May 8, 1911 · Chihuahua, Northern Mexico Theater
May 8, 1911
Pancho Villa and Pascual Orozco captured the border city of Ciudad Juárez from federal troops in a battle Madero had ordered them NOT to fight — they began it anyway and won. The capture of the largest border crossing between Mexico and the United States was a political earthquake. Within two weeks, Porfirio Díaz had resigned and sailed for exile. The battle lasted three days and cost approximately 600 casualties on both sides.
Commanders