Francisco I. Madero

Francisco Ignacio Madero can be described as a leader that was incredibly ambitions but was lacking in execution. When one looks back on Madero’s affluent background, one can understand why he made decisions such as stagnancy in policy and conservative movements in action. Madero’s presidency was definitely not one of the prettier stories in Mexico’s history, but then again, what contemporary Mexican leader’s presidency was? (Ouch should I have said that guys?) The take down of Diaz was a great revolutionary defeat, marking a prospective future for Mexico under Madero; however, Madero’s lack of efficiency in his actions led to almost unnoticeable change in Mexico. Hidden behind a Democratic facade, Madero was able to befuddle most Mexican citizens into believing that change would occur, only to be sorely disappointed. One of the more pertinent figures in Mexico’s history that Madero had duped was Emiliano Zapata.

Rating:

Leader: 2/10

Personality: 3/10

Attractiveness: 5/10

Style: 8/10

• Rise to Power:
• Born in Coahuila, Mexico into one of the wealthiest hacendado families in Mexico.
• Studied in Paris, France and at University of California Berkeley to study agricultural techniques and improve his English.
• Returned to Mexico at the age of 20.
• Proceeded to manage his family’s hacienda.
• Founded the Anti-Reelectionist Party that opposed the reelection of Porfirio Diaz.
• Democracy
• Opposed the re-election of Diaz.
• Speech de San Luis Potosi
• Written in San Antonio, Texas.
• Claimed he wrote the document in San Luis Potosi.
• Ushered in the take down of Diaz by calling for a resignation from war by both Diaz and Madero.
• Ideology:
• Similar ideology to Diaz and his Porfirian supporters.
• Conservative in reform.
• Made a handful of reforms that were not too different from Diaz’s policies.
• 7.2% of the Mexican budget under Diaz was allotted to education.
• 7.8% under Madero.
• Pseudo-Democratic
• Used Democracy as an idea to help gain support to overthrow Diaz.
• During Presidency, Madero was fairly dictatorial.
• Failed to change much of any facet of Mexico towards the favor of the 90% of the populace.
• ‘Democracy’ was apparent through the slow reform of Madero’s policies.
• Aims:
• Reasoned the overthrow of Diaz through:
• The lack of upward mobility through the class system.
• Diaz’s allowance of foreign domination of Mexico’s industry.
• Hacendado system.
• Answered through minor changes in labor policies and a ‘higher’ raise in salary.
• Minute land distribution.
• Issuance of a Department of Labor.
• Economic recession
• Unfair re-election of Diaz in 1910.
• Wanted to end all revolutionary ideas in the Mexican populace.
• Quelled the Chihuahua revolt that was led by Emilio Gomez.
• Promised the Zapatistas that radical agrarian reform would take place.
• It didn’t.
• What He Achieved:
• Wrote “La Succession Presidencial” in 1910 which addressed the political problems of Mexico under Diaz.
• Ran for President of Mexico
• Imprisoned on election day leading to the election of Diaz for a second term.
• Madero wins a second term as president of Mexico in 1911.
• Mexican citizens run Reyes (Diaz), Madero’s running mate, out of Mexico.
• Disbanded all revolutionary forces.
• Quelled Felix Diaz’s rebellion in Veracruz.
• Created the Department of Labor.
• Better labor practices.
• Although not as radical as the Zapatistas would have liked, he did make many agrarian reforms.
• Created a rural credit system.
• Agricultural works.
• Built schools, railroads, highways.
• Some aid to the poor as well.
• Taxation on foreign oil companies.
• Appointed Huerta as the head of the army.
• Squashed Orozco’s revolutionary force in March 1912.
• Failures of Madero:
• Madero was too idealistic and lacked in action.
• Before becoming resident of Mexico, Madero had promised to redistribute land taken by revolutionaries and decreased the revolutionary forces’ strengths.
• Led to the defeat of Zapata by Huerta at Yautepec de Zaragoza.
• Continued many of Diaz’s policies, failing to construct his own policies and reforms.
• Alienated Zapata and made false claims of returning Morelo’s land.
• Attempted to quell a rebellion in Chihuahua, Mexico; however, Madero’s troops were defeated by Orozco’s troops.
• Death:
• Failed to realize the plot of Huerta and Orozco to assassinate him.
• Betrayed by Huerta and was forced to leave office.
• Eventually assassinated by the ‘rurales’, Huerta was not affiliated in the assassination.