Monday, June 23, 2014

Tuesday, June 23, 1914. The decisive Villista Victory.

Pancho Villa's División del Norte defeated the Mexican federal army in the Battle of Zacatecas.  It was a decisive victory with nearly 90% Federal casualties and directly brought down the Huerta government, which was already looking for a way out of the war.

The bloodiest battle of the Mexican Revolution in its own right, the bloodshed was made worse by Villistas killing all Federal officials taken prisoner, Colorado's, and Federal officers.  Killing of prisoners continued until General Felipe Ángeles arrived at dusk and ordered the executions to cease, and the bodies of the dead buried to prevent disease.

Vila was unable to fully exploit the victory as Carranza refused coal for local trains to be used by Villa, given the discord between them, and the US, which had lifted an arms embargo on Villa, reimposed it.  Villa, ironically, would end up withdrawing to the north after the battle even though it had destroyed the Federal Army.  All of this provided ample evidence that even though Carranza and Villa were both Constitutionalist, that the discord between them was reaching an irreparable state.


U.S. infantry brigade photographed at Texas City, Texas on this day in 1914.

Mob violence over a labor dispute destroyed the Western Federation of Miners office in Butte, Montana and resulted in two deaths and the building being dynamited.


The first flight of the flying boat America took place in anticipation of a transatlantic flight that would not occur due to the outbreak of World War One.

The Kiel Canal, which had been under reconstruction for seven years, reopened with the British Fleet under Sir George Warrender visiting as the Kaiser inspected the dreadnought HMS King George V.

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