Deserving to Die Essay -- Article Review, Robert Lee

Robert Lee makes many arguments to argue justification of capital punishment in his article, â€Å"Deserving to Die.† Some of the stronger ones involve the deterrent effect of the use of the death penalty, why the cost of execution is so high, and how the use of the death penalty increases overall public safety. In Lee’s first argument, he argues that the use of capital punishment helps reduce overall crime by acting as a deterrent to crime. In at least one respect, capital punishment is unquestionably a deterrent, as Lee puts it, â€Å"It simply cannot be contested that a killer, once executed, is forever deterred from killing again† (142). Of course, a deceased killer can never kill again, but the effect that death penalty has on others, potential future criminals, is the important question. Lee argues that whether or not it is a deterrent, relies on how swiftly and surely the death penalty is executed. The majority of people are afraid of dying, and if they co uld choose, would prefer not to die anytime soon. This proves how the death penalty can be a deterrent to other potential criminals to not kill someone, out of fear that they will be put to death themselves. There have also been some circumstances where actual statistical evidence proves the deterrent effect of capital punishment. In the time since the Utah Supreme Court ruled in 1976 that capital punishment be legalized again in the state, there have been three executions. After each of the executions, specifically the year after the executions took place, there were significant decreases in both the number and the rate of murders within the state, compared to previous year(s) (Lee 143). Lee himself does acknowledge that of course there are other variables that could have influence... ...bvious propositions—e.g., that a heavy ball will fall faster if dropped from the Leaning Tower of Pisa than a light one [would]—are actually false† (150). Freedman also lists some empirical statistics that further prove his point that it does not necessarily deter crime, including that, â€Å"Eighteen of the 20 states with the highest murder rates have and use the death penalty,† and that, â€Å"of the nation’s 20 big cities with the highest murder rates, 17 are in death penalty jurisdictions† (151). He also points out, among other statistics and claims, that, while this deterrent effect of capital punishment is â€Å"†¦perhaps the single most studied issue in the social science, The results are as unanimous as scholarly studies can be in finding the death penalty not to be a deterrent† (emphasis added) (151). These statistics mostly speak for themselves and are very surprising.

Videocon Dth

BRAND AUDIT: VIDEOCON DTH 2011 GROUP 1 MAUNIL RITU ROHAN SHOIB SIDDHARTH VARSHA 10/25/2011 TABLE OF CONTENTS Contents BRAND INVENTORY2 HISTORY2 PORTFOLIO OF VIDEOCON PRODUCTS3 BRAND ELEMENTS FOR DTH4 VIDEOCON DTH PRICING, MARKETING AND DISTRIBUTION6 BRAND EXPLORATORY10 CUSTOMER KNOWLEDGE10 SOURCES OF BRAND EQUITY15 CBBE FOR DTH17 BRAND POSITIONING19 POD AND POP19 THREATS TO BRAND EQUITY21 RECOMMENDATIONS TO SUSTAIN BRAND EQUITY21 BRAND INVENTORY HISTORY Videocon, founded in 1985 by Nandlal Madhavlal Dhoot, is an Indian multinational with business into consumer electronics, mobile phones, oil and gas, colour picture glass tube, telecommunications and DTH. Having interests to expand all over the world, Videocon has not only 17 manufacturing plants in India but also has extended its stake into countries such as China, Italy, Mexico etc. It is also the third largest  picture tube  manufacturer in the world. Videocon started with manufacturing Television sets and washing machines in India and eventually in 1990s forayed into manufacturing other consumer electronics and appliances including glass shells for CRT. Once the biggest moves for Videocon was on July 7, 2005, when it acquired the entire stake of Electrolux India and Thompson CPT. It was in the same year that Videocon took over Hyundai Electronics. As they progressed and expanded into new businesses, Videocon moved into the DTH service in July 2009 under the brand name as Videocon ‘d2h’. DTH services had already started to make its presence in the Indian market with the launch of Dish TV by Essel Group's Zee Entertainment Enterprises back in 2004, that was soon followed by Tata Sky, Airtel Digital Tv and Reliance's BIG TV to name a few. Even though Videocon did not have the first mover advantage, they soon built up the service and in Oct 2009, Videocon d2h was awarded as the 4th most Successful Brand launched in 2009 by Brand Derby Survey done by Business Standard. The offerings soon were differentiated with the introduction of satellite DVDs in Nov 2009 and further the 3D versions of all set top boxes in March 2011. They also offered  LCD  & TVs with built-in  DTH  satellite  