Pancho Villa

Villa, Pancho (Francisco Villa; 1877–1923), Mexican revolutionary leader. Originally a bandit in northern Mexico, Villa joined (1910) the insurgent forces of Francisco Madero fighting against the dictator Porfirio Díaz. After the successful campaign, he remained in the irregular army. When Madero was assassinated (1913), Villa joined forces with another revolutionary, Venustiano Carranza, and together they took Juárez (1914). Villa became governor of the state of Chihuahua and with Carranza continued his rebellion against Madero's successor, Gen. Victoriano Huerta (1914). In 1914–15 Villa and Emiliano Zapata took control of Mexico City but were later defeated by Gen. lvaro Obregón. Competition between Villa and Carranza forced a break in their alliance, and Villa, embittered by U.S. recognition of Carranza's government, attacked and burned the town of Columbus, N.M., killing 16 people. U.S. Gen. John Pershing then led an unsuccessful 11-month expedition into northern Mexico in pursuit of Villa. The invasion strained U.S.-Mexican relations, and Pershing was recalled. When Carranza's government was overthrown (1920), Villa was awarded a grant of land. He was assassinated at his ranch (1923).

See also: Mexico.