Convergence of the Twain

After Carranza was forced out of Mexico City, Zapata and his men marched in and took control. To Zapata, tradition and land reform were of high importance and as a result, when he entered Mexico City he treated all the civilians with respect and kindness. Despite his victory Zapata still faced four big problems (pg 267). The largest problems he faced was banditry and the alliance with Villa. To solve this problem Villa invited Zapata to meet him in Mexico City on December 4. This was to be the only time the two great leaders of the Mexican Revolution meet. The two decided that neither of them wanted the presidency, however, the president would still have to to be underneath them. They also decided Villa would remain in the North and Zapata in the South. A few months later, Zapata went back to the South because he realized Villa's desire was to have more control. After Zapata's departure Villa began a reign of terror in Mexico City, and his men began to terrorize the civilians. As a result President Gutuierrez fled the city and issued a manifesto condemning Villa and Zapata. This resulted in their alliance being a standstill and ultimately the end of their power.