KATZ reading notes--I'm using the page #s at the TOP of the page

• For those of you who are taking History 51.2, the first section of this reading assignment will be familiar--consider it a good review opportunity for your midterm!

pp. 3-5 read closely; general introduction to Katz's argument

pp. 5-21--skim (except for the people in 51.2; you might want to read this more closely). Two key points to draw from Katz--that the integration of the border region and the loss of communal lands were key to the origination of the Revolution; and that both factors flowed from the increasing power of the central government

pp. 21-3 (European-American rivalry): read this section closely. Katz begins with a discussion of the cientificos, a group of advisers to Diaz that called for an increasing tilt toward Europe rather than the US.

pp. 23-7: important section: Katz introduces the different agendas of the other powers. Key question: can we speak of "Europe," as if Europeans were united? How different were the agendas of Britain, France, and Germany? Be prepared to discuss this question in class as well.

pp. 26-7: why is it that Britain seemed to be playing a more active role in Mexico, given that they seemed to be pulling back from Latin America over the previous 20 years? (Pearson, by the way, is the forerunner of what becomes British Petroleum, now BP)

pp. 28-35: skim; general discussion of political situation in Mexico

pp. 35-46: skim, but be prepared to address the question of what accounted for the difficulties in Madero consolidating his coalition?

pp. 46-49: read closely, beginning with "A further setback . . ." What formed the essence of the Madero revolution? Was it necessarily hostile to the US? Why did the US become opposed to Madero?; read the German memo from p. 47 closely--how important is this evidence? Could Madero have survived in the face of US opposition?

pp. 92-4 :one general question for this section--who was making the policy of the "US Government"? Taft and Knox? Wilson? The German minister?

pp. 95-110: you can skim this section, but have a sense of the bizarre world of Mexican politics in 1913, and the substantial power that ambassadors had in Mexico.

pp. 110-114: read very closely--impt. summary of Katz's argument