Under Porfirio Diaz Mexico was divided into eleven military departments. The Military Academy had been re-established in 1867 and graduated about 60 cadets annually and an arms factory had been set up at Mexico City. The Army was reorganized in 1897 and was now to consist of a total of 33,780 all ranks, on a peace footing, expanding to 148,100 on mobilization. The 7mm Mauser rifle displaced the Remington in 1895 and there were now also some Colt and Rexer machine-guns in service. Some Krupp and Schneider 75mm mountain guns, together with small quantities of Schneider Modell 1897 75mm field pieces, were obtained in the earlv years of the 20th Century'.to supplement about forty existing 80mm de Bange breach-loading rifled mountain cannon and Hotchkiss Model 1896 machine-guns subsequently replaced the older models previously in service. On the eve of the Revolution the Federal Army, was organized in 30 Battalions of Infantry, plus 4 Battalion cadres and 4 independent companies; 14 Regiments of Cavalry, plus 4 Regimental cadres; the Pesidential Mounted Escort; 4 Regiments of Artillery [2 mounted, 1 mountain and 1 light], plus 2 Regimental cadres [1 mountain and 1 light], 5 Coastal Batteries and 1 machine-gun company; a single Battalion of engineers and a squadron of military police. Although, in theory, each Infantry Battalion was to number 600 all ranks and each Cavalry Regiment 450, no attempt was made to recruit up to full establishment and most units were skeletonized, their commanders drawing and embezzling ration allowances for their full authorized strengths. In fact the Army numbered only 24,000 in 1910. There were also 12 "Corps", each of three companies, of mounted gendarmerie, the famous "RURALES", with a total establishment of 3,647 all ranks. More Mexican Revolution Introduction Fall of Diaz, Madero as President Murder of Madero, Huerta Hijacks the Presidency US Intervention and Carranza Becomes President Decline of Villa, Rise of Obregon, and Pershing Expedition Carranza Triumphant: Murder of Zapata and Eclipse of Villa Appendix 1: Mexican Army of Revolutionary Period Appendix 2: Mexican Navy of Revolutionary Period Appendix 3: Mexican Air Force of Revolutionary Period Back to Table of Contents -- El Dorado Vol V No. 3 Back to El Dorado List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1993 by The South and Central American Military Historians Society This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history and related articles are available at http://www.magweb.com