José Victoriano Huerta Márquez (; 23 December 1850 – 13 January 1916) was a Mexican general, statesman, engineer, and dictator who served as the 39th President of Mexico from 1913 to 1914 and came to power by coup against the democratically elected government of Francisco I. Madero with the aid of other Mexican generals and the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico. Establishing a military dictatorship, his violent seizure of power set off a new wave of armed conflict in the Mexican Revolution.
After a military career under President and dictator Porfirio Díaz and Interim President Francisco León de la Barra, Huerta became a high-ranking officer during the presidency of Madero during the first phase of the Mexican Revolution (1911–13). In February 1913, Huerta joined a conspiracy against Madero, who entrusted him to control a revolt in Mexico City. The Ten Tragic Days – actually fifteen days – saw the forced resignation of Madero and his vice president and their murders. The coup was backed by the German Empire as well as the United States under the Taft administration. But the succeeding Wilson administration refused to recognize the new regime which had come to power by coup. The U.S. allowed arms sales to rebel forces. Many foreign powers did recognize the regime, including Britain and Germany, but withdrew further support when revolutionary forces started to show military success against the regime; their continuing support of him threatened their own relationships with the U.S. government.
Huerta's government resisted the U.S. incursion into the port of Veracruz that violated Mexico's sovereignty. Even Huerta's opponents agreed with his stance. The Constitutionalist Army, the forces of the northern coalition opposing Huerta, defeated the Federal Army, winning a decisive victory at the Battle of Zacatecas. Huerta was forced to resign in July 1914 and flee the country to Spain,John Eisenhower, "Intervention!: The United States and the Mexican Revolution, 1913–1917" 1993, p. 150 only 17 months into his presidency, after the Federal Army collapsed. While attempting to intrigue with German spies in the U.S. during World War I, Huerta was arrested in 1915 and died in U.S. custody.
His supporters were known as Huertistas during the Mexican Revolution. He is still vilified as a traitor by modern-day Mexicans, who generally refer to him as El Chacal ("The Jackal") or El Usurpador ("The Usurper").McCartney, Laton. The Teapot Dome Scandal: How Big Oil Bought the Harding White House and Tried to Steal the Country, Random House, Inc., 2008, p. 1901.
Early life According to the records in the books of the Parish Notary of Colotlán, José Victoriano Huerta Márquez was born and baptized on Monday, 23 December 1850, in the town of Colotlán. (Other sources indicate he was born on 23 March 1845, in the Agua Gorda ranch.) His parents were Jesús Huerta Córdoba, originally from Colotlán, Jalisco and María Lázara del Refugio Márquez Villalobos, originally from El Plateado, Zacatecas. His paternal grandparents were Rafael Huerta Benítez and María Isabel de la Trinidad Córdoba, the first originally from Villanueva, Zacatecas and the second from Colotlán, Jalisco and were his maternal grandparents José María Márquez and María Soledad Villalobos. He identified himself as indigenous, and both his parents are reported to have been ethnically Huichol, although his father is said to have been Mestizo.Richmond, Douglas W. "Victoriano Huerta" in Encyclopedia of Mexico, vol. 1, p. 655, Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn 1997. Huerta learned to read and write at a school run by the local priest, making him one of the relatively few literate people in Colotlán.Rausch, George "The Early Career of Victoriano Huerta" pp. 136–145 from The Americas, Volume 21, No. 2 October 1964 p. 136. He had decided upon a military career early on as the only way of escaping the poverty of Colotlán.Rausch, "The Early Career of Victoriano Huerta" p. 136. In 1869 he was employed by visiting General Donato Guerra to serve as his personal secretary.Rausch, "The Early Career of Victoriano Huerta" p. 136. In that role he distinguished himself and, with General Guerra's support, gained admission to the Mexican National Military Academy (Heroico Colegio Militar) at Chapultepec in Mexico City in 1872. As a cadet, Huerta excelled at math, leading him to specialize in artillery and topography.Rausch, "The Early Career of Victoriano Huerta" p. 137.
Military career
Upon graduating from the military academy in 1877, Huerta was commissioned into the Corps of Engineers. After entering the army as a lieutenant in the engineers in 1877, he was put in charge of improving the Loreto and Guadalupe forts in Puebla and the castle of Perote in Veracruz.Rausch, Georgre "The Early Career of Victoriano Huerta". The Americas, Volume 21, No. 2 October 1964 p. 137. In January 1879 he was promoted to captain and assigned to the staff of the 4th Division in Guadalajara, in charge of engineering.Rausch, "The Early Career of Victoriano Huerta" pp. 136–145 The commander of the 4th Division was General Manuel González, a close associate of President Porfirio Díaz and former president of Mexico (1880–84). In the interim, Huerta's career prospered thanks to the patronage of González.Rausch, "The Early Career of Victoriano Huerta", pp. 136–145. In Mexico City, he married Emilia Águila Moya, whom he met in Veracruz, on 21 November 1880.Genealogical Society of Utah, Film 0035853 The marriage produced 11 children. The names of his children surviving him in 1916 were Jorge, María Elisa, Victor, Luz, Elena, Dagoberto, Eva and Celia.El Paso Times obituary Huerta participated in the "pacification campaigns" in Tepic and Sinaloa, where he distinguished himself in combat. He was known for ensuring that his men always got paid, often resorting to finding the money in ruthless ways.Rausch, "The Early Career of Victoriano Huerta" p. 138. Following a complaint from the Catholic Church that Huerta had plundered a church to sell off its gold and silver to pay his men, Huerta justified his actions on the grounds that "Mexico can do without her priests, but cannot do without her soldiers".Rausch, "The Early Career of Victoriano Huerta" p. 138. On another occasion, following a complaint from a bank that he emptied out one of its branches at gunpoint to get money to pay his men, Huerta pointed out he left a receipt and would pay back the bank what he had stolen when he received the necessary funds from Mexico City. Huerta then spent nine years of his military career undertaking topographic studies in the states of Puebla and Veracruz. He traveled extensively to all parts of Mexico in this position. French cultural influence was very strong in 19th-century Mexico, and Huerta's hero was Napoleon.Rausch, "The Early Career of Victoriano Huerta" p. 139. He supported General Díaz as the closest approximation to his Napoleonic ideal, believing that Mexico needed a "strongman" to prosper.
