An important feature of the Mexican Revolution was its broad base of support. Revolution was brought about because, after more than 30 years in power, Porfirio Diaz succeeded in disenfranchising almost all socioeconomic groups who were not members of the power elite. Revolution occurs when individuals are pressed to the limits of their endurance; such a situation existed in Mexico under Diaz, which explains why so many segments of society risked personal safety to participate.
Diaz pandered to foreign influence to such an extent that being a Mexican became a disadvantage, particularly the more than ninety percent mixed breed Indian population. The government regarded itself as superior to the common people: "The government must be an aristocracy, an aristocracy of brains, technicians, wise and upright elders, scientists" (Brenner, 1971, p. 10). To encourage foreigners to regard Mexico as a land of opportunity, Diaz realized he had to make his country appear a safe haven for business. Toward this end, he ruthlessly repressed political dissidents, manipulated municipal elections, and established a brutal police force (rurales) that terrorized the peasant population. As a result of Diaz's single-minded pursuit of foreign capital, Mexico became a nation infiltrated by foreign influence: "by the early twentieth century, the banks were 94 percent foreign-owned, and electric power, most large mining enterprises, and the railroads were all controlled by foreign companies" (Hellman, 1994, p. 46). As if foreign intrusion were not enough, Diaz's administration made radical changes that even stripped Mexican citizens of their sense of national identity.
The nature of opposition that developed against Diaz was truly multiclass. The elites who not a part of the Diaz clique were fighting for their share of Mexico's prosperity. Members of the middle-class were fighting because Diaz's policies stifled all hope of economic opportun...