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I am doing a research paper on the Mexican Punitive Expedition. I would like to know what you feel is the most important aspect of the confrontation. I have started reading <u>Chasing Villa</u>. I purchased it off Amazon. I have tried searching for books in the library but am coming up empty handed. Anyone have anymore ideas on articles, books, etc.?

Thanks for the help.

Tracey [:X]

I recently saw a movie about Pancho Villa that was about an American company making a movie about Pancho Villa. If you cannot decipher that, you are on your own.

I do not remember the name of the movie, and do not know how historically accurate the movie is. However, I did enjoy the movie.

BTW, Pershing chased Villa in a Dodge Brothers car.

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by tracey46236</i>
<br />I am doing a research paper on the Mexican Punitive Expedition. I would like to know what you feel is the most important aspect of the confrontation. I have started reading <u>Chasing Villa</u>. I purchased it off Amazon. I have tried searching for books in the library but am coming up empty handed. Anyone have anymore ideas on articles, books, etc.?

Thanks for the help.

Tracey [:X]
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

Tracey, at least Eisenhower's book on the Punitive Expedition is still available, I believe. The others should also be locatable. After you read Chasing Villa, a good current treatment of it, such as Eisenhower's book, would be recommended.

For a Mexican view of this time period, if not a book which concentrates on this event (but does discuss it) take a look at "Mexico; Biography of Power". This is mostly a history of Mexico, but a lively one that does discuss the Revolution and events surround it in a very interesting fashion.

For a unique regional look, Glenn Justice has published a book called Revolution On The Rio Grande. This book looks at a section of the border in Texas, and, while short, is also very lively and interesting. It covers a longer period than just the Punitive Expedition.

As for the most important aspect of the Punitive Expedition, this would probably depend upon the angle you choose to approach it from. Politically, it cast a shadow over our relationship with the PRI which lasted a long time, although it began to thaw a bit during WWII. Militarily it allowed the US Army to mobilize in what amounted to a low level combat environment, and against, to an extent, the wishes of the Administration, and thereby be better prepared for WWI. The Punitive Expedition likely saved many American lives in WWI, through lessons learned during it. And it paved, in some ways, the way toward the gasoline powered Army that would appear twenty years later.
While it would be a simplistic view, perhaps from the viewpoint of the long border with Mexico the most important result was providing a deterrant to excessive violence from the combatants in the Mexican revolution, a long and difficult period of Mexico's history.

Pat

Another interesting aspect is to trace the service of some notable figures in WWII history to the Punitive Expedition. Most notably you'll find Patton, and the colorful stories about how he ended up on Pershing's Staff.

Stephen P. Wuensche
Captain, US Army
Field Artillery

"The guns! Thank God for the guns!" - Kipling

Bumped up in light of the centenary of the commencement of the Punitive Expedition on March 9.