Battle of Ambos Nogales
| Battle of Ambos Nogales | |||||||
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| Part of the Mexican Revolution, World War I, Border War | |||||||
  The U.S.-Mexico border in Nogales in 1898 and pre-2011. International Street/Calle Internacional runs through the center of the image between Nogales, Sonora (left), and Nogales, Arizona (right). Note border posts without fence and rail line in 1898. Customs Post where the first shooting occurred is in center of image this side of rail line. Click on image to enlarge. |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 United States
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 Mexico German Empire
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
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Frederick Herman |
Unknown | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| ~800 | Unknown | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 4 U.S. soldiers and 2 civilians killed 28 U.S. soldiers and several civilians wounded |
Mexico: Up to 28-30 Mexican soldiers and about 100 civilians killed, some may have been Villistas; 129 new graves were counted About 300 total wounded Germany: 2 killed |
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American military victory
The Battle of Ambos Nogales (The Battle of Both Nogales), or as it is known in Mexico La batalla del 27 de agosto (The Battle of 27 August), was an engagement fought on 27 August 1918 between Mexican forces and elements of US Army troops of the 35th Infantry Regiment, who were reinforced by the Buffalo Soldiers of the 10th Cavalry Regiment, and commanded by Lt. Col. Frederick J. Herman. The American soldiers and militia forces were stationed in Nogales, Arizona, and the Mexican soldiers and armed Mexican militia were in Nogales, Sonora. This battle was notable for being a significant confrontation between US and Mexican forces during the Border War which took place in the context of the Mexican Revolution and the First World War.
This occurred after the Zimmermann telegram during World War I, when the international border between the two Nogaleses was a wide-open boulevard named International Street. Several previous fatal incidents had occurred in this area, which helped increase international tensions and led to armed conflict. This included the claim of German military advisors as agitators with Mexican Villa rebels, claims of racism and border politics. As a result of this battle, the US and Mexico agreed to divide the two border communities with a chain-link border fence, the first of many permanent incarnations of the U.S.–Mexico border wall between the two countries.
The outbreak of the Mexican Revolution in 1910 against the long-time rule of President Porfirio Díaz initiated a decade-long period of high-intensity military conflict along the US–Mexico border, as different political/military factions in Mexico fought for power. The access to arms and customs duties from Mexican communities along the US-Mexico border made towns such as Nogales, Sonora, important strategic assets. The capture of the key border city of Ciudad Juárez in 1911 by Mexican revolutionaries led by Francisco I. Madero (and his military commanders Francisco "Pancho" Villa and Pascual Orozco) led to the downfall of President Diaz and the elevation of Madero to President. The violent aftermath of Madero's assassination during a coup in 1913 again highlighted the importance of the US-Mexico border, as battles for control of Mexican Nogales between Villistas and Carrancistas led to American involvement because of cross-border firing into the US. This took place during the Battle of Nogales (1913) and again during the Battle of Nogales (1915). The inability of the various political factions in Mexico to reach consensus on fundamental political, social and economic reforms prevented the conclusion of the Mexican Revolution until a significant time after the 1918 Battle of Ambos Nogales.
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