Emiliano Zapata

Zapata, Emiliano 

Born Aug. 8, 1879, in San Miguel Ane-necuilco, in the state of Morelos; died Apr. 10, 1919, near Cuer-navaca. A leading figure in the Mexican Revolution of 1910–17.

Zapata was the son of a poor peasant. During the revolution of 1910–17 he led a peasant movement in central and southern Mexico. The group of revolutionaries he headed drafted a program of struggle—the Plan of Ayala—to resolve the agrarian problem. The plan provided for the elimination of large land-holdings with compensation and the distribution of land to the peasantry. Throughout the revolution, Zapata fought for the implementation of this plan. Gifted with exceptional military abilities, he played a major part in the overthrow of the counterrevolutionary government of Victoriano Huerta. From December 1914 to July 1915, with some interruptions, Zapata’s troops, together with those of Francisco (Pancho) Villa, occupied the capital, Mexico City. Pressure from the widespread peasant movement led to the inclusion of a number of articles in the 1917 constitution reflecting the interests of the peasantry.

Sympathetic to the revolutionary movement in Russia, Zapata welcomed the Great October Socialist Revolution. His assassination was instigated by the authorities.

REFERENCES

Al’perovich, M. S., and B. T. Rudenko. Meksikanskaia revoliutsiia 1910–1917 ipolitika SShA. Moscow, 1958.
Lavrov, N. M. Meksikanskaia revoliutsiia 1910–1917 gg. Moscow, 1972.
Womack, J. Zapata y la revolución mexicana. Havana, 1971.