page_title: Victoriano Huerta
section_title: Mexican Revolution under Madero
hierarchical_section_title: Victoriano Huerta / Mexican Revolution under Madero
caption_attribution_description: English: Left to Right: Victoriano Huerta, Emilio Madero, Pancho Villa in 1912.
context_page_description: José Victoriano Huerta Márquez was a Mexican military officer and 35th President of Mexico, who came to power by coup.
  After a military career under President Porfirio Díaz, Huerta became a high-ranking officer under democratically elected president Francisco I. Madero during the first phase of the Mexican Revolution. In February 1913 Huerta led a conspiracy against Madero, who entrusted him to control a minor 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 nascent German Empire as well the United States under the Taft Administration, but the succeeding Wilson administration refused to recognize the new regime and allowed arms sales to rebel forces. Many foreign powers did recognize the regime, but withdrew further support when revolutionary forces started to show military success against the regime; with continuing support threatened their own relationships with the American government. Huerta was forced to resign in July 1914 and flee the country to Spain, only 17 months into his presidency, after the federal army collapsed.
context_section_description: 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 Emilio Zapata. Huerta's forces burned villages supporting the rebellion and attacked their residents. These actions frustrated Madero's later attempts to placate those rebels. 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.
  Despite the fact that revolutionary forces supporting Francisco I. Madero had forced Díaz's resignation, Madero ordered them demobilized and retained the Mexican Federal Army they had just defeated.  Huerta pledged allegiance to President Madero, and carried out Madero's orders to crush anti-Madero revolts by rebel generals such as Pascual Orozco, who had helped topple Díaz and then rebelled against his regime.  In the Orozco rebellion, Huerta saw the opportunity to eliminate revolutionary general Pancho Villa, who was also attempting to suppress the revolt. Accused of stealing a horse, Villa then faced execution by Huerta without trial.  Only Madero's last minute intervention saved the life of one of his most effective generals. 
  Orozco's rebellion was a major threat to the Madero government, since he had standing as a revolutionary and commanded significant forces. Madero sent Huerta to crush the rebellion. He had at his command troops of the Mexican Federal Army and these were joined by irregulars led by the revolutionary leader Pancho Villa, at Torreón in April 1912. Huerta offered Orozco's supporters (Orozquistas) amnesty, which might have weakened their forces already suffering from lack of money and arms. Huerta's forces defeated Orozco's at Rellano in May 1912. With that victory Huerta "had suddenly become a military hero with a national reputation."
caption: General Huerta (left) with Emilio Madero, Pres. Madero's brother, and Pancho Villa, 1912.
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