Battle of Cuautla (1911)
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Cuautla was a battle between the forces of Emiliano Zapata
and the federal army of the Mexican government that took place in the state of Morelos
from May 11–19, 1911, during the Mexican Revolution
. It has been described as the "six of the most terrible days of battle in the whole Revolution". Eventually, the remains of the defending "Golden Fifth" regiment, the Fifth Cavalry Regiment of the Federal Army, withdrew and Zapata took control of the town. The Zapatista victory convinced Porfirio Díaz
to come to terms with Francisco Madero, agree to the Treaty of Ciudad Juárez
and resign as president.
While the Zapatistas enjoyed numerical supremacy, the federal troops held strong defensive positions, were better armed and trained, and unlike the rebels, had artillery with them.
and Pascual Orozco
besieged the city of Ciudad Juárez
, and the state of Morelos
, where Emiliano Zapata led an armed agrarian uprising.
By early March Zapata became concerned that if he did not control the main urban centers in Morelos before Madero began negotiations with Díaz, the demands of his movement would be sidelined. He also wanted to ensure the autonomy of Morelos from the national government. Finally, Zapata's rise in Morelos created the potential for conflict with the powerful Figueroa family who controlled the neighboring state of Guerrero
.
On April 22, 1911, Zapata met with Ambrosio Figueroa and the two agreed that they would operate independently anywhere in Mexico, with Zapata in supreme command if joint operations were carried out in Morelos. Figueroa promised military support to Zapata in Morelos but Zapata did not trust him. Zapata was afraid that if he attacked the easiest target, the city of Jojutla
, which traditionally paid protection money to the Figueroas, they and their troops would abandon him and leave him faced against a numerically superior force of federal troops. Consequently he decided to attack the better garrisoned and fortified city of Cuautla
.
Because he wanted to disguise his intentions, Zapata first conducted raids in the state of Puebla
, took the towns of Chietla, Izúcar, Metepec
and Atlixco
in order to obtain supplies and levy more soldiers and then captured Yautepec, and Jonacatepec
in Morelos. He arrived at Cuautla on May 11, 1911.
The battle that Zapata faced was different from what he was used to. In open engagements, Zapata, like Villa, relied mostly on swift cavalry charges, which would allow him to close fast with the enemy before the machine guns of the federal troops could mow down his horsemen. At Cuautla however, the soldiers were well fortified beyond barricades and possessed heavy artillery which would make standard cavalry charges ineffective. Additionally, the federales held high positions on top of the town's aqueducts from which they had control of the Western side of town.
On the first day, around 300 of Zapata's soldiers were killed in an attack on the town. On May 14, his troops managed to cut the federal troops off from water supplies. The next day, Zapata launched a general assault and had his troops pour gasoline into the empty aqueducts and set them alight. The fire dislodged the soldiers of the Fifth from their excellent positions, burning many of them alive. An empty railroad car which was turned into a bunker
, complete with a machine gun
nest was also doused with gasoline and set alight burning to death all the federal soldiers inside. Most of the fighting was hand to hand, with machetes and bayonets, and soldiers and rebels often fired at each other at point blank range. No prisoners were taken by either side. In the end, that day's assault was repulsed.
As the battle dragged on, General Victoriano Huerta
arrived in nearby Cuernavaca
, capital of Morelos, with 600 soldiers with the hope of coming in aid of the besieged federal garrison. However, Huerta realized that if he left the capital unattended, a rebellion could potentially break out in his rear and he decided to leave the Golden Fifth to their fate.
The federal troops began running out of ammunition and the exhausted remains of the Golden Fifth regiment decided to pull out of town on May 19, and Zapata's troops occupied the town.
, two days after the capture of the town.
After the resignation of Díaz, the Zapatista rebellion in Morelos continued. Zapata refused to recognize the interim president Francisco León de la Barra
and over the rest of 1911 came to trust Madero less and less. In November 1911 he issued his famous Plan of Ayala
in which he denounced Madero.
Emiliano Zapata
Emiliano Zapata Salazar was a leading figure in the Mexican Revolution, which broke out in 1910, and which was initially directed against the president Porfirio Díaz. He formed and commanded an important revolutionary force, the Liberation Army of the South, during the Mexican Revolution...
and the federal army of the Mexican government that took place in the state of Morelos
Morelos
Morelos officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Morelos is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 33 municipalities and its capital city is Cuernavaca....
from May 11–19, 1911, during the Mexican Revolution
Mexican Revolution
The Mexican Revolution was a major armed struggle that started in 1910, with an uprising led by Francisco I. Madero against longtime autocrat Porfirio Díaz. The Revolution was characterized by several socialist, liberal, anarchist, populist, and agrarianist movements. Over time the Revolution...
