Francisco Luis Urquizo Benavides (1891-1969) was a Mexican writer, historian and military man who had a broad participation in the Mexican Revolution. He has been considered one of the most detailed authors when narrating the civil-military conflict that occurred in his nation.
Urquizo's work was based mainly on the development of the revolutionary novel, a literary genre of great boom in Mexican territory during the first decades of the 20th century. The main characteristics of his work were the use of an expressive and entertaining language.
Some of the most prominent titles of this writer were: Old troop, Pages of the Revolution, I was a frock-coat soldier of those cavalry Y Captain Arnaud. Urquizo also worked and collaborated for various print media, including: The universal Y The National.
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Francisco Luis Urquizo was born on June 21, 1891 in the town of San Pedro de las Colonias in the state of Coahuila. Data on his parents and relatives are scarce, which is why scholars have focused more on his literary work and military career.
His years of primary education passed between the city where he was born and Torreón. Then he went to the capital of the country to study at the Liceo Fornier and later study commerce. He returned to Coahuila and dedicated himself to farm work, until he decided to join the ranks of Emiliano Madero..
Urquizo joined the process of the Mexican Revolution in 1911, when he was barely twenty years old, later becoming Francisco Madero's presidential escort. Later, in 1913, he defended it after the military coup against him called "Decena Tragica".
After Madero's death, Urquizo enlisted in the Constitutionalist Army in 1914 under Venustiano Carranza, both to maintain order and to remove Victoriano Huerta from power. At that time he participated in several battles, including that of Candela.
The outstanding performance of Francisco L. Urquizo in the different battles and contests during the Revolution gave him notoriety. This is how in 1916 he was awarded the rank of brigadier general, later he was in command of the Port of Veracruz.
He was also appointed as the head of the Supreme Powers Division. On the other hand, he participated in the creation of the General Staff Academy. During those years of military service, Urquizo remained in firm support for Carranza's political actions..
In 1920 Urquizo fought in the fighting in Apizaco, Rinconada and Aljibes to prevent the government caravans going to Veracruz from being attacked. At that time he served as a War and Navy officer. After Venustiano Carranza was murdered, Urquizo was taken to prison.
He was imprisoned in the military prison of Tlatelolco along with Generals Juan Barragán, Francisco Murguía and Francisco de Paula Mariel. When Urquizo was released he made the decision to go to Europe, where he lived for five years and was able to dedicate himself to writing..
Francisco L. Urquizo returned to Mexico in 1925, after a while he joined the army of his country again after the invitation made by the then President of the Republic Lázaro Cárdenas del Río. At the beginning of the 1940s, President Manuel Ávila Camacho elevated him to Major General.
In 1942 the military began to work as an official of the Ministry of Defense, an opportunity that he took advantage of to innovate and reorganize the Mexican army. He also dedicated himself to establishing the National Military Service; a year later he published his second work: Old troop.
It was also in the 1940s that he was in charge of creating the School of Classes, the Motor Mechanized Brigade and the Parachute Corps. Urquizo materialized the establishment of Squad 201, which participated in World War II as an air combat unit.
From September 1, 1945 to November 30, 1946, he served diligently as Secretary General of Defense during the presidency of Manuel Ávila Camacho. Urquizo achieved that the Army of Mexico was recognized and respected.
Throughout his life Francisco L. Urquizo proved to be an honorable and loyal man in the service of his country. This is how he received several international awards. In addition, he devoted himself to writing with the intention of recounting and leaving testimony of the events of the Mexican Revolution..
Some of the last works he wrote were: The citadel was left behind Y I was a frock soldier of those cavalry. Urquizo died in Mexico City on April 6, 1969 at the age of seventy-seven; since August 6, 1994, his remains rest in the Rotunda of Illustrious Persons.
- Mexican Legion of Honor, 1951-1953.
- Member of the Mexican Society of Geography and Statistics.
- Belisario Domínguez Medal, in 1967.
- First Class Optional Merit.
- Military Technical Merit.
- First Class Aeronautical Merit.
- Unification of Veterans of the Revolution.
- First Class War Cross.
- Order of Damián Carmona.
- Legion of Merit in rank of commander by the United States.
- Knight of the Order of Poland Restituta.
- First Class Order of Military Merit, White Badge by Cuba.
- Cruz de Boyacá, Colombia.
- Cross of Military Merit of Perseverance of First Class, Guatemala.
Francisco L. Urquizo's work was characterized mainly by belonging to the revolutionary novel movement. The writer used a clear and precise language, in addition he gave it expressiveness and attractiveness to perhaps minimize the difficult episodes of the Mexican Revolution.
In some of his novels, the author incorporated his own experiences that gave his writings autobiographical features. His narrative was enriched with original and at the same time powerful descriptions of the different armed battles that took place in his country in the first decade of the 20th century..
- Campaign memories (Posthumous edition, 1971).
- Things of Argentina (1923).
- Old troop (1943).
- Tales and legends (1945).
- Long live Madero! (1954).
- Revolution Pages.
- Citadel was left behind (1965).
- I was a frock soldier of those cavalry (1967).
- Mexico-Tlaxcalantongo.
- Morelos, military genius of Independence.
- Central Europe in 1922.
- To a young Mexican military man.
- Madrid in the twenties (1961).
- I remember that ...: isolated visions of the Revolution.
- Three for Diana.
- Table talks.
- Captain Arnaud.
- The unknowable.
It was one of the main works of this Mexican writer. In it he narrated the way of life of the soldiers during the events of the Mexican Revolution. Urquizo took Espiridión Sifuentes as the main narrator, who due to a dispute had to join the army.
The author excluded himself and left the great heroes aside to focus on describing the experiences in the barracks. It developed, for example, the abuse of power by superiors, the work carried out by women and how childhood grew up involved in the actions of the military..
The writer divided the novel into two parts. In part one the sole protagonist, Espiridión, narrated his exploits in order to survive; While the second part entered the political process that included the departure of Porfirio Díaz and the arrival of Francisco Madero to power.
"-Pray yes, partner; You are already a real soldier, you stopped being a recruit, just as before you also stopped being free. They took your freedom like me; They shut your mouth, they took your brains out and now they smeared your heart too.
They stunned you with blows and mentions; they castrated you and you're done, you're a soldier You can now kill people and defend tyrants. You are already an instrument of murder, you are already another ".
In this novel, Urquizo recounted what happened in the historic "Tragic Ten", a military coup against Francisco Madero in which he participated in defense of the presidential president. The writer was in charge of relating the events with intelligence, subtlety and maintaining a neutral position.
In this work, the Mexican writer completed the stage in which he developed the events that involved both Francisco Madero and Venustiano Carranza. To a certain extent, the novel is closer to a chronicle because of the way it was narrated.
“As the train slows down, without stopping snorting, Don Catarino says to Mr. Madero:
-Hey, Pancho, and what are they going to do with Panchito now that he's here?
-Well, look Catarino -answers Don Francisco Madero, father- I believe that with the preparation that my son brings, he will give a great boost to our ranches, don't you think so??
-Surely, Don Catarino returns. Not only to your ranches but to the entire lagoon region. You'll see it Pancho.
-I hope so- concludes Don Francisco Madero with deep conviction, in which great satisfaction stands out ".
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