Marissa Kimmel-Kendrick and Karmen Buchanan- for our post we had chapter 7 on international ramifications. We decided to do our narratives as if it had been written by a reporter in Mexico, who had spent years observing the Mexican government during the revolution. The narrative is written as if the reporter was doing a story that reflected the past several years of the revolution and the countries' relations with foreign powers.

 

The revolution within Mexico’s borders was meant to be a conflict that was to be resolved among the people of Mexico, but the division and unrest within our countries borders has caused unrest and problems with the neighboring nation, the United States. The U.S. being the great industrious nation that it is, has been in a state of tug of war, wanting to become involved in Mexican affairs. Nonetheless in spite of the debate over whether or not to officially interfere with the disarray in Mexico, Americans have nonetheless found ways to get involved in the concerns and issues going on in Mexico.

            The ultimate goal of the Americans and the motivation behind their involvement has not been to help bring peace to Mexico, much less to help the Mexicans. The focus of the American government is its people that reside in areas of conflict within Mexico and the properties that such citizens possess. This motivation was manifested when U.S. ambassador Henry Lane Wilson won an audience with General Huerta and Felix Diaz. During the meeting they made requests to the general that certain American interests would be guaranteed to be protected. Among such interests were the American embassy being treated as a humanitarian establishment as well as has having a free zone around it. They also made sure to get a three hour time period in which Americans and other foreigners could be removed from the fire zones.

            This has not been the only time in which the Americans have raised concern over their citizens becoming mixed up in the conflict plaguing Mexico. The U.S. embassy has even in times past made it known that it will hold Mexico responsible for damage done to Americans or their property.

            The U.S. demands have been very hard for the Mexican government to completely ignore. After all the U.S. has been a big investor in some of the major industries within Mexico and because of this it owns a large portion of the land. This power puts the Mexican government under an obligation to at least give ear to some of the American complaints. If the government did and does not it risks a conflict with this greater and currently more powerful nation.

            But America is not the only nation to have paid attention to the issues raging in Mexico over the past several years. As war carries on in Europe, America has been rumored to possibly have become involved in the conflict. That being said the conflict within Mexico has been used by these foreign powers to exercise their wills through Mexico. In an effort to delay America’s entrance into the war in Europe, the Zimmerman note was sent to Mexico. This note encouraged Mexico to rise up against the United States and take back the land which had been taken by the Americans.  

            Although the suggestion was tempting Mexico was not in the position to raise such a war with the United States. Besides, it must be considered that this note was sent not for the benefit of Mexico, but for the benefit of the Germans. Mexico succeeded in upsetting its neighbor by simply not responding the Zimmerman. The past few years have been challenging for Mexico to say the least. Not only has it had to deal with the war torn areas within its own borders, but it has had to try to appease its neighbor or risk an even bigger conflict.