receiver, which was relatively a new concept unlike the other players who provided only the set top box. By Feb 2010, they grew big and achieved Pan India Operations. PORTFOLIO OF VIDEOCON PRODUCTS The Group Videocon is worth around US$ 4. billion and its brand portfolio and partners include- AKAI| | Electrolux| | Kelvinator| | Kenstar| | Toshiba| | Sansui| | Hyundai Electronics| | *In the form of Marketing Operation and Distribution agreement signed The Videocon products have been segregated based on the interests of the company and includes- * Consumer electronics and appliances * Mobile phones * Oil and gas * Colour picture tube glass * Telecommunications * DTH services The Videocon d2h products portfolio includes- Satellite HD box| Satellite HD DVR| Satellit e HD box (3D)| Satellite DVD| Satellite LCD| Features| * Mosaic (12 PIP) – Genre wise * Favourites * Multilingual Channel Guide * Preview Screen (Full Guide) * Info Bar * Tickers * Active Services – Direct Active ( Darshan, State, Channel & East)| * Full HD Picture Quality (1080i) * 5 x times Digital Quality Picture * HDD Sound – High Definition Digital Sound * 16:9 Wide Aspect Ratio * Record upto 200 hours * Slow motion feature| * High Definition Satellite Box * Full HD Picture Quality (1080i) * 5 x times Digital Quality Picture * HDD Sound * 16:9 Wide Aspect Ratio * USB Port * Active Music Space * Multiple Tickers * d2h Movies| * Co-axial Digital Audio Output * Smart Power Control * DTH enabled Satellite DVD * USB Port * Multimedia Card Port * DVD / MP3 / VCD / SVCD / ACD / KODAK * DiVX / MPEG-4 compatible * Power Resume| * Inbuilt D2H * UV Glossy Look * HD Ready * 200000:1 Contrast Ratio * MPEG4 & DVB S2 Technology * Tickers * Energy Meter * Capture Logo| Pac kage| Based on zone and channels| Based on zone| Based on zone and channels| Based on channels| -| Offers| Available| -| Available| -| -| Warranty| Life time| Life time| Life time| Life time| -| Price| Rs. 1390/-| Rs. 3990/-| Rs. 1690/-| Rs. 2690/-| Varies with screen size| BRAND ELEMENTS FOR DTH About 3 years ago, the Videocon group, with great fanfare in Los Angeles, launched their new logo to project a more modern look that gave a contemporary feel. The logo was unveiled by none other than Videocon brand ambassador Shahrukh Khan. The new logo is based on the consumer-based approach of the brand and it’s positioning is supposed to be nearer to the consumers heart – both in terms of its ideals and philosophies, as well as its servicing characteristics. The brand make-over is aimed at young consumers who have a new international mind-set. Below are the new and old logos and the launch pictures: Note how the new logo indicates ‘green’ and ‘fluidity’. The message from Videocon is that it is ready to get adapted to the changes in the coming times. The logo was brought to life by the two characters ‘Chouw’ and ‘Mouw’ which represent the 2 parts of the V of the logo. Both the characters have certain personality traits based on their physical attributes. A series of short videos of these two characters was presented to promote the new brand image. Although a good concept, it can be surmised the new mascots failed to connect with the audience and did not generate enough brand recall. Videocon DTH name has the advantage that the brand name is almost the category name of the brand (direct to home). Hence, in that sense, Videocon has played a master stroke in increasing the salience of the brand. The punch line rhymes well ‘Direct Hai, Correct Hai’ and gives a meaning to the brand and should help in building of the brand mantra. The circle of the logo can be interpreted as the button of your TV remote which is further a source of brand association. DTH has chosen Abhishek Bachchan as its brand ambassador, looking at his clean image and family values. Below is the logo and copy of the DTH brand: VIDEOCON DTH PRICING, MARKETING AND DISTRIBUTION Videocon launched its Direct-to-Home services after a lot of other companies had already made their presence in the Indian market however, ever since they launched their services they differentiated themselves by highlighting that they were only one to offer the customers across India the world’s first Satellite LCD, Satellite TV, Satellite DVD as well as the Satellite Box (STB). On one of the occasions Mr. Anil Khera, CEO, Bharat Business Channel Ltd. (BBCL) said, â€Å"We are glad to introduce our satellite range of products and services. We are the latest entrant in the DTH category in India, but surely not the same as others. We are creating a new category of Satellite Products. Our exclusive line of Satellite range of products is sure to catch the eye of today’s consumer, who is looking for technological innovations. At Videocon d2h, we promise to deliver the latest providing value for money to our consumers. The market segmentation for Videocon d2h primarily