Mexican Social Revolution

Throughout the world history, social revolutions occurred in numerous regions around the world in the 20th century. In some nations, the social revolutions helped develop their nations. In other nations, it did not. As the structure of society changes after a social revolution, major events involving violence, political arguments, and protests were unavoidable. These resulted the cost of many lives and conflicts. The direction of social revolution relied on their previous social structure. If a nation had a capitalistic society, it was more likely to go for socialism. If a nation was under socialism, it was more likely to go for capitalism. This follows as all kinds of problems exist in both capitalism and socialism leading people to try fixing

For example, the Mexican Revolution that started in 1910 brought significant changes that as a result enhanced Mexico socially and economically. Dictatorship by Porfirio Diaz and old ways of the Spanish colonial rules led to a revolution supported by liberals, intellectuals, and the working class. To oppose Diaz, Francisco Madero drafted the “Plan of San Luis” to prevent Diaz from being reelected as a president. As a result, Madero becomes the president of Mexico. However, he dissatisfies citizens by failing to follow his document proposals such as allowing pueblos and citizens of Mexico to “obtain ejidos, colonies, and foundations for pueblos, or fields for sowing or laboring” (Plan de Ayala). Madero was overthrown and violent revolutionary forces kept on rising. In effort to settle conflicts in Mexico, a new Mexican Constitution was addressed in 1917, mainly focused on the rights of urban labor. The Constitution noted that workers should be allowed to organize for the defense of their interests, by forming unions, professional associations, etc. (Mexican Constitution of 1917). Intense efforts and trials drove Mexico to improve economically and

Due to his failure of the Great Leap Forward, Mao Zedong began to fear urban social stratification and resent his diminished role. He decides to enforce Cultural Revolution to gain control and improve their nation. The main goals were to replace designated successors with leaders faithful to his Zedong’s current thinking, to provide China’s youths with a revolutionary experience, and to achieve some specific policy changes so as to make the educational, health care, and cultural systems less elitist. In the Decision Concerning the Great Proletarian Revolution, it is stated that “In the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, the only method is for the masses to liberate themselves, and any method of doing things in their stead must not be used”(Decision Concerning the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution). It encouraged the masses to educate themselves, which is different from their usual education system. Despite the effort, China struggles to stay committed to Communist Party leadership like most countries did. After Mao Zedong’s death, his successor Deng Xiaoping begins to open up to the outside world and embrace capitalistic factors. Xiaoping states that a mixture of planned economy and market economy is crucial in speeding up the economic growth. As China leaned more towards the market economy, the living conditions and economy started to improve. This implies that the Cultural Revolution failed to improve China.