BATTLE OF CELAYA: ANTECEDENTS, CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES - HISTORY - 2024

The Battle of Celaya faced the troops led by Francisco Villa and those led by Álvaro Obregón. The confrontation took place between April 6 and 15, 1915, in the surroundings of the Mexican town of Celaya, Guanajuato.

The conflict was part of the war between the protagonists of the Mexican Revolution. After having managed to deprive Victoriano Huerta of power, the revolutionaries could not agree to create a stable government in the country.

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The Aguascalientes Convention, called to try to get the leaders of the revolution to reach an agreement, resulted in even more division. On the one hand, the supporters of Venustiano Carranza and Álvaro Obregón, who did not accept the decisions of the Convention, and on the other, Emiliano Zapata and Francisco Villa, who considered the former too moderate.

The Battle of Celaya concluded with the victory of Obregón and meant the decline of Villa. Finally, after confrontations, Carranza managed to establish himself with power, being named President of the nation.

Background

The beginning of the Mexican Revolution took place in 1910, when various sectors of the population took up arms against the dictatorship of Porfirio Díaz. Although they managed to overthrow him, the conflict continued when Victoriano Huerta seized power.

From that first moment, on the revolutionary side there were several sectors with different ideas and to which they were only united by their intention to end the dictatorship. For this reason, the triumph of the Revolution did not imply the pacification of the country, since the revolutionary leaders could not reach agreements on how to organize Mexico.

By mid-1914, the north was divided between the supporters of Carranza and Obregón, and those of Villa. Meanwhile, the Zapatistas controlled the south and besieged Mexico City.

At that time there were several attempts to reach agreements. The most important meetings took place in the so-called Aguascalientes Convention.

Aguascalientes Convention

The convocation of the so-called Sovereign Convention of Aguascalientes was an attempt to get the different revolutionary factions to reach an agreement to pacify the country.

The sessions began in October 1914, but it was soon found that they led to a struggle to impose hegemony. The political disagreements were many and no one was willing to give in.

Villa came with the intention of appointing a provisional government and, later, calling elections. Carranza, for his part, saw how the attempt to be named president remained in the minority and decided to abandon the talks.

From that moment it was clear that the country was facing a new military conflict. Carranza, along with Obregón, moved to Veracruz, where he established a quasi-autonomous government while trying to extend his influence to other areas.

War

After the Convention, Zapata and Villa headed for Mexico City, with the intention of conquering it. However, the maneuver ended in the failure of the so-called conventionalist troops.

There were soon armed clashes with the constitutionalists of Carranza and Obregón. Despite the fact that Villa had more men at his disposal, Carranza had the support of the United States, obtaining a significant supply of arms.

For its part, the Zapatista Army of the South was unable to cut off Obregón's troops, who were marching to confront Villa.

Pawn Station

The first major confrontation between the Constitutionalists and the Conventionalists took place on March 7, 1915. That day, at Estación Peón, the Villista troops attacked those commanded by Eugenio Martínez, sent by Álvaro Obregón. It was the latter who achieved victory and paved the way for the rest of Obregon's army.

This battle was followed by others, which were decanting the war towards the constitutionalist side. The one that took place in Celaya would be one of the most important for the final victory of Carranza's side.

Development of the Battle of Celaya

Despite being called the Battle of Celaya, in the singular, historians actually usually divide it into two different parts.

First battle

The first part of the confrontation began on April 6, 1915 and lasted almost a full day. The forces of Villa attacked with determination against those of Obregón, who managed to defend his position.

The counterattacks of the constitutionalists began to deplete the Villista army. Finally, the latter had to withdraw to Salamanca.

Second battle

Álvaro Obregón's forces, after his previous victory, was reinforced by troops that increased their army to 15,000 men. Villa also received reinforcements, but his weapons were not as advanced as that of his enemy.

On April 13, as Villa had communicated by letter to Obregón, the second and final battle began. Despite Villista resistance, it was Obregón who managed to emerge victorious. Villa and his people had to go back to Guanajuato.

Causes

The differences between the revolutionary factions had started from the beginning of the uprising against Diaz. The victory against this and the subsequent one against Victoriano Huerta did not manage to bring positions closer, since there were serious political and personality discrepancies.

Ideological differences

The brief presidency of Francisco I. Madero, between the dictatorships of Porfirio Díaz and that of Huerta, did not convince Villa and Zapata, who judged his policy as very moderate. Despite this, the two leaders joined the fight against Huerta, along with Carranza and Obregón.

When Huerta was overthrown, the positions of the sides had not changed. Zapata continued to maintain that the Plan of San Luis had to be complied with, which was strongly agrarian and which included a very forceful agrarian reform. The Zapatistas refused to recognize Carranza as president, although they claimed not to be interested in power.

For his part, Villa and his supporters considered Carranza too moderate in his approaches. The proposals that led to the Aguascalientes Convention were much more social, which did not convince the Carrancistas, who were betting on the Constitution of 1857.

Political and personal confrontations

Apart from the political differences, the personalities of Carranza and Villa clashed since the beginning of the Revolution. As early as 1914, Villa refused to recognize Carranza's plan, which led to the taking of Zacatecas.

Although they managed to fight together in front of Huerta, they never understood each other. By expelling the dictator, they tried to reach an agreement, but they did not stop attacking each other indirectly.

For his part, Emiliano Zapata always maintained an attitude away from the constitutionalists. The revolutionary leader focused on the agrarian struggle, especially in the southern states.

Finally, the Aguascalientes Convention, far from bringing positions closer together, meant the total rupture between the heads of the Revolution, making civil war inevitable.

Consequences

The Battle of Celaya was not the last in the conflict between the revolutionary leaders, but it did mark the decline of the Villistas and the rise of Carranza.

Other confrontations took place in Santa Ana del Conde, San Juan de los Lagos and Aguascalientes, but now without Villa leading the army. Little by little, he lost his troops and had to limit himself to acting as a guerrilla.

Presidency of Carranza

The victories of the constitutionalist side made Venustiano Carranza able to return to Mexico City. One of his first steps as president was to convene a Constituent Congress, which led to the promulgation of the 1917 Constitution.

With the appointment of Carranza as president, the most turbulent time of the Mexican Revolution came to an end. The new president tried to pacify the country, although Zapata and Villa did not lay down their arms until years later.

Alvaro Obregon

His military triumphs placed Álvaro Obregón as the top candidate to replace Carranza, despite the fact that there were other men close to the president who aspired to the position.

However, when the time came for new elections, Carranza appointed a civilian as his replacement. Obregón, along with Plutarco Elías Calles and Adolfo de la Huerta, rose up against this decision with the Agua Prieta Plan. In the end, the rebellion triumphed and Obregón became president of Mexico in 1920.

References

1. Mexico history. Battle of Celaya. Obtained from independencedemexico.com.mx
2. Biographies and Lives. Venustiano Carranza. Obtained from biografiasyvidas.com
3. Mexico 2010. Battle of Celaya, one of the main acts of arms of the Mexican Revolution. Obtained from filehistorico2010.sedena.gob.mx
4. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. Battle of Celaya. Retrieved from britannica.com
5. Minster, Christopher. Mexican Revolution: The Battle of Celaya. Retrieved from thoughtco.com
6. Gilliam, Ronald R. Mexican Revolution: Battle of Celaya. Retrieved from historynet.com
7. Encyclopedia of Latin American History and Culture. Celaya, Battles Of. Retrieved from encyclopedia.com