesos, exactly half was used for public education and material improvements. He also increased the tax on bars and eliminated the tax on irrigation canals; irrigation canals were extremely important and much needed in Sonora (Hall 25-26).
When the initial revolution began in 1910, Obregon opted out to take care of his family; he was widowed with two young children. His lack of participation in the fight against Diaz would haunt him till death. Others would call him a late comer, but nobody was harder on him than himself (Krauze 377-378). 1912 would be Obregon’s opportunity for redemption, and he seized it. Pascual Orozco, a former general and comrade of Madero would rebel against the new Madero government with the declaration of the Plan de la Empacadora (Aguilar 28-29). Obregon acted swiftly and recruited some 300 men and joined the irregular army of Sonora. His pivotal moment would be the battle of San Joaquin, were he defeated and repelled Orozco and his forces (Minister 1). A significant fact to recognize would be that Obregon started his military career in support of a constituted government and not in opposition of it (Hall 27).
Obregon’s military campaigns were very successful and earned him the respect of his soldiers and fellow officers. His leadership was the stuff of legends. Edward Larocque Tinker was a lawyer who was attached to Obregon to insure the defense of the Nacozari mines. Tinker described Obregon as a “Real Leader”, and he also glorified the tactics and shrewdness Obregon displayed in battle (Hall 31-33). Obregon’s courage reached legendary status, once when a cannon ball land near him, he just paused and without running, waited for the explosion. Another time he lost his arm and was lying in his own blood, courageous enough to take his own life; was denied the opportunity when his pistol wouldn’t fire. Twice he entered Villa’s lair and antagonized him, earning the respect of Villa’s men (Krauze 381-387).
The man from Sonora was a different breed from his revolutionary counterparts. Obregon considered himself a socialist, and was backed by the fiercest fighters in all México; the Yaqui Indians. Before battles he would meet with his staff, advisors and go over his supplies, strategies and materials. When dealing with political matters he worked it out with friends and civilians who were labor organizers and intellectuals. His decisions were always a combination of desirables and practicables (Brenner 42-43). Obregon had an extraordinary ability to sense opportunity. He also possessed an uncanny ability to balance his resources and adapt to any situation (Aguilar 67).
Obregon’s tactics were frowned upon but are reminiscent of Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War” and Machiavelli’s “The Prince”. He was ahead of the curve, trying new methods that would revolutionize the way that wars would be fought and employed the tactics of the South African Boer Wars. Obregon modernized his forces; he was one of the first to pioneer the use of barbed wire, foxholes, trenches and aerial attacks (Minister 1). Obregon was able to use his victories as leverage to obtain help from Americans who wanted to protect their mines. He instituted a well ran medical corps to see to his men, which allowed for the speedy recovery and return of wounded soldiers (Hall 30). When the federal gunship the General Guerro threatened his troops off of the Topolobampo coast; Obregon took the opportunity to thrust himself and Mexican ingenuity onto the world stage and into the history books. For the first time in military history of the world, the Sonora, one of Obregon’s planes flew out to see and attacked the gunship (Krauze 380).
During the Convention of Aguascalientes none of the other generals personally showed up except for Obregon. This paid off immensely for how he was viewed; officers from other factions highly respected him. Though the convention was chaotic and no one could come to terms it was still a positive turn out for Obregon. He was given a chance to meet his rivals and some of them would eventually join his ranks (Minister 2).
By 1914 civil war was upon México and Obregon chose to stand with Carranza. This put him against the Zapatistas and the Villistas. Obregon easily defeated the Zapatistas and was prepping for his showdown with rival Pancho Villa. The two foes would engage in a series of battles that would eventually beat Villa into retreating. Their first encounter was in the town of Celaya. Obregon would rely on his defensive tactics and skills, while Villa continued with brutal charges that have won him most of his victories. Villas cowboy ways would cost him two battles at Celaya were Obregon’s forces effectively defended and counter attacked Villa. The two would again meet and battle in the Bajio and later Aguascalientes (Krauze 384-385).
Unlike the other revolutionary generals, Obregon would utilize his cunning and strategic thinking. Obregon made it a necessity to have knowledge of the terrain he was battling on; he would personally conduct reconnaissance of the area. Second, he studied and sized up his opponents as individuals; using their weakness against them and countering their strengths. Finally he had a substantial espionage system; Obregon had outstanding intelligence operations. He would also take the time to brief his soldiers on possible contingencies. Obregon was able to maintain flexibility and rise to any changing situation. His logistical planning was superior compared to Villa’s, which was a huge factor in his victories over him. Villa’s eagerness and disdain for Obregon also led to his defeat (Hall 120-124).