By 1890 Huerta had reached the rank of Colonel of Engineers. From 1890 to 1895 Huerta lived in Mexico City, becoming a regular visitor to the presidential residence at Chapultepec Castle, and was seen as part of Díaz's "court".Rausch, "The Early Career of Victoriano Huerta", p. 139. Through Huerta was well liked at the Chapultepec Castle, acquiring the persona of a trim, efficient officer who was stern to his subordinates while displaying a courtly, polished manner towards his superiors, he began to suffer from severe insomnia and began drinking heavily during this time.Rausch, "The Early Career of Victoriano Huerta" p. 139. In January 1895 he commanded a battalion of infantry against a rebellion in Guerrero led by General Canuto Neri.Rausch, "The Early Career of Victoriano Huerta" p. 140. The rebellion was ended when Díaz brokered a deal with Neri, who surrendered in exchange for a promise to remove the unpopular state governor.Rausch, Georgre "The Early Career of Victoriano Huerta" p. 140. Huerta confirmed his reputation for ruthlessness by refusing to take prisoners and continuing to attack the followers of Neri even after Díaz had signed a ceasefire.Rausch, Georgre "The Early Career of Victoriano Huerta" p. 140. In December 1900 Huerta commanded a successful military campaign against the Yaqui in Sonora.Rausch, "The Early Career of Victoriano Huerta" pp. 140–141. During the near-genocidal campaign against the Yaqui, Huerta was more concerned with mapping out the terrain of Sonora, but at times he commanded forces in the field against the Yaqui. From 12 April8 September 1901 Huerta put down a rebellion in Guerrero, completely "pacifying" the state.Rausch, "The Early Career of Victoriano Huerta" p. 141. In May 1901 he was promoted to the rank of general.Rausch, Georgre "The Early Career of Victoriano Huerta" p. 141. In 1901–02 he suppressed a Maya rising in Yucatán during the later stages of the Caste War of Yucatán. He commanded about 500 men in his campaign against the Maya, starting in October 1901, and fought 79 different actions over the course of 39 days.Rausch, "The Early Career of Victoriano Huerta" p. 141. Huerta was then promoted to Brigadier General and awarded the Medal of Military Merit In May 1902 he was promoted commander of federal army forces in Yucatán, and in October 1902 he reported to Díaz that he had "pacified" the Yucatán.Rausch, "The Early Career of Victoriano Huerta" p. 142. During the campaign in Yucatán he became increasingly dependent on alcohol to continue functioning. His health began to decline, and perhaps because of his heavy drinking he complained he could not go outside in the sunshine without wearing sunglasses, and he suffered bouts of uncontrollable nervous shaking. His decaying teeth caused him much pain. In August 1903 he was appointed to head a committee tasked with reforming the uniforms of the federal army.Joseph Hefter, p. 80 Cronica del Traje Militar en Mexico del Siglo XVI al XX, Artes de Mexico No. 102, 1968 In 1907 he retired from the army on grounds of ill health, having developed cataracts while serving in the southern jungles. He then applied his technical training by taking up the position of Head of Public Works in Monterrey and planning a new street layout for the city.
Mexican Revolution under Madero
On the eve of the 1910 Revolution against the long-established Díaz regime, Huerta was teaching mathematics in Mexico City. He applied successfully to rejoin the army with his former rank and was accepted. He did not play a major role in the early stages of the Revolution that led to the resignation of Díaz, although he commanded the military escort that gave Díaz safe conduct into exile in May 1911. During the interim presidency of Francisco León de la Barra following the resignation of Díaz and the election of Francisco I. Madero in November 1911, General Huerta carried out a campaign in Morelos, attempting to crush the rebellion led by Emiliano Zapata. Huerta's forces burned villages supporting the rebellion and attacked their residents. These actions frustrated Madero's later attempts to placate those rebels.Hart, John Mason. Revolutionary Mexico, p. 252. Huerta had a record of opposing revolutionaries and intrigues with Madero's enemies. Huerta's actions in Morelos forced a break between Emiliano Zapata and Madero, who was later to rebel against Madero immediately after his November 1911 election.Katz, The Secret War in Mexico, p. 96.