Liberation Army of the South
| Liberation Army of the South Zapatistas | |
|---|---|
| Ejército Libertador del Sur | |
Emiliano Zapata's Liberation Army of the South on the march in Morelos | |
| Leaders |
|
| Dates of operation | 1911–1920 |
| Allegiance | Morelos Commune |
| Headquarters | Variously Ayala or the mountains |
| Active regions | Based in Morelos, with incursions into Puebla, Guerrero, and Mexico City |
| Ideology | |
| Political position | Left-wing |
| Size | 25,000 (1914) |
| Part of | Conventionists (1914–1917) |
| Allies | Francisco I. Madero (until November 1911) |
| Opponents | Presidents of Mexico
Factions |
| Wars | Mexican Revolution |
The Liberation Army of the South (Spanish: Ejército Libertador del Sur, ELS) was a guerrilla force led for most of its existence by Emiliano Zapata that took part in the Mexican Revolution from 1911 to 1920. During that time, the Zapatistas fought against the national governments of Porfirio Díaz, Francisco I. Madero, Victoriano Huerta, and Venustiano Carranza. Their goal was rural land reform, specifically reclaiming communal lands (ejido) stolen by hacendados in the period before the revolution (Porfiriato).
Although rarely active outside their base in Morelos, the Zapatistas allied with Pancho Villa to support the Conventionists against the Carrancistas. After Villa's defeat, the Zapatistas remained in open rebellion. It was only after Zapata's 1919 assassination and the overthrow of the Carranza government that Zapata's successor, Gildardo Magaña, negotiated peace with President Álvaro Obregón.