Pancho Villa's Raid on Columbus

Francisco "Pancho" Villa was a Mexican revolutionary, guerrilla leader, and politician.^¹ He was a key figure in the Mexican Revolution, which forced out President and dictator Porfirio Díaz, subsequently ending the Porfiriato, and brought Francisco I.^¹ Madero to power in 1911. When Madero was ousted by a coup led by General Victoriano Huerta in February 1913, Villa joined the anti-Huerta forces in the Constitutionalist Army led by Venustiano Carranza.^¹ After the defeat and exile of Huerta in July 1914, Villa broke with Carranza.^¹ Villa dominated the meeting of revolutionary generals that excluded Carranza and helped create a coalition government.^¹ Emiliano Zapata and Villa became formal allies in this period.^¹ Like Zapata, Villa was strongly in favor of land reform, but did not implement it when he had power.^¹ Villa served as provisional governor of Chihuahua from 1913 to 1914.^¹