Felipe Angeles

Felipe Ángeles was a Mexican military officer and revolutionary who collaborated with Francisco I. Madero and Francisco Villa during the Mexican Revolution. He was born in Zacualtipán, Hidalgo, in 1868, the son of a farmer and a veteran of the wars against the US and France. He entered the Military Academy in Mexico City at the age of 14 and graduated as a lieutenant of engineers in 1892. He became a professor at the academy and specialized in artillery. He also studied in France and was awarded the Legion of Honor. He returned to Mexico in 1912 and was appointed director of the Military Academy by Madero. He supported Madero during the Ten Tragic Days, a coup d'état led by Victoriano Huerta. After Madero's assassination, he joined the Constitutionalist Army of Venustiano Carranza and fought against Huerta. He later switched sides and joined Villa's Division of the North, becoming his chief of artillery and military adviser. He participated in several battles, such as Torreón, Zacatecas, and Celaya. He was also appointed governor of Coahuila and Nuevo León by Villa. He was known for his intelligence, professionalism, and humanism. He advocated for social justice, democracy, and education. He also proposed the creation of a compulsory military service in Mexico. He fell out of favor with Villa after the Convention of Aguascalientes, a political dispute between the revolutionary factions. He was arrested and exiled to the US in 1915. He returned to Mexico in 1918 and rejoined Villa, but was captured by the government forces in 1919. He was tried by a military court and sentenced to death. He was executed by firing squad in Chihuahua City on November 26, 1919. He is considered a national hero and a martyr of the revolution.