authoritarian-modernization
Porfirio Díaz's regime combined political repression with economic development and modernization efforts, including infrastructure and foreign investment.
1 chapter across 1 book
Distant Neighbors: A Portrait of the Mexicans (1985)Alan Riding
The chapter traces the historical trajectory of Mexico from its pre-Hispanic civilizations through the Spanish Conquest, colonial subjugation, and the struggle for independence, to the turbulent post-independence era marked by political instability and foreign intervention. It highlights the persistent exploitation and marginalization of indigenous peoples, the blending of indigenous and Spanish cultures, and the rise of authoritarian regimes culminating in Porfirio Díaz's dictatorship and the outbreak of the Mexican Revolution. Key events include the fall of the Aztec Empire, the War of Independence, Liberal reforms, foreign invasions, and the social and political upheavals leading to revolutionary mobilization.