. It has been described as the "six of the most terrible days of battle in the whole Revolution". Eventually, the remains of the defending "Golden Fifth" regiment, the Fifth Cavalry Regiment of the Federal Army, withdrew and Zapata took control of the town. The Zapatista victory convinced Porfirio Díaz
Porfirio Díaz
José de la Cruz Porfirio Díaz Mori was a Mexican-American War volunteer and French intervention hero, an accomplished general and the President of Mexico continuously from 1876 to 1911, with the exception of a brief term in 1876 when he left Juan N...
to come to terms with Francisco Madero, agree to the Treaty of Ciudad Juárez
Treaty of Ciudad Juárez
The Treaty of Ciudad Juárez was a peace treaty signed between the then President of Mexico, Porfirio Díaz, and the revolutionary Francisco Madero on May 21, 1911...
and resign as president.
While the Zapatistas enjoyed numerical supremacy, the federal troops held strong defensive positions, were better armed and trained, and unlike the rebels, had artillery with them.
Political background
In late 1910 and early 1911 armed insurrections against the regime of Porfirio Díaz broke out throughout Mexico. The two main centers of opposition were located in the northern state of Chihuahua, where Francisco Madero, Pancho VillaPancho Villa
José Doroteo Arango Arámbula – better known by his pseudonym Francisco Villa or its hypocorism Pancho Villa – was one of the most prominent Mexican Revolutionary generals....
and Pascual Orozco
Pascual Orozco
Pascual Orozco Vazquez was a Mexican revolutionary leader who, after the triumph of the Mexican Revolution, rose up against Francisco I...
besieged the city of Ciudad Juárez
Ciudad Juárez
Ciudad Juárez , officially known today as Heroica Ciudad Juárez, but abbreviated Juárez and formerly known as El Paso del Norte, is a city and seat of the municipality of Juárez in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. Juárez's estimated population is 1.5 million people. The city lies on the Rio Grande...
, and the state of Morelos
Morelos
Morelos officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Morelos is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 33 municipalities and its capital city is Cuernavaca....
, where Emiliano Zapata led an armed agrarian uprising.
By early March Zapata became concerned that if he did not control the main urban centers in Morelos before Madero began negotiations with Díaz, the demands of his movement would be sidelined. He also wanted to ensure the autonomy of Morelos from the national government. Finally, Zapata's rise in Morelos created the potential for conflict with the powerful Figueroa family who controlled the neighboring state of Guerrero
Guerrero
Guerrero officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Guerrero is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 81 municipalities and its capital city is Chilpancingo....
.
On April 22, 1911, Zapata met with Ambrosio Figueroa and the two agreed that they would operate independently anywhere in Mexico, with Zapata in supreme command if joint operations were carried out in Morelos. Figueroa promised military support to Zapata in Morelos but Zapata did not trust him. Zapata was afraid that if he attacked the easiest target, the city of Jojutla
Jojutla
Jojutla is a municipality in the state of Morelos, Mexico. Its municipal seat is the city of Jojutla de Juárez. The towns of Tequesquitengo and Huautla as well as Lake Tequesquitengo are also located in the municipality. The municipality reported 53,351 inhabitants in the year 2000 census.The name...
, which traditionally paid protection money to the Figueroas, they and their troops would abandon him and leave him faced against a numerically superior force of federal troops. Consequently he decided to attack the better garrisoned and fortified city of Cuautla
Cuautla, Morelos
Cuautla , officially La heroica e histórica Cuautla de Morelos, or H. H. Cuautla de Morelos, is a city and municipality in the Mexican state of Morelos. In the 2005 census the city population was 145,482 and the municipality population was 160,285. The municipality covers 153.651 km²...
.
Because he wanted to disguise his intentions, Zapata first conducted raids in the state of Puebla
Puebla
Puebla officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Puebla is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 217 municipalities and its capital city is Puebla....
