Pancho Villa

Mexican revolutionary (1878-1923)

Source-basedStable

Lived 1878–1923, aged 45Mexico

Mexico Historical Figures

Fame40.0
Momentum0.5
Mexico rank#6
Historical Figures rank#89
Wikipedia81.3K

Wikipedia
65 languages
Cross-language footprint
Rank in Mexico
#6
Historical Figures
Era
1878–1923
Aged 45

Summary

Updated 2026-05-29

Mexican revolutionary general who toppled a dictator, ruled northern Mexico for a hot minute, then got sidelined when his coalition fell apart. Land reform was his thing—in theory.

Biography

About

Francisco "Pancho" Villa was a Mexican revolutionary, guerrilla leader, and politician. He was a key figure in the Mexican Revolution, which forced out President and dictator Porfirio Díaz, subsequently ending the Porfiriato, and brought Francisco I. Madero to power in 1911. When Madero was ousted by a coup led by General Victoriano Huerta in February 1913, Villa joined the anti-Huerta forces in the Constitutionalist Army led by Venustiano Carranza. After the defeat and exile of Huerta in July 1914, Villa broke with Carranza. Villa dominated the meeting of revolutionary generals that excluded…

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