The Life and Times of Pancho Villa

His Relations with the United States and His Conflict with Carranza

His victory at Torreón made Villa a national leader. He now controlled more resources and more territory than any other revolutionary commander, his army was the strongest among the revolutionary forces, and his prestige was unequaled by that of any other military chieftain the revolution had produced. In the United States, public opinion, and perhaps even the Wilson administration, considered him a national leader whose decisions might decide the fate of the Mexican Revolution. Carranza's enemies in the revolutionary movement hoped, and Carranza feared, that Villa was out to replace him as leader of the revolution. Villa himself was long uncertain about what role he should play. Whatever his hesitations, however, his newfound status transformed his relations with the United States, with Carranza, and with non-Carrancista factions in the Mexican revolutionary movement.