Battles of the Mexican Revolution

Summary of the Battle of Zacatecas In June of 1914, Victoriano Huerta, self proclaimed President of Mexico, sent a large force to the city Zacatecas. He did this because he knew that Poncho Villa, a rebel leader from the North, wanted the city because it was an import rail junction. This city was the railway to all other railways, if Villa had obtained this city he would have access to all of Mexico. Huerta couldn’t let that happen and neither could Carranza, who was another rebel leader from the West and despised Villa as much as he despised Huerta. Carranza sent Villa to a different city first and had his troop head to Zacatecas. After a terrible and obliterating defeat from Huerta’s forces, Carranza withdrew and Villa came onto the scene. Huerta’s army felt really confident after defeating Carranza’s troops that they believed they could defeat Villa’s. Soon, Villa’s large forces arrived in Zacatecas. Both troops waited until the break of the next day. Then Villa’s artillery loaded up and began open fire on Huerta’s troops. Soon a blood bath commenced, Huerta’s army was being decimated. His leading general called for a retreat into the city. This is when Villa unleashed his cavalry and nearly everyone in Huerta’s army was slaughtered. This battle destroyed Huerta and as the defeat spread federal troop decided to leave the army and switch sides hoping to stay alive. This battle also showed the split between Carranza and Villa and predicted a showdown between the two in the near future.