Nicolás Rodríguez Carrasco

Nicolás Rodríguez Carrasco
Rodríguez Carrasco in uniform and giving a customary Revolutionary Mexicanist Action salute in 1934
Born	1890 Chihuahua City, Chihuahua, Mexico
Died	August 11, 1940 (aged 49 or 50) Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico
Years active	1923-1938
Known for	Founder and Leader of Revolutionary Mexicanist Action
Military career
Allegiance	División del Norte (1913-1914), Carrancistas (1914-1918)
Years of service	1913 — 1918
Rank	Brigadier general

Nicolás Rodríguez Carrasco (1890 – August 11, 1940) was a Mexican general and the founder and leader of the fascist paramilitary organization Revolutionary Mexicanist Action, better known as the Gold Shirts.

Throughout his life, he had taken part in multiple rebellions against the Mexican government. By the 1930s, Rodríguez Carrasco had become an admirer of Adolf Hitler and campaigned through his paramilitary group to expel the Jews, Chinese, and communists from Mexico. The organization was largely supported and protected by Plutarco Elías Calles as both Calles and Rodríguez Carrasco were staunch opponents of Lázaro Cárdenas. Both were expelled from the country by Cárdenas in 1935 and 1936 respectively. ^[1]

Largely funded by oil tycoons during his exile, he led two failed rebellions against the Mexican government in 1938.^[1]

Early Life[]

Rodríguez Carrasco was born in Chihuahua. At a young age, he met and established a friendship with Pancho Villa.^[1]

Mexican Revolution[]

Rodríguez Carrasco fought under the command of Pancho Villa in the División del Norte, joining in 1913. During the Convention of Aguascalientes, he had an altercation with a superior which lead him to join the Carrancistas to avoid being executed.^[1] He eventually reached the rank of brigadier general, a position he held until is desertion in 1918.^[1][2]

Early Rebellions and First Exile[]

After the death of Villa in 1923, Rodríguez Carrasco took part in the failed coup d'etat led by Enrique Estrada known as the Delahuertista Rebellion.^[1] For his part in the rebellion, he was exiled to El Paso, Texas in 1924. ^[1][2]

In 1926, he moved to Los Angeles where Enrique Estrada had been plotting a take over of Baja California. Headed by Estrada, a group of former Mexican generals, including Rodríguez Carrasco, would attempt to overthrow governor Abelardo L. Rodríguez and spark a national rebellion against Plutarco Elías Calles.^[1][3] The preparation of the plot caught the attention of Bureau of Investigation. On August 15, when Estrada's caravans approached San Diego, federal agents thwarted the plot arresting 150 people including Rodríguez Carrasco.^[3] He was found guilty and spent 1 year, 1 month, and 1 day at McNeil Island Corrections Center.^[1]

Revolutionary Mexicanist Action[]

Background[]

Rodríguez Carrasco (second from right) in 1932.

In response to the support Vicente Lombardo Toledano had been garnering, Plutarco Elías Calles wished to protect the interests of corporations from strikers. Under the protection and support of Calles, Rodríguez Carrasco founded Camisetas Verdes. The group was characterized as anti-communist, anti-union, ultranationalist. The mantra of the group, whose supporters chanted, was "Mexico for Mexicans".^[1] The group was disbanded by Abelardo Rodríguez shortly after taking power in 1932.^[1]

Foundation[]

Rodríguez Carrasco founded the paramilitary group Revolutionary Mexicanist Action (Spanish: Acción Revolucionaria Mexicanista), also known as the Gold Shirts (Spanish: Camisas Doradas) or A.R.M. on September 25, 1933.^[1] The organization mainly consisted of many fellow generals and soldiers who fought under Pancho Villa.^[1] The group was protected and supported by Calles like Rodríguez Carrasco's previous organization. The organization called to expel the Jews and Chinese from Mexico in "defense of national interests".^[1] In 1934, he was given the title of Supreme Chief of the Gold Shirts.^[1]

Activities[]