focu sed on women who are regular viewers and engage in daily soaps. In other cases, they also focus on women intend to learn English as an added feature of DTH service. Videocon also concentrated on children by providing games, dictionary, discovery videos, specially inbuilt Math, Science and Social exercises etc, while older group of customers are offered special services such as videos of deities and programs with cultural and religious content. Hence, this marketing strategy focused on product – the first ‘P’ of marketing mix. Videocon d2h, considered world’s first satellite television product introduced with the most advanced DTH Services, has a pan-India presence. Videocon d2h was first launched in the Punjab market, followed by a phase wise launch across various regions. Today, it is available in almost all cities of India and grown to a position where acquiring a connection is not a deterrent. Thus, Videocon has successfully leveraged the use of place- the second ‘P’ of marketing mix. Videocon d2h employs special marketing strategies for promotion and sales of its product. The steps below outline their strategies- * Advertisements with the brand ambassadors (Secondary associations) The main reason lies in the fact that film stars and celebrities add the quotient of fun and entertainment to these services. Abhishek Bachchan was roped in to become the face of Videocon ‘d2h’ and feature across all Videocon d2h brand and product  communications  including advertisements on TV, print, outdoor, radio. Videocon invested Rs 1billion to promote the brand and with time, Abhishek was instrumental in communicating the benefits to consumers across the country. * Packages form the other component of the promotion and sales that may come as discounts, offers or regional packs to suit the customers. Videocon has performed a customer categorization based on the needs and has customized various packages suit their viewing preferences, location and tenure for which the customers want to buy. In A-La-Carte services, customers are given the option to design their own package either by choosing individual channels or by combining two or more existing packages. The next marketing mix, Price played a part to increase their market share. When Videocon launched the set up boxed for its DTH services, the market already had big players. Thus, it was essential for them to use competitive pricing to enter the market and push volumes, acquire market share and create itself as an option for the customers to buy the service. Therefore, set-top boxes were cheaper than the ones available in the market and pricing became an important strategy with Videocon across all its product lines. With contact to Thomson technology, Videocon d2h has developed a patented hardware and CAS system and this seem to work for them by cutting set-top boxes prices by half. The D2H prices were lower than its competitors such as Airtel and Tata sky as seen in the table. DTH| PACKAGE| NO OF CHANNELS| COST PER MONTH| COST PER CHANNEL| Dish TV| Titanium pack| 193| 332. 5| 1. 722797927| | Child pack| 190| 165| 0. 868421053| | Platinum| Shine Pack+1 free top up190| 312| -| | Gold| 165| 210| 1. 272727273| | Silver| 145| 125| 0. 862068966| | South platinum| 190| 312| 1. 642105263| | South Gold| 155| 190| 1. 225806452| | South Silver| 145| 125| 0. 862068966| D2h| Gold pack| 125| 150| 1. 2| | Diamond pack| 165| 275| 1. 666666667| Airtel| Super value| 110| 127| 1. 154545455| | New value| 118| 160| 1. 355932203| | Economy| 155| 221| 1. 425806452| | Mega| 177| 304| 1. 717514124| | Ultra| 184| 364| 1. 97826087| BIG TV| Value pack| 81| 90+ Taxes| 1. 111111 + Taxes| | Bronze pack| 111| 135+ Taxes| 1. 216216 + Taxes| | Silver pack| 123| 180+Taxes| 1. 463414 + Taxes| | Gold pack| 138| 225+Taxes| 1. 630434 + Taxes| | Diamond pack| 152| 270+Taxes| 1. 776315 + Taxes| | Platinum pack| 156| 315+Taxes| 2. 019230 + Taxes| TATA SKY| Super Hit pack| 63| 160| 2. 53968254| | Super Value pack| 103| 200| 1. 941747573| Super Value Kids pack| 104| 225| 2. 163461538| | Super Saver pack| 124| 275| 2. 217741935| Distribution Companies such as Videocon have a strong distribution and dealer network in India with presence in almost all cities. Moreover, Videocon has leveraged its tie up with channel partners, which are hard to break, in order to better penetrate the market and reach customers. * Videocon connected with Tech Mahindra as their IT partners and IBM to provide an excellent technology infrastructure. * Videocon’s, media arm Bharat Business Channel  and its partners offer scalable Conditional Access system (CAS) that protects content conveyed over cable networks.   