After defeating Villa, Obregon made a deal with Carranza not to bother him or get in his way from 1917 to 1919. Carranza never liked or trusted Obregon, and when Obregon announced he would run for president for the 1920 elections, Carranza personally set out to make sure that he wouldn’t win. Obregon was popular with the military, the middle class (which he belonged to), and the poor who were angry at Carranza. Carranza on the other hand wanted his handpicked candidate to be president. Carranza would try everything he could to discredit Obregon. He went as far as to strip Obregon of his military rank; the people of México saw this as petty and reminded them of Porfirio Diaz. When Carranza could not destroy the image of Obregon, he decided to send the army after him (Minister 3).
During the ratification of the new constitution Obregon supported the most extreme measures. Once back at his ranch Obregon founded a Cooperative Agricultural Society that united the chickpea farmers of Sonora and Sinaloa. Obregon spearheaded efforts to the quality and price of their product. When addressing the Mexican people he proposed that not a social platform but instead a moral and political goal: to purify the government and defend the freedom of the vote (Krauze 388-391). Obregon knew the importance of new institutions, organizations and discipline. His own political coalition was combined with the building of new political institutions with the help and support of former members of the revolutionary army, labor and agrarian groups, and new political parties (Hall 166-167).
After winning the presidency Obregon believed that active military should not participate in the government. His cabinet was made up of civilians who were honest economist or men with culture and imagination. His administration had ideas such as irrigation plans, free breakfast for schools, serum laboratories, baby clinics, and beggars’ hostels. Obregon even nationalized some of the churches and turned them into libraries, clinics and shelters. The agrarian policies where difficult for foreigners and hacienda owners to get use to, in response Obregon told them to “Observe the law” (Brenner 64-69).
“The creation of the schools was only one facet of the new cultural energy. Another one equally brilliant was the development of the fine arts. During Obregon’s term, México experienced a true rebirth of national values”. Artist such as Diego Rivera, Jose Orozco, etc expressed themselves and spread the social importance of the Revolution. An American who was in México City during the Obregon administration wrote in an article that Obregon was introducing instruction for children and adults. The people were being taught how to cultivate gardens, hygiene, and skills that would strengthen the sense of community (Krause 394).
Unfortunately like every great person in history, Obregon had his moment that still stains his legacy to this day. The Bucareli Agreements will cast a shadow over Obregon till the people accept this fault. Obregon wanted to be recognized by the United States, which is highly understandable when you have a hostile neighbor who is willing to do whatever it takes to get their way. He refused to repeal Article 27 (Land Distribution) when the U.S. demanded he do so, but to go back to his history, Obregon calculated all his thoughts. At the time he was viewed as a sell out and an opportunist (Krauze 396).
In this day and age the Mexican people should be able to forgive Obregon for the Bucareli Agreement and honor him for the hero he was and always will be. Alvaro Obregon should be remembered as the man from humble beginnings, a self made man who at a young age showed his drive for success and ambition to rise to the top. The man was an inventor, a shoe sales man, a politician who believed in education for all. He befriended the Mayo people, and turned out to be a successful businessman. As a soldier he reinvented war and gave the world the model for combat that would be used for years to come. He was the first person ever in the world to utilize aircraft for combat operations, besides being the first; it was a Mexican that did it. He was implementing combat ground tactics before they were used in World War I. Obregon went undefeated during his military career, defeating Villa, Carranza, Orozco, and the Zapatistas. His methods for victory were precise and effective. Not as radical as Villa or Zapata but still a man for the people. For a hundred years Obregon has been denied the recognition and respect given to the Zapata and Villa. Both men had the opportunity to take control of México and turned it down. Obregon not only had the drive to lead but he had the courage to the tame the tiger unleashed from the Revolution. It is time for the world to acknowledge the historical relevance of the Mexican Revolution and it is time for the Mexican people to be proud of Obregon and his achievements.



Works Cited
Aguilar, Camín Héctor., Luis Alberto. Fierro, and Lorenzo Meyer. In the Shadow of the Mexican Revolution: Contemporary Mexican History, 1910 - 1989. Austin: Univ. of Texas Pr., 1993. Print.
Brenner, Anita, and George Ross Leighton. The Wind That Swept Mexico: the History of the Mexican Revolution, 1910-1942. Austin: University of Texas, 1973. Print.
Hall, Linda B. Álvaro Obregón: Power and Revolution in Mexico, 1911-1920. College Station: Texas A&M UP, 1981. Print.
Krauze, Enrique. Mexico: Biography of Power : a History of Modern Mexico, 1810-1996. New York, NY: HarperCollinsPublishers, 1997. Print.
Minster, By Christopher. "Biography of Alvaro Obregón - Profile of Alvaro Obregón." Latin American History. Web. 23 Nov. 2010. .