MEXICO'S PARTICIPATION IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR: ENTRY, CAUSES, DEVELOPMENT - HISTORY - 2024

The participation of Mexico in the Second World War took place in the last years of the conflict, from 1942 to 1945, within the Allied side. At first, their collaboration was indirect, through the sale of raw materials and the contribution of workers. Later, he sent an aerial squadron to fight on the Pacific front.

World War II began in 1939 with the German invasion of Poland. The British response did not prevent the Nazi army from occupying most of Europe in a few months. Mexico, like the countries of the rest of the continent, including the United States, declared its intention not to participate.

Members of Squad 201 - Source: USAAF www.af.mil under public domain

However, Mexican neutrality was dismissed as simulated by the Axis powers (Germany, Italy and Japan). On the one hand, Mexico condemned the invasions carried out by those countries, as well as their policies. On the other, she ordered the seizure of several German and Italian ships.

The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor (USA) caused the Americans to enter the war and to pressure Mexico to do the same. The destruction of several Mexican oil tankers by the Germans was the final element that led the government of Manuel Ávila Camacho to present the declaration of war.

Mexico entrance

Mexican Expeditionary Air Force

Mexico's relationship with the countries ruled by the fascists was bad before the war. Thus, in 1935, the Mexican government joined the economic blockade against Italy decreed by the League of Nations after the invasion of Ethiopia. The following year, he condemned the annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany.

Shortly before the start of the world conflict, Mexico had recognized the government of the Spanish Republic in exile and had withdrawn its embassy from Franco-ruled Spain.

However, Mexico's relations with democratic countries were not very good either. The expropriation of oil decreed by Lázaro Cárdenas had caused Great Britain to break relations and the United States to begin a commercial blockade.

Neutrality

World War II began in September 1939, when Germany invaded Poland. That same year, the Latin American countries decided at the Pan American Conference in Panama to remain neutral.

At that time, the Mexican presidency was still in the hands of Lázaro Cárdenas. The neutrality decreed did not prevent him from condemning the different attacks carried out by the Germans against the rest of the European countries. Likewise, he also criticized the invasion of Finland by the Soviet Union.

Cárdenas's replacement in the presidency was Manuel Ávila Camacho. Although he maintained Mexican neutrality, some things began to change.

Seizure of Axis ships

The measures taken by Ávila Camacho showed that Mexico was taking sides with the allies. Thus, in April 1941, the Mexican government seized the Italian and German ships that were in the country's ports. Two months later, a decree prohibited the sale of Mexican products to non-American countries.

In addition, at that time there was an evident improvement in relations between Mexico and the United States.

A key date was December 7, 1941. On that day, Japanese planes attacked the US base at Pearl Harbor. Mexico proceeded to sever relations with Japan. Around the same time, it resumed its diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom.

Sinking of the Potrero del Llano

The United States had become the main destination for Mexican oil. For this reason, commercial activity in the Gulf of Mexico was very high.

The Axis countries threatened Mexico to stop selling its oil to the US and, after the refusal, their submarines began to harass Mexican ships.

Finally, on May 13, 1942, the threat came true: a Nazi submarine sank the Potrero del Llano, a Mexican oil tanker.

The reaction of the Mexican government was immediate. Thus, he issued a message addressed to the attackers:

"If by next Thursday 21 of the current, Mexico has not received from the country responsible for the aggression a complete satisfaction, as well as the guarantees that the compensation for the damages suffered will be duly covered, the government of the Republic will immediately adopt the measures required by national honor ”.

War declaration

The only response of the Nazi government to this warning was a new attack. This occurred on May 20, when a German torpedo sank the Golden Belt, another ship of the same type as the previous one.

Although Ávila Camacho had already indicated that Mexico was not going to send troops to another continent, on May 22 he proceeded to declare war on the Axis countries. The Mexican government sent a letter to Germany from its embassy in Sweden to announce the decision.

Although the Germans refused to receive it, Mexico declared a state of war on May 28, 1942.

Causes

Although the attacks on its tankers were decisive for Mexico to enter the war, experts believe that US pressure was crucial for that decision to be made.

American pressure

The United States had imposed a commercial blockade on Mexico as a result of the nationalization of oil. However, even before the attack on Pearl Harbor it had begun to change its position.

With its entry into the conflict, it was in the interests of the Americans for Mexico to join the allied powers.

On the one hand, the male workforce in the US had been reduced, as its young men had to enlist. The production had been reduced and it did not reach the necessary quantity for times of war.

With the entry of Mexico into the conflict, both countries signed an agreement for Mexican workers to enter the US to fill the necessary jobs.

