Mexico: Difference between revisions

'''Mexico''' (Spanish: ''México''); (Náhuatl: ''Mēxihco''), officially the '''Republic of Mexico''' (''República de México''), is a country in the southern and western portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the [[Amerikaanse Free State]];, to the northeast by [[Tussenland]] and [[Opdamsland]];, to the eastsoutheast by [[South Tussenland]] and the Gulf of Mexico;, to the west by the Pacific Ocean, and to the south by [[Boschland]]. Mexico is the most populous nation in North America and the most populous Spanish-speaking nationcountry in the world. The nationsnation's capital, [[Mexico city]]City (''Ciudad de México''), also known as CDMX, is the largest metropolitan area of North America and in the Western Hemisphere. Other major Urban areas include Guadalaxara, Monterrey, Puebla, Los Angeles, San Antonio, Ciudad de Guatemala, Goudhaven, Ximénez and Santa Maria.

Pre-Columbian Mexico traces its origins to 8,000 BC and is identified as a cradle of civilization and was home to many advanced civilizations, including the Maya and the Aztecs. In 1521, the Spanish Empire conquered and colonized the territory from its base in Mexico City, which then became known as New Spain. The Catholic Church played an importantessential role as millions of indigenous inhabitants converted to Catholicism. The colony became richwealthy due to the heavy exploitation of deposits of precious materials. Mexico became an independent country after the successful coup of the government of New Spain by the former viceroy [[Jorge González de Güemes y Horcasitas]] against Spain in 1881 and the subsequent [[Mexican Independence Crisis]], founding the Empire of Mexico.

After Mexico's defeat in the [[Mexico#The Mexican%20Mexican-Dutch Boer War %20Boer%20War%20(1901-1903)|Dutch-Mexican-Dutch Boer War (1901-1903)]], the internal popularity and legitimacy of the Emperor of Mexico waned. In 1909 the Emperor of Mexico abdicated and after the [[Mexican constitutional crisis]] was replaced by the '''Republic of Mexico''' after the Mexican constitutional crisis. During the 20th century, economic and political rivalry between Mexico and New NetherlandsNetherland dominated political discourse. Starting in the 1930's Mexico experienced a massive economic boom with investment and advancement in mining, refining, industry, manufacturing, and agriculture sectors spurred by modernization policies of the Mexican government.

''Mēxihco'' is the Nahuatl term for the heartland of the Aztec Empire, namely the Valley of Mexico and surrounding territories, with its people being known as the Mexica. In the colonial era, when Mexico was called New Spain, this central region became the Intendency of Mexico,. duringDuring colonial reforms in the 1850's1850s, the colony was locally referred to as the Crown colonyColony of Mexico or the viceroyViceroyalty of Mexico. After the colony achieved independence from the Spanish Empire in 1881 with, the new country beingwas named after its capital: Mexico City, which itself was founded in 1524 on the site of the ancient Mexica capital of Mexico-Tenochtitlan.

Mexico is a historic cradle of civilization, with many pre-Colombian civilizations thriving in the valley of Mexico and the in the Yucatán peninsula. The earliest complex civilization in Mexico was the Olmec culture, which flourished on the Gulf Coast from around 1500 BC. In Central Mexico, the height of the classic period saw the ascendancy of Teotihuacán, which formed a military and commercial empire whose political influence stretched south into the MayaMayan areaareas asand well asthe north. During the early post-classic era, Central Mexico was dominated by the Toltec culture, Oaxaca by the Mixtec, and the lowland Maya area had important centers at Chichén Itzá and Mayapán. Toward the end of the post-Classic period, the Mexica established dominance, establishing a political and economic empire based in the city of Tenochtitlan (modern Mexico City), extending from central Mexico to Guatemala. In 1519 Mesoamerican society drastically changed with the beginning of the Spanish conquest of the Aztec empire.

=== Conflict with the Netherlands over the BoerVoortrekker States ===

Additionally, Spain borrowed money from GenoanGenoese and British banks to rebuild after the war but defaulted on the payments within a year, which led to an economic crisis. Learning González's declaration of a Mexican Empire, the King was furious and pledged to retake the colony, leading to the Mexican Independence Crisis. The Spanish army set out several expeditions to retake Mexico in 1881 and 1882, but they were repelled by the newly formed Mexican army and navy each time. With a mounting economic crisis, guerilla fighting in the nation, and the inability to militarily take back New Spain, the Spanish crown recognized the Mexican empire in 1884.

The Mexican Empire under Emperor González sought to centralize control over all of New Spain's former holdings and embarked on a wave of reforms to consolidate power in Mexico city and in the military. In 1887 the Mexican government sent the military to crush the Central American rebellions centered in Guatemala and Honduras. They also sought to build economic and political relationships with other nations in the region including Saint-Domingue, Colombia and South Tussenland. During the 1890's Mexico became a important funder of the proposed GenoanGenoese Panama canal project.