The Gold Shirts were noted to have targeted Jews and communists. On several occasions, communists had their offices and organizations ransacked and were attacked for leading and participating in strikes or labor movements. Jews were targeted via anti-semitic propaganda and Jewish merchants and businesses were extorted by protection rackets.^[1]

Since 1935, the organization had been plotting a rebellion against the government. Carlos Walterio Steinman, a former colonel in the Mexican Army living in New York, had told Rodríguez Carrasco he had raised over 4 million dollars for the rebellion.^[1]

1935 Revolution Day Riot[]

Tensions between Calles and president Lázaro Cárdenas rose with the latter increasing the suppression efforts of the Gold Shirts. On November 20, 1935 a violent encounter between riot police, communists, and the Gold Shirts, during the Revolution Day parade at the Zócalo. The incident resulted in two deaths and more than 40 injuries of which included Rodríguez Carrasco.^[1]

The incident sparked nation-wide public outrage against the Revolutionary Mexicanist Actiontion. The Mexican senate sought to ban the organization a day after the riots.^[4] Public protests were held against the group and their union busting activities with President Cárdenas receiving an overwhelming amount of requests to have the organization banned.^[1]

Rodriguez Carrasco in the hospital for the wounds he received during the riot.

Second exile[]

One February 27, 1936, Cárdenas ordered the dissolution of the group and expelled Rodríguez Carrasco from the country. Rodríguez Carrasco was arrested and flown to back to El Paso, Texas.^{[1] [2]}

Throughout his time in exile, Rodríguez Carrasco continued to draft various manifestos against the Mexican government, Jews, communists, and President Cárdenas.^[1]

Rodríguez Carrasco attempted to raise more funds for a rebellion. He approached wealthy Texan oilmen who had assets in Mexico that were negatively affected by worker strikes and government policies for funds.^[1] Other donors he personally received funds from included Reverend P.L. Delgado, William H. Wood, and a wealthy farmer only known as Smithers.^[1]

He also received funds to purchase armament from his very close friend and former governor of San Luis Potosí, Saturnino Cedillo. Cedillo, by 1937, had grievances with Cárdenas and alleged ties to German Nazis. Cedillo also had several private meetings with members of the Revolutionary Mexicanist Action.^[1]

Rodríguez Carrasco also met with Henry Allen in 1937. Allen was the head of an anti-Semitic fascist group known as the Silver Battalion.^[5] Allen offered Rodríguez Carrasco protection and both directly received funds from the Nazi Party.^[1]

1938 Rebellions[]

In May 1938, 2 months after the nationalization of the oil industry, Rodríguez Carrasco launched the rebellion.^[1]

After the failure of the first rebellion. Rodríguez Carrasco established a Revolutionary Mexicanist Action headquarters in Mission, Texas. There he met oilmen who funded Rodríguez Carrasco's organization of a second rebellion. The Mexican Government had received various reports on Rodríguez Carrasco's plot and purchases of weapons. On November 13, 1938, a second attempt rebellion was launched in Tamaulipas where troops had been already dispatched at the request of Tamaulipas governor Marte R. Gómez.^[1]

Historian Alicia Gojman de Backal opined that the rebellions largely failed in part of Rodríguez Carrasco's inability to attract a large number of followers as his movement fundamentally did not appeal to the masses. As nationalization of the oil industry proved to be beneficial and popular to the majority of the population, very few, especially people of the lower and middle class, opposed it.^[1]

Return to Mexico and death[]

Following the rebellion, the death of Cedillo, and many demonstrations held against Revolutionary Mexicanist Action, support for the organization waned. Rodríguez Carrasco had lost a considerable amount of support from the Gold Shirts. In early 1940, he requested to be allowed to return to Mexico and a pardon from President Cárdenas.^[1] The request was granted and Rodríguez Carrasco moved into his mothers house in Reynosa on August 5th, 1940. He died 6 days later on August 11 from aplastic anemia developing the illness several weeks prior.^[1][6]

References[]