Battle of Celaya
1915 · Celaya (modern Guanajuato, Mexico) · World · Modern
Obregón used trenches, barbed wire and machine guns to withstand repeated charges by Villa's cavalry, then counterattacked with his own cavalry; the Division of the North suffered a crushing defeat
Belligerents
Constitutionalist army
- Commanders
- Álvaro Obregón
- Strength
- About 11,000
Division of the North
- Commanders
- Pancho Villa
- Strength
- c. 20,000 men
Background
After the overthrow of Huerta, the Constitutionalists led by Carranza broke with Villa and Zapata. In the spring of 1915, the two great military strongmen Obregón and Villa fought a decisive battle on the Bajío plain in central Mexico.
Course of the battle
- Holding the townObregón dug trenches around Celaya and set up barbed wire and machine guns
- Cavalry chargeVilla launched his usual frontal cavalry charges, which were thrown back by machine guns again and again
- Second battleThe two armies clashed again in mid-April, and Villa still did not change his tactics
- Counterattack and routObregón's cavalry enveloped the flank, and the Division of the North was routed
Outcome at a glance
| Date | 1915 |
|---|---|
| Place | Celaya (in present-day Guanajuato, Mexico) |
| Result | Obregón used trenches, barbed wire and machine guns to withstand repeated charges by Villa's cavalry, then counterattacked with his own cavalry; the Division of the North suffered a crushing defeat |
| Winner | Constitutionalists |
| Casualties | Several thousand of the Division of the North killed, wounded or captured |
| Territorial change | Villa lost his main force, and the Constitutionalists took control of the revolution |
Impact
The Battle of Celaya was the turning point of the Mexican Revolution and showed the overwhelming advantage of World War I-style trenches and machine guns over traditional cavalry.
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