=== TheDutch Mexican-Dutch Boer War (1901-1903) ===

[[File:AftermathRTL ofDutch the Dutch-Mexican Boer War (1903)Map.pngjpg|alt=|left|thumb|394x394px413x413px|Territorial Changes after the Mexican Dutch Boer War (Treaty of Williamsburg).]]

In western North America, the fledgling Mexican Empire had a lot of potential in the region as a great power. Heavily religious and autocratic, it wanted to centralize its authority and display its might. In 1897, Mexico abolished home rule for the autonomous Voortrekker (or Boer) states. The Kingdom of the Netherlands, which was generally sympathetic to the Boers, saw this as an affront to their authority in North America and issued an ultimatum to Mexico: restore self-governance for the Dutch Boers states else they will attack Mexico. Mexico refused, and in 1901 the Dutch declared war, known as the [[Mexican-Dutch Boer war]]. At the onset of the war, the former Dutch colony of the New Netherlands joined the war on the Dutch Kingdom's side.

=== The Mexican Revolution (1909) ===

The enddefeat ofat the Mexican-Dutch-Mexican warWar (1901-1903) was a blow to Emperor Jorge Gonzales's prestige and legitimacy. The nascent republicanRepublican and liberalLiberal movements within Mexico pounced at the chance to get rid of the emperorEmperor. andThey started to organize for change with much greater ferocity and tenacity (all the while under suppression by Mexican Imperial authorities).

In 1903 in the immediate aftermath of the war, facing both external and internal political pressure, Emperor González was forced to agree to a new constitution that limited the monarchy's power and createdcreate a representative legislature for the country. While initially this was initially applauded as a historic step towards democracy in Mexico, it wassoon soonbecame apparent that these changes were moreonly superficial than anything. By 1904, the new Mexican senate was stacked full of entrenched pro-monarchymonarchist politicians who owed exclusive loyalty towardsto Emperor González and acted as little more than a "rubber -stamp" for the Monarchymonarchy. This arrangement angeredinfuriated many Mexicans whomwho had gained significant republican sympathies stemming from increased urbanization and the spread of liberal, pro-republican ideas, literature, and values from the restrepublican ofmovements happening around North America at the Americastime. Additionally, the military was starting to grow disenchanted with the further kleptocratic monarchial rule as the Emperor startedbegan to take a more hands -on approach to military organization and governance (including a series of purges aimed at removing pro-republican officers from the Army and Navy).

In 1906, the Emperor personally removed the famous war general Juan- Guillermo Quesada, who was known for his personality, charisma, and heroic defense of Los Angeles, personality and charisma fromduring the armyDutch-Mexican War, in fears that Juan Quesada'shis popularity amongst the common peoplefolk could be a political challenge for the Emperor. This provokesprovoked a majorsignificant wave of disapproval from the army officer corecorps as well asand mass public outrage. This move solidified the idea in the vast majority of minds of the Mexican people that the Emperor iswas little more than a tyrant and the post -war constitution was as good as uselessfutile. Over the next 2two years, Mexico iswas at a stage of near open revolt with a series of strikes, protests, and riots wreckingwreaking havoc on the emperorEmperor's legitimacy and shutting down keycritical urban areas of the country. By late 1908, the Armyarmy iswas in a state of near rebellion and stopsstopped enforcing the Emperor's crackdowns against protestors. This leadsled to a worried and frantic response from the Monarchymonarchy. andNot long after, Emperor Gonzales abdicatesabdicated the throne toin hisfavor favoredof his son, Agustín González Silva de Ciudad Mexico, in order toan hopefullyattempt appease reformers.  ThisHowever, this move backfires howeverbackfired, and the new 31 -year -old Emperor iswas seen as both a puppet of his father and a remaining symbol of Monarchist tyranny.

In January of 1909, the country was in revolta andfull-scale afterrevolt. After a 128 -day strike in Mexico cityCity, the army, now again under the leadership of the former general Juan - Guillermo Quesada, arrestsarrested the Emperor and his father, which leadsled to the pro-monarchy senateSenate, royalRoyal Court, and rest of the royal family fleeing to the city of Monterrey, calling for the release of the Emperor. The next day, a collation of influential organized republican leaders conveneconvened and declared the new Mexican Republic later that week declare a new Mexican Republic. The old government of the Emperor (whowhich by now resideresided in Monterrey) dodid not recognize this declaration and attemptattempted to raise ana paramilitary army from some of the remaining monarchist strongholds in Nuevo Leon and Veracruz. After several months of street clashes and political debate amongst the two competing governments, the army stepped in and threw its support behind the republican congress. In the following weeks, the monarchistsmonarchist forces surrendered and dissipated nationwide, and on April 12th, 1909, the Mexican Republic held it'sits first nationwidenational democratic elections.