Pancho Villa

Commander of the Division of the North and the most legendary figure of the Mexican Revolution.

Life

Sharecropper and outlaw

Villa, born Doroteo Arango into a poor sharecropping family in Durango, was a fugitive and bandit as a young man. In 1910 he joined Madero's revolution.

Division of the North

After Huerta's coup he formed the formidable "Division of the North." In 1914 he captured Zacatecas, defeating the main body of Huerta's army, and for a time served as governor of Chihuahua, confiscating haciendas and opening schools. After Huerta's fall he broke with Carranza, and in 1915 he was defeated by Obregón in successive battles at Celaya.

Columbus

In 1916 he crossed the border and raided the town of Columbus, New Mexico, in the United States. The United States sent Pershing with an army into Mexico to hunt him down but failed to catch him. In 1920 he accepted a settlement and retired, and in 1923 he was assassinated in Parral.

Legacy

Villa is one of the most popular folk heroes in Mexico, and Hollywood once filmed his battles directly for newsreels.

Did you know? In 1914 he signed a contract with an American film company, allowing it to film his battles.

Key dates

• 1910Joins the revolution
• 1913Forms the Division of the North
• 1914Captures Zacatecas
• 1915Defeated at Celaya
• 1916Raids Columbus
• 1920Retires
• 1923Assassinated