natural wonder
Parícutin Volcano
A cinder cone that erupted from a Michoacán cornfield in 1943, burying a village whose church tower still protrudes from the lava.
59 km · about 70 min drive
Michoacán, Mexico · North America
División del Norte sits on the route: 15 minutes from Pizándaro, 59km from Parícutin Volcano.
División del Norte is a town located in Michoacán, Mexico. With a population of 1,244, it is an important destination in North America.
On a road trip, División del Norte sits in Mexico, where you drive on the right. It's in the America/Mexico City time zone. Below you'll find where to stay, things to do nearby, and everything you need to add División del Norte to your route.
The División del Norte (English: Northern Division) was an armed faction formed by Francisco I. Madero and initially led by General José González Salas following Madero's call to arms at the outbreak of the Mexican Revolution in 1910. González Salas served in Francisco I. Madero's cabinet as Minister of War, but atRead more
the outbreak of the 1912 rebellion by Pascual Orozco, González Salas organized 6,000 troops of the Federal Army at Torreón. Orozquista forces surprised González Salas at the First Battle of Rellano. They sent an explosives packed train hurtling toward the Federales, killing at least 60 and injuring González Salas. Mutinous troops killed one of his commanders and after seeing the officer's body, González Salas committed suicide.
The leadership of the division was then assigned to General Victoriano Huerta, who reorganized González Salas's remaining forces that had been defeated by Oroquistas.
After Madero's overthrow in the counter-revolutionary coup that culminated the la Decena trágica, Pancho Villa assumed the leadership of the revolutionary northern division. As a result, the Division became closely associated with his name. Villa himself often led his División del Norte into battle.
The División del Norte was in effect a total army rather than a regular division. Villa's troops were assigned military ranks, outfitted with hospital trains and horse ambulances (called Servicio sanitario and said to be the first employed in Mexico), used the railroads built during the Díaz administration to move quickly from one engagement to the other, and unlike some other revolutionary groups, were well equipped with machine guns and even an artillery unit (captured from the Mexican Federal Army and Rurales).
Villa attempted to supply a horse to each infantryman, rather than only his cavalry detachments (Los dorados) in order to increase the speed of movement of his army, thus creating an early version of mobile infantry, or a late version of dragoons. Numerous foreign mercenaries served in the Falange extranjero (foreign legion) of the División, including such notables as Ivor Thord-Gray and the grandson of Giuseppe Garibaldi.
Villa excluded women soldaderas from the División del Norte. U.S. American journalist John Reed spent time with Villa and the División del Norte, writing in his book about the Mexican Revolution Insurgent Mexico that "Up to [Villa's] day, Mexican armies had always carried with them hundreds of the women and children of soldiers; Villa was the first man to think of swift forced marches of bodies of cavalry, leaving their women behind."
The División del Norte at its height numbered some 150,000 men. This was the largest revolutionary force ever amassed in the Americas. Pancho Villa's notoriety no doubt played an important part to recruiting such large numbers of men. Despite having such numerical advantage, the División del Norte was defeated at the Battle of Celaya in April 1915 by forces of Álvaro Obregón. The outcome of the battle came to the favor of Obregón who used defensive tactics from current European battle reports of World War I. The División del Norte with its cavalry charges was no match for well placed barbed wire, trenches, artillery and machine gun nests.
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División del Norte offers many attractions including tourist sites, museums, parks, and local restaurants. Explore famous landmarks, scenic roads, and natural wonders on our interactive map and plan your visit.
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División del Norte is located in Michoacán, Mexico, North America. The coordinates are 19.0812 latitude, -102.6121 longitude.
División del Norte has a population of approximately 1,244 people, making it a town in Mexico.
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Essential numbers in Mexico
Green Angels (free tourist roadside assistance on federal highways): 078.
Full driving guide for Mexico1 notable place within an hour's drive.
natural wonder
A cinder cone that erupted from a Michoacán cornfield in 1943, burying a village whose church tower still protrudes from the lava.
59 km · about 70 min drive
Year-round
Tropical latitude: plan around the wet season rather than temperature.
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