REVOLUTION IN MEXICO 2/8/2010

Notes  Class materials, including PowerPoints and readings, may now be found at: I will still use BlackBoard to send announcements and you may still use Digital Dropbox.  The most recent edition of the Chasteen book has different chapter numbering than what is listed on the syllabus. Please make sure that you are reading the chapters titled "Nationalism" and "Revolution."

What is Revolution? Political Revolution: “a movement that brings about the (violent) overthrow of a government, after which the revolutionary forces take power, at least for a time. …[and] a major social and/or political-ideological change must also take place…” Keddie, Debating Revolutions, 1995  Profound change in basic existing power structures  Power-holders  Political organization  Social structures  Questions  Speed  Duration  Pervasiveness  Violence

When do Revolutions Happen? In Latin America revolutions happen when…  … a structurally weak regime…  the regime engenders cross-class opposition  the ruling class is distant from civil society and cannot mobilize social support  Highly personalized rule cannot mobilize nationalist or patriotic imagery to reinforce solidarity and morale  … meets a guerilla opposition force …  has sufficient military power to endure and outlast military repression  has sufficient power to achieve a confrontational transfer of power  … which garners popular support:  the opposition garners widespread social support – which, in Latin America, must include peasant support  cross-class opposition is usually based on nationalism or patriotism  There is no guarantee Wickham-Crowley, 1992 Guerrillas and Revolution in Latin America

The Porfiriato  A weak regime  Highly personalized rule  Distance from civil society and cannot mobilize social support Accommodation with foreign corporations, the Catholic Church, and large landowners were unpopular Economic diversification led to rising food costs and even food shortages as resources were shifted away from subsistence agriculture  Cross-class opposition Díaz frequently ignored the 1857 Constitution Wildly fraudulent elections in 1910

The Revolutionary Opposition guerilla opposition force  has sufficient military power to endure and outlast military repression  has sufficient power to achieve a confrontational transfer of power The Leaders  Francisco Madero  Pancho Villa  Emiliano Zapata  Venustiano Carranza

The Revolutionary Opposition  Early Presidents  Francisco Madero,  Victoriano Huerta,  Venustiano Carranza,  Alvaro Obregón,

Revolutionary Mexico The state offers the minimum necessary reform to ensure the legitimacy of the “revolutionary” state.  Political Enfranchisement  Universal male suffrage, 1912  The Mexican Constitution of 1917  Mode of Production and Property  Land reform The amount of land held in independent farms of 1,000 or more hectares dropped from 82% in 1923 to 32% in 1970 Modernization was in tension with revolutionary land reform

Revolutionary Mexico  Class Relations  Tensions between lower class demands for social justice and elite desire for social and political stability  The revolution ties popular identity to the state instead of village or patron  State control over social reform led to general acceptance of the ideals and rhetoric of social justice  Foreign Relations  FDR’s "Good Neighbor" policy and public commitment to refrain from military intervention  When Mexico nationalized its oil industry1938, the US forebear to intervene despite industry pressure  Mexico's fear of incurring US displeasure by supporting leftist governments in Latin America

¿ Viva la Revolución? The mixed goals of the government ultimately limited its ability to succeed at either social justice or stability  The descent:  , Cárdenas  , Manuel Avila Camacho  , Miguel Alemán  1968, The Tlatelolco massacre  1982, Bankruptcy  1994, The Zapatista Army of National Liberation  , Vicente Fox

¿ Viva la Revolución? Does the idea of the revolution still hold legitimizing power?  Zapatismo: Struggle for land, peasant rights, local autonomy, and self government  Poncho Villa: Patriotic sentiment attached to the idea of Villa as warlord, macho, successfully invaded the US  Cárdenas: nationalization and national pride attached to his actions as President - nationalization of the oil industry, recognition of indigenous identity and its incorporation into a new national identity, reform and modernization (ex land reform and education) HOWEVER, polls show that the PRI was no longer popularly perceived as revolutionary by the 1960s.

Questions What are the major factors shaping revolutionary outcomes? Is revolution a good thing? Is revolution possible in Latin America today? Probable?