Which term describes national military strongmen who dominated Mexican politics in the 19th and early 20th centuries?

• A. Despotism
• B. Caudillos
• C. Junta
• D. Dynasties

Answer: (B)

Caudillos are military strongmen who built personal power around command of the army and loyal networks, then dominated national politics during times of instability in Mexico in the 1800s and early 1900s. They rose when civilian governments were weak, often seizing power through force or coercive deals, and ruled through patronage, regional loyalties, and repression of opponents rather than through stable constitutional procedures. Leaders like Antonio López de Santa Anna and Porfirio Díaz exemplify this pattern, using military backing to maintain control and shape policy. The other terms don’t fit as well: a junta is a temporary ruling group, dynasties imply hereditary rule, and despotism is a broad label for autocratic rule that doesn’t specifically capture the military-backed, personal-rule dynamic characteristic of caudillos.