With 75,000+ Distributor/Dealer/Sub-dealer base, Videocon provides the best regional content. * Channel partners have enabled Videocon to offer bulk services (value added services/active services/products) and decrease the distribution costs. The above points poses a major threat in front of the new entrant as Videocon d2h already serves with the channels and the new  entrant  will  have  to  persuade  the  channels  to accept its product through high margins, promotional allowances,  better  credit  facilities  and  advertising support, which will reduce the profits. Thus, Videocon d2h experiences a cost advantage as compared to new ent rants. BRAND EXPLORATORY CUSTOMER KNOWLEDGE DTH market in India is growing rapidly. This is estimated to grow at a rapid rate of 24%. With the government of our country deciding on digitizing the whole cable network, the potential for growth is really enormous. To tap this growing market, corporate giants across the country are making their presence felt in this growing DTH segment. While in most countries across the world, only 2 or 3 DTH operators operate, in India there are 6 DTH operators. The competition is really fierce and they are biting off each other’s market share for growth at this moment. But the fact to be noticed here is that the customer is the ultimate beneficiary. Find below the market share of the Indian DTH operators as on July 2011 DTH operator| Launched in | Market Share| Subscribers| Dish TV| Jun-05| 31%| 11000000| Airtel| Nov-08| 17%| 5600000| TATA Sky| Sep-06| 19%| 6000000| Sun Direct| Mar-08| 16%| 5500000| Big TV| Sep-08| 9%| 3600000| Videocon DTH| Apr-09| 8%| 3000000| Videocon was the last player to foray into the market with its Value for Money proposition of its DTH. As already shown in the exhibit before, Videocon DTH provides the best Value for Money across various entry packs. A Summary of the comparison across various DTH operators is shown below (Source: www. indiabroadband. com) VIDEOCON D2H Growth: Videocon D2H is growing rapidly. It is estimated to outpace Big TV in the following year. Videocon D2H is also the most successful brand in the last quarter. The growth of its brand is clearly visible. Videocon d2h acquired 7. 47 lakh subscribers in the first quarter of FY 2011, which is more than its competitors. Rapid advertisement spends is also planned for this purpose. Rs 800million is the allotted budget for ad-spends for 2012-13. They hope to increase their market share to 11% by the end of this year. Videocon’s potential in this emerging market can be tapped by this strategy only. The general BDI/CDI matrix indicates the following | | Category Development| | CDI:0. 027 BDI: 0. 0028| HIGH| MEDIUM| LOW| Brand Development| HIGH|   |   |   | | MEDIUM| Market Leader Positions Stronger base from which to build share|   | | LOW| Position of Videocon Cost of Obtaining Initial awareness and trial is high|   | The ad spending of Videocon is therefore justified as indicated by its BDI/CDI matrix. This is strengthened by the fact that Videocon has very less good will with respect to the total Assets it possess. This contributes to just 0. 0015% of the total assets and has been in a decline as indicated by the graph below. With this at the background, it was also intended to carry out a study to determine what factors influence the purchasing and recommending power of the user. The study was conducted based on reviews obtained from www. mouthshutreview. com. The data indicated the presence of two important variables. The significance of the same was tested. The two variables are: * Price and features(including Service) * Advertisement Based on these factors two hypotheses were formulated. These were subjected to statistical test based upon the data obtained from 30 reviewers. The variables had significant amount of co-relation between them and were identified as two important factors. The hypotheses based on these factors are Hypotheses: H1: Sale of Videocon D2H does not depend upon Price and features offered: Rejected H2: Sale of Videocon D2H is not influenced by advertisement: Accepted Descriptive Statistics| | N| Minimum| Maximum| Mean| Std. Deviation| Movie | 31| 1| 5| 2. 87| 1. 648| Quality of Display| 31| 1| 5| 3. 42| 1. 544| Service| 31| 1| 5| 3. 29| 1. 553| Interactive services| 31| 1| 5| 2. 81| 1. 662| Price| 31| 1| 5| 2. 97| 1. 169| Advertisement| 31| 1| 4| 2. 29| . 902| Valid N (listwise)| 31| | | | | Coefficientsa| Model| Unstandardized Coefficients| Standardized Coefficients| t| Sig. | | B| Std. Error| Beta| | | 1| (Constant)| 3. 065| . 169| | 18. 111| . 000| | REGR factor score 1 for analysis 1| . 911| . 172| . 706| 5. 294| . 000| | REGR factor score 2 for analysis 1| . 070| . 172| . 054| . 404| . 689| a. Dependent Variable: Recommendation| MEASURING BRAND STRENGTH: 1. This project has measured the Brand strength with respect to its overall sales recommendation provided by the users across the country. 2. The Score for recommendation depends on Price and features and does not depend upon advertisement spends. 3. The co-efficient indicate the fact that with a 0. 