Border War | ||||||||
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Part of the Mexican Revolution and World War I | ||||||||
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Belligerents | ||||||||
Mexican Carrancistas *Maderistas supported by: German Empire |
Villista Rebels supported by: German Empire |
United States | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | ||||||||
Alvaro Obregon Venustiano Carranza Francisco Madero |
Pancho Villa Felipe Ángeles Aniceto Pizana Luis de la Rosca Emiliano Zapata † Francisco I. Madero † |
Herbert J. Slocum John J. Pershing Frank Tompkins Frederick J. Herman |
Mexican Carrancista/American Victory
The Border War, or the Border Campaign, refers to the military engagements which took place in the Mexico-United States border region of North America during the Mexican Revolution. The Bandit War in Texas was part of the Border War. From the beginning of the Mexican Revolution in 1910, the United States Army was stationed in force along the border and on several occasions fought with Mexican rebels or federals. The height of the conflict came in 1916 when revolutionary Pancho Villa attacked the American border town of Columbus, New Mexico. In response, the United States Army, under the direction of General John J. Pershing, launched an expedition into northern Mexico, to find and capture Villa. Though the operation was successful in finding and engaging the Villista rebels, and in killing Villa's two top lieutenants, the revolutionary himself escaped and the American army returned to the United States in January 1917. Conflict was not only subject to Villistas and Americans; Maderistas, Carrancistas, Constitutionalistas and Germans also engaged in battle with American forces during this period.
From there, the incident escalated from a small dispute into the Battle of Ambos Nogales. Reinforcements from both sides rushed to the border to fight; men of the 35th Infantry Regiment called for aid, and a squadron of 10th Cavalry under Herman responded. When they arrived, they attacked the Mexican positions on top of hills along the other side of the border. The assault was successful and the Mexican troops with their German advisers were defeated. In all, 30–129 Mexicans, two Germans, and seven Americans died in the fighting. After the battle, German military activity in Sonora ceased. The Battle of Ambos Nogales was the last major engagement of the Border War.