Despite the attacks on the oil tankers, the Ávila Camacho government encountered some public opposition when entering the war. A large part of the population distrusted the Americans and, furthermore, considered that the conflict was very far from their borders.

The United States provided financial support to the government of Mexico to launch a propaganda campaign to justify entering the war.

Development

As soon as war was declared, the Mexican government appointed Lázaro Cárdenas as Secretary of Defense. One of his first measures was to create the National Military Service. The Mexican army received more modern weapons from the United States.

On the other hand, Mexico seized the properties of Japanese, Italian and German citizens residing in its territory.

While this was happening, Germany continued to attack Mexican ships. Between June and September, Nazi submarines sank another four ships.

Some historians point out that the United States tried to get Mexico to allow the installation of a naval base in Baja California, although without success.

Bracero Program

As noted, at first the Mexican president had no intention of participating with troops in the war.

Instead, he negotiated two avenues to support the allies. The first was the so-called Bracero Program. It was an agreement with the United States through which the latter country transferred more than a thousand Mexican peasants to its territory to work in its fields and farms.

On the other hand, Mexico became the main exporter of raw materials in all of Latin America. The allies thus obtained silver, copper and oil, products necessary to stand up to the Nazis.

Squad 201

The conflict in Europe was almost decided in 1943. The Allies had gone on the offensive and the possibility of a German attack on the American continent was diminishing.

For this reason, Ávila Camacho changed his mind and decided to send a symbolic military force to fight in the Pacific.

The name that this air unit received was Squadron 201, known today as the Aztec Eagles.

The members of this squad had to spend seven months in the United States to receive military training. Finally, in 1945, they were prepared to face the Japanese. Squad 201 participated in the liberation of the Philippines, specifically in the Battle of Luzon.

Volunteers

In addition to this regular unit, there is evidence that thousands of Mexicans participated in World War II as volunteers or as soldiers from the countries in which they resided.

In the United States Army alone, more than 250,000 young people of Mexican origin were counted.

End of the war

The United States ended World War II with the dropping of two atomic bombs. The first, on August 6, 1945, over Hiroshima. The second, on August 9, on Nagasaki. Japan surrendered on the 14th of that same month.

The reaction in Mexico to the news was euphoria. When Squad 201 returned to the country, they were received in the capital's Zócalo by a large crowd.

Consequences

The recorded casualties of Mexicans during World War II were not very numerous. In the Nazi concentration camps, 4 women of Jewish religion died, while there were six missing men.

For their part, five of the 201 Squadron components died in the fighting. To these must be added a deceased by illness and four other fatalities during training.

Policies

The most important political consequence of the Mexican participation in World War II was the improvement of relations with the United States. The old quarrels, such as those caused by the nationalization of oil, were resolved.

On the other hand, Mexico was included within the winning countries. This allowed it to be one of the founding nations of the United Nations. It should be noted that neutrality during the First World War had caused the country not to be invited to the League of Nations.

Thanks to its participation in the war, Mexico's international presence increased considerably. In the following years, she participated in the Dumbarton Oaks Conference, the San Francisco Treaty and the Bretton Woods Conference.

In addition, this political weight allowed him to influence the United Nations so that the Francoist government of Spain was not recognized internationally.

Economical

Unlike what happened to most of the countries that participated in the war, Mexico emerged from it with a great economic improvement. During the years of the conflict, the country became the main supplier of raw materials to the United States.

In addition, Mexico benefited from having fundamental natural resources for the war industry. Among these were copper, graphite or zinc. Likewise, it also exported agricultural products and, of course, oil.

The economic data of the time show how exports doubled, causing significant growth in the industry. Furthermore, while in 1939, a third of exports went to Europe, when the war ended it only sold 2% of its products to that continent and more than 90% to the United States.

In all, the six years of war brought GDP growth of 10% and great growth in foreign investment.

References

1. Gaxiola Barraza, Zamira Leticia. Participation of Mexico during the Second World War. Retrieved from historiacontempora4.wixsite.com
2. Government of the State of Veracruz. Mexico in World War II. Recovered from sev.gob.mx
3. Excelsior. 75 years ago, Mexico had to go to fight in World War II. Obtained from excelsior.com.mx
4. Minster, Christopher. Mexican Involvement in World War II. Retrieved from thoughtco.com
5. Pruitt, Sarah. The Surprising Role Mexico Played in World War II. Retrieved from history.com
6. Veronica Robertson, Joan. Mexico's Involvement in World War II. Retrieved from owlcation.com
7. Santana, María José. The Forgotten Ally: Mexico's Involvement In WWII. Obtained from culturacolectiva.com
8. Global Security. Mexico - World War II. Retrieved from globalsecurity.org