911 unit increase in price and features provided the brand strength in terms of its recommendation power increases by 1 unit. SOURCES OF BRAND EQUITY Videocon D2H tries to derive its brand equity from the following sources: * Logo * Corporate * Brand * Brand Ambassadors * Brand elements * Revamped Videocon logo * Brand * Characters: Chau and Maou * Punch line * Technology: MPEG-4 The two major sources of brand equity are brand awareness and brand image. Brand awareness further consists of brand recall and brand recognition. Based on our interviews, we found that D2H fares poorly along these dimensions, as respondents failed to confirm prior exposure to the brand. Especially along the brand recall dimension, D2H fares poorly as given the product category of satellite television, respondents failed to recall the brand. It can be thus said that Videocon marketers failed to establish the ‘brand node’ in the memory of the consumers and hence failed to create a brand association. A positive brand image happens when strong, favorable and unique associations are created in the memory. Strong and favorable associations have already been created in the minds, due to the secondary association of the corporate brand Videocon. However, the uniqueness association is still evolving. In an attempt to achieve this, D2H has managed to score a few points when it has tried to offer the LCD TVs with built-in set top boxes. D2H has a number of attributes that it competitors do not. D2H offers a wide range of regional channels. However, it is not cashing in on these brand attributes. It needs to be found out if consumers derive brand benefits out of these attributes. It may be the case that a large no. of regional channels are available but consumers attach no importance to them and hence derive no brand benefit. CBBE FOR DTH Shown above, is the Consumer based brand equity model theorized by branding Guru Kevin Keller. This model says that consumer based brand equity happens when consumers provide a differential response to marketing activities of the brand, and talks about how consumer knowledge affects their response to those marketing activities due to the brand equity. The base of the pyramid model talks about Brand Salience. Salience is the measure of how frequently the brand is evoked under various situations. We believe that the brand has a low salience chiefly due to the fact that it is a young brand has not got enough time to build brand equity. Also, it seems that the marketing spend by competitors is much bigger in terms of above the line communication. Albeit, one can say, that the name Videocon itself is a potent cue for brand recall. Brand performance is what the firm tells customers about the brand in their communications. So this will mean how the brand will perform, what features it will provide, and how the customer can benefit from its use. Brand performance includes dimensions that differentiate the brand. D2H differentiates itself by offering more regional channels, more total channels and bundled services as shown above in the pyramid. Brand imagery includes the way in which the brand attempts to meet the customer’s psychological needs. It is the way people think about the brand abstractly. The different intangibles that are abstract and can be linked to a brand are: user profiles, personality, values, history, heritage and experiences. Videocon has a long history in India as one of the pioneers in consumer electronics and D2H builds on this brand imagery. Also, the corporate brand Videocon stands for fairly reliable product quality for the mass market. The imagery that D2H has built includes entertainment variety, lot of consumer options, easy payment and channel flexibility. Brand judgment is formed by putting together all of the brand images and performance associations. The 4 judgments where D2H rates are as follows: Quality: Consumer may view Videocon as a fairly good quality brand which can bring all the values of its parent brand combined with reliability and efficient service. Credibility: Consumers rate Videocon low in terms of perceived expertise and this can be due to the presence of several international giants. However, in the D2H segment, the perceived quality will approximately be the same for all competitors. Consideration: Customers rate Videocon fairly high in terms of its inclusion in their consideration set. They will consider the brand to be relevant because strong and favorable associations have been created by the brand. Brand feelings are customer’s emotional reactions and responses to the brand. D2H, through its ad campaigns has generated the feelings that it is sort of the pioneer in offering the LCD with the built in set-top-box in India. Also, its campaigns generate a feeling that it is a technology intensive brand using all the latest technologies like MPEG-4 and