Genovevo de La O - Revolution Under Zapata

Revolution Under Zapata

The Madero government was opposed to the Plan de Ayala, and the Zapatistas took up arms to defend their cause. De la O was made an infantry captain conducting guerrilla operations for Zapata in the northern part of Morelos. He moved up through the ranks of major, lieutenant colonel, and colonel before the year was out.

Through 1911 and 1912, his division of the Liberation Army of the South operated in the area around Santa María and its neighboring towns, consistently beating back federalist forces. He forced enemy divisions to retreat to Cuernavaca, gave a solid drubbing to a group of generals led by General Robles, and inspired thousands to flock into his division.

De la O's forces took the town of Huitzilac in the Spring of 1912, but the federalists were reluctant to give it up. General Ojeda tried to evacuate the town’s supplies and equipment, but de la O exacted a heavy toll attacking the convoys. He defended the town with success, but in 1912 General Naranjo infiltrated and burned most of it to the ground.

As 1913 neared, he pushed into México state to face forces commanded by the president himself, Victoriano Huerta. De la O became a general as fighting continued along the border with México state through 1915. Huerta faded from power and Venustiano Carranza took control, bringing extra troops to bear that turned the tide back against de la O. As General Pablo González slowly pushed de la O back into Morelos, disaster befell the Zapatista cause in 1919. The leader of the revolution, Emiliano Zapata, was tricked and murdered by Colonel Jesús Guajardo. This was a terrible blow to the Liberation Army of the South, which had already grown increasingly fractured after many long years of campaigning.