, took the towns of Chietla, Izúcar, Metepec
Metepec
Metepec is a city and municipality in the State of Mexico in Mexico and is located directly to the east of the state capital, Toluca, at an altitude of 2,635 metres above sea level. The centre of Mexico City lies some 50 km further to the east. The name Metepec comes from Náhuatl meaning hill of...
and Atlixco
Atlixco
Atlixco is a city and a municipality in the Mexican state of Puebla. It is located only 24 km south of the city of Puebla, yet it is 300 meters lower in altitude, at 1840 m. This drop in altitude causes a noticeable change in the weather of the city compared to the surrounding regions of the...
in order to obtain supplies and levy more soldiers and then captured Yautepec, and Jonacatepec
Jonacatepec
Jonacatepec is a city in the Mexican state of Morelos.It stands at .The city serves as the municipal seat for the surrounding municipality of the same name.The municipality reported 13 623 inhabitants in the year 2000 census....
in Morelos. He arrived at Cuautla on May 11, 1911.
Battle
Zapata had 4,000 troops who were inexperienced in laying sieges. In turn, the city was defended by an elite force of around 350to 400 veteran federal soldiers of the undefeated "Golden Fifth" regiment. By May 12, the Zapatistas had fully surrounded the town and cut off communications with rest of Mexico. The commander of Cuautla refused to surrender, vowing to fight "as long as (he had) a soldier and a cartridge".The battle that Zapata faced was different from what he was used to. In open engagements, Zapata, like Villa, relied mostly on swift cavalry charges, which would allow him to close fast with the enemy before the machine guns of the federal troops could mow down his horsemen. At Cuautla however, the soldiers were well fortified beyond barricades and possessed heavy artillery which would make standard cavalry charges ineffective. Additionally, the federales held high positions on top of the town's aqueducts from which they had control of the Western side of town.
On the first day, around 300 of Zapata's soldiers were killed in an attack on the town. On May 14, his troops managed to cut the federal troops off from water supplies. The next day, Zapata launched a general assault and had his troops pour gasoline into the empty aqueducts and set them alight. The fire dislodged the soldiers of the Fifth from their excellent positions, burning many of them alive. An empty railroad car which was turned into a bunker
Bunker
A military bunker is a hardened shelter, often buried partly or fully underground, designed to protect the inhabitants from falling bombs or other attacks...
, complete with a machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
nest was also doused with gasoline and set alight burning to death all the federal soldiers inside. Most of the fighting was hand to hand, with machetes and bayonets, and soldiers and rebels often fired at each other at point blank range. No prisoners were taken by either side. In the end, that day's assault was repulsed.
As the battle dragged on, General Victoriano Huerta
Victoriano Huerta
José Victoriano Huerta Márquez was a Mexican military officer and president of Mexico. Huerta's supporters were known as Huertistas during the Mexican Revolution...
arrived in nearby Cuernavaca
Cuernavaca
Cuernavaca is the capital and largest city of the state of Morelos in Mexico. It was established at the archeological site of Gualupita I by the Olmec, "the mother culture" of Mesoamerica, approximately 3200 years ago...
, capital of Morelos, with 600 soldiers with the hope of coming in aid of the besieged federal garrison. However, Huerta realized that if he left the capital unattended, a rebellion could potentially break out in his rear and he decided to leave the Golden Fifth to their fate.
The federal troops began running out of ammunition and the exhausted remains of the Golden Fifth regiment decided to pull out of town on May 19, and Zapata's troops occupied the town.
Aftermath
Porfirio Díaz himself later stated that it was the fall of Cuautla to Zapata which convinced him to come to peace with Madero. On May 21, 1911 he signed the Treaty of Ciudad JuárezTreaty of Ciudad Juárez
The Treaty of Ciudad Juárez was a peace treaty signed between the then President of Mexico, Porfirio Díaz, and the revolutionary Francisco Madero on May 21, 1911...
, two days after the capture of the town.
After the resignation of Díaz, the Zapatista rebellion in Morelos continued. Zapata refused to recognize the interim president Francisco León de la Barra
Francisco León de la Barra
Francisco León de la Barra y Quijano was a Mexican political figure and diplomat, who served as interim president of Mexico from May 25 to November 6, 1911....
and over the rest of 1911 came to trust Madero less and less. In November 1911 he issued his famous Plan of Ayala
Plan of Ayala
The Plan of Ayala was a document drafted by revolutionary leader Emiliano Zapata during the Mexican Revolution. In it, Zapata denounced President Francisco I. Madero for his perceived betrayal of the revolutionary ideals, embodied in Madero's Plan de San Luis, and set out his vision of land reform...
in which he denounced Madero.