Waking the Dictator
Veracruz, the Struggle for Federalism
and the Mexican Revolution, 1870-1927

Kark Koth B.

About the Book

Koth's book, Waking the Dictator, is a study of federalism in late-nineteenth-century Veracruz State. It is also a politico-military analysis and an evaluation of social-revolutionary relations in the epoch of the Porfiriato and the Mexican Revolution. Koth interprets the Mexican Revolution across two axes: one is the heightened struggle for federalism, i.e., the conflict between the state of Veracruz and the central government; and the other is the class struggle that was brought into sharp relief by the violent social and military upheaval. Koth illustrates why and how, in 1927, President Plutarco ElÌas Calles crushed federalism, suppressed the aspirations of working classes, and co-opted a re-emergent Veracruz bourgeoisie. In Koth's view, the initial promises of the Mexican Revolution never were fulfilled. The old rancor born of elite control and the loss of federalism still brews not far beneath the surface of contemporary Mexican politics.

This study is the first modern, comprehensive, and analytical history of the Porfiriato and Mexican Revolution in Veracruz.

"Koth shows clearly that revolutionary impulses relating particularly to land, but also to labour and industrialization, were present well before the Revolution broke out in 1910. He explains the political currents at the elite level that were beginning to cause fissures in President Diaz's control which would establish opportunities for resistance." -- Linda B. Hall, Latin American & Iberian Institute, University of New Mexico

"Koth's study represents a skillful telling of the political, economic, and social history of Porfirian and Revolutionary Veracruz State. His extensive research and significant discoveries in previously untapped archives underscore the importance of regional studies in the history of nineteenth- and twentieth-century Mexico. The struggles in Veracruz illustrate Mexico's chronic conflicts between centralism and federalism. This book contributes to the ongoing debate over the nature and scope of the Mexican Revolution." -- Christon I. Archer, University of Calgary

 

About the Author

A researcher of Mexican history for over twenty years, Karl Koth has published extensively in the field. His travels and scholarly research have taken him throughout the Caribbean, Latin America, and North America. He has taught history in Jamaica, Mexico, and Canada. At present, he is associate dean of the faculty of arts at Okanagan University College in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada.

Table of Contents

Preface
Acknowledgments
Abbreviations

1. The Path Taken: The Modernization of Veracruz, 1876-1905
2. Revolution in Veracruz: The PLM Phase
3. Revolution in Veracruz: The Maderista Phase
4. The Revised Revolution
5. Revolution and Counter-Revolution: From Orozco to DÌaz
6. The Neo-Porfirian Experiment
7. Constitutionalists, Conventionists and FÈlix DÌaz
8. Experiment with Socialism
9. Conclusion

Glossary
Bibliography
Index

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