The Conventionists were a faction led by

Pancho Villa Francisco "Pancho" Villa ( , , ; born José Doroteo Arango Arámbula; 5 June 1878 – 20 July 1923) was a Mexican revolutionary and prominent figure in the Mexican Revolution. He was a key figure in the revolutionary movement that forced ...

and

Emiliano Zapata Emiliano Zapata Salazar (; 8 August 1879 – 10 April 1919) was a Mexican revolutionary. He was a leading figure in the Mexican Revolution of 1910–1920, the main leader of the people's revolution in the Mexican state of Morelos, and the insp ...

which grew in opposition to the

Constitutionalists Constitutionalism is "a compound of ideas, attitudes, and patterns of behavior elaborating the principle that the authority of government derives from and is limited by a body of fundamental law". Political organizations are constitutional to ...

of Venustiano Carranza and Álvaro Obregón during the

Mexican Revolution The Mexican Revolution () was an extended sequence of armed regional conflicts in Mexico from 20 November 1910 to 1 December 1920. It has been called "the defining event of modern Mexican history". It saw the destruction of the Federal Army, its ...

. It was named for the Convention of Aguascalientes of October to November 1914.

Formation

Prior to the formation of the Constitutionalists and Conventionists, the two groups worked together to defeat General

Victoriano Huerta José Victoriano Huerta Márquez (; 23 December 1850 – 13 January 1916) was a Mexican general, politician, engineer and dictator who was the 39th President of Mexico, who came to power by coup against the democratically elected government of ...

. Huerta had overthrown President

Francisco Madero Francisco Ignacio Madero González (; 30 October 1873 – 22 February 1913) was a Mexican businessman, revolutionary, writer and Public figure, statesman, who served as the 37th president of Mexico from 1911 until he was deposed in Ten Tragic ...

and taken over the government in 1913. Opposition to Huerta was led by Venustiano Carranza, along with generals Pancho Villa and Álvaro Obregón. They were loosely allied with

. Together, they defeated Huerta in 1914. At the Convention of Aguascalientes in the fall of 1914, the winning revolutionary factions were unable to agree on the future direction of the country, and a civil war ensued between the Constitutionalists and Conventionists.

Goals

The Conventionists called for more radical, immediate land reform, with which Carranza's government did agree. They also wanted to implement the

Plan of Ayala The Plan of Ayala (Spanish: ''Plan de Ayala'') was a document drafted by revolutionary leader Emiliano Zapata during the Mexican Revolution. In it, Zapata denounced President Francisco Madero for his perceived betrayal of the revolutionary ideal ...

(1911), written by Emiliano Zapata, calling for the redistribution of land. In addition, Villa and Zapata wanted a decentralized federal government with more state autonomy. With this, the Conventionists garnered the support of the countryside.

Participation in the civil war, and fall

At the start of the civil war, the Conventionists captured Mexico City in late 1914. There were approximately 150,000 soldiers in both factions in 1915. By spring of 1915, Obregón began to defeat the Conventionists. Zapata retreated to his home state, occasionally sending troops to Villa. Villa was defeated at the Battle of Celaya, followed by losses at León, Santa Ana, Aguascalientes, and

Agua Prieta Agua Prieta ("dark water") is a town in the Agua Prieta Municipality in the northeastern corner of the Mexican state of Sonora. It stands on the Mexico–U.S. border, adjacent to the town of Douglas, Arizona, Douglas, Arizona. The municipality c ...

. By 1917, Carranza was elected president and the civil war was over. Guerilla skirmishes would continue separately by the armies of Zapata and Villa near their home states. In 1919, Zapata was killed by Carranza's government. Villa signed a peace treaty with Carranza's successor Adolfo de la Huerta in 1920, but died in an ambush three years later in 1923.

External links

Primary Resources from the Library of Congress about the Constitutionalists and Conventionists

John Reed's ''Insurgent Mexico''

References

{{reflist Factions of the Mexican Revolution 1914 establishments in Mexico Military history of Mexico