Francisco (Pancho) Villa

A Mexican revolutionary leader of poor peasant origins. Villa was a pseudonym while on the run, and his real name was Doroteo Arango. He is generally known by his nickname Pancho Villa. Born in the northern state of Durango, he committed murder as a boy and fled, later becoming popular among the lower classes as a righteous bandido (bandit). He participated in the Mexican Revolution led by Madero in 1910 and played an active role in the military, but was overthrown after the victory of the revolution and went into exile in the United States. After the counter-revolution in 1913, he returned to Mexico and built the strongest revolutionary army made up of poor peasants, leading the second revolution to victory. However, he came into conflict with Carranza (a large landowner), the leader of the second revolution, and in the summer of 1914, he allied with Zapata and fought against Carranza, controlling almost the entire country for a time, but after 1915, he was at a disadvantage and continued guerrilla warfare in the northern state of Chihuahua. After the Carranza government was overthrown in 1920, he made peace with the new government and took up farm management, but was assassinated by a political opponent in 1923.

[Takashi Noda]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

貧農出身のメキシコ革命軍指導者。ビリャとは逃亡中の仮名で、本名はドロテオ・アランゴDoroteo Arango。一般には愛称名パンチョ・ビリャとして有名。北部ドゥランゴ州に生まれたが、少年時代に殺人を犯して逃亡、のちに義賊的バンディド（山賊）として下層民衆の人気を集めた。1910年のマデロの指導するメキシコ革命に参加、軍事面で活躍したが、革命勝利後失脚しアメリカへ亡命した。13年の反革命後、帰国して貧農を主体とする最強の革命軍を自力でつくりあげ、第二次革命を勝利に導いた。しかし第二次革命の指導者カランサ（大地主）と対立し、14年夏にサパタと同盟してカランサと戦い、一時ほぼ全土を支配したが、15年以後劣勢になり北部チワワ州でゲリラ戦を続けた。20年にカランサ政権が倒れたので、新政権と和平し農場経営にあたったが、23年政敵に暗殺された。

［野田　隆］

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