so on. The ‘Direct Hai, correct Hai’ campaign generates the feeling that direct satellite technology is the best technology for the consumer. BRAND POSITIONING POD AND POP Points of difference are attributes or benefits that customers strongly associate with a brand, positively view it and believe they cannot find to the same extent with a competitive brand (Keller, Parameswaran, Jacob, 2011). D2H has set up a number of schemes and attributes to differentiate itself from its competitors. D2H has the following PODs: * TVs with built in STBs * More regional channels than competitors * More HD channels * Claim to be the first industry player to introduce 3D TV * User friendly payment system * Leverages the brand equity of Videocon and its experience with consumer business The HD DVR offered by D2H is the first in the industry and instantly differentiates it from its competitors. With a lot of hype being created about HDTV, D2H can set up an ideal platform that can be leveraged to extract benefits out of other HD offerings. Young urban consumers love to make transactions online and this will also help D2H in eliminating its fixed costs. The online payment system will further differentiate D2H on the convenience dimension. Points of parity are not unique to one brand but may be shared with other brands. (Keller, Parameswaran, Jacob, 2011). Category points of parity are necessary but not sufficient conditions for positioning. Competitive points of parity negate competitors’ points of differences. Especially, during product line extensions, it is critical that ideal POPs be clearly established to gain customer credibility and trust. Videocon sure has a long drawn consumer electronics background but it needs to create sufficient points of parity to convince the consumer that it is a serious player in the D2H industry. The POPs are as follows: * A generic Direct to home satellite television provider * Satisfies all the basic needs of a DTH provider * Provides options in the form of packages, products, services * Strong network of deals, service personnel and technicians * Call centers to address customer queries THREATS TO BRAND EQUITY RECOMMENDATIONS TO SUSTAIN BRAND EQUITY * Brand Architecture * Brand Hierachy * Brand Growth Strategy Bibliography: 1. http://www. videocond2h. com/wsc/products. aspx 2. http://www. videocond2h. com/wsc/packages. aspx 3. http://indiandth. in/Thread-Big-CBS-Prime-hops-on-to-Videocon-d2h 4. http://www. adgully. com/marketing/abhishek-bachchan-to-endorse-videocons-d2h. html 5.

Biography of Pancho Villa -- The Centaur of the North

Pancho Villa (1878-1923) was a Mexican bandit, warlord and revolutionary. One of the most important figures of the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920), he was a fearless fighter, clever military commander and important power broker during the years of conflict. His vaunted Division of the North was, at one time, the strongest army in Mexico and he was instrumental in the downfall of both Porfirio Dà ­az and Victoriano Huerta. When the alliance of Venustiano Carranza and Alvaro Obregà ³n finally defeated him, he responded by waging a guerrilla war which included an attack on Columbus, New Mexico. He was assassinated in 1923. Early Years Pancho Villa was born Doroteo Arango to a family of impoverished sharecroppers who worked land belonging to the wealthy and powerful Là ³pez Negrete family in the state of Durango. According to legend, when young Doroteo caught one of the Là ³pez Negrete clan trying to rape his sister Martina, he shot him in the foot and fled to the mountains. There he joined a band of outlaws and soon rose to a position of leadership through his bravery and ruthlessness. He earned good money as a bandit and gave some if it back to the poor, which earned him a reputation as a sort of Robin Hood. Revolution Breaks Out The Mexican Revolution broke out in 1910 when Francisco I. Madero, who had lost a crooked election to dictator Porfirio Dà ­az, declared himself president and called for the people of Mexico to take up arms. Arango, who had changed his name to Pancho Villa (after his grandfather) by then, was one who answered the call. He brought his bandit force with him and soon became one of the most powerful men in the north as his army swelled. When Madero returned to Mexico from exile in the United States in 1911, Villa was the one who welcomed him. Villa knew he was no politician but he saw promise in Madero and vowed to take him to Mexico City. The Campaign Against Dà ­az The corrupt regime of Porfirio Dà ­az was still entrenched in power, however. Villa soon gathered an army around him, including an elite cavalry unit. Around this time he earned the nickname â€Å"the Centaur of the North† because of his riding skill. Along with fellow warlord Pascual Orozco, Villa controlled the north of Mexico, defeating federal garrