The purpose of this research is to examine the career and life of Porfirio Diaz, the political leader of Mexico between the late 1870s and 1911. Diaz, whose period of rule spanned the time between the Juarez Wars and the Villa-Zapata Revolt, helped to define the future of Mexico in many ways. Some historians view him as an evil, brutal dictator, while others see him as a hard-headed but highly productive founder of a modern nation. One fact is certain: Very few of his contemporaries and compatriots regarded him lightly. It was virtually impossible to be indifferent about a regime as extensive and long-lasting as that of Porfirio Diaz.
One critical account of Diaz divides his life into four parts. The first is from birth to age 24, when he joined the army to fight the ruling dictator, Antonio Lopex de Santa Anna, and his regime in the 1850s. The second period involves his important position as an officer in the army that defeated Emperor Maximilian of Mexico in 1867. The third period covers the years between 1867--when Diaz was 37--and 1876, ending with his rise to power through force. The final and longest division is the period of his power, beginning in 1876 and ending in 1911. This research will focus primarily on this fourth period of his life.
Diaz has always been difficult to describe as a liberal, a conservative, a reactionary or anything else since his politics were often dictated by the needs of the moment and his personal ambition. As a supporter of the rebels against Santa Anna and of Juarez against Maximilian, he is commonly regarded as having been on the more liberal side. Some accounts say that he served the liberal cause bravely, and all accounts say that he served it well. He did not, however, serve it well enough to become more popular that Benito Juarez. In the elections of 1867 and 1871, Diaz was badly beaten by Juarez at the ballot boxes. After Juarez' death, Diaz ran for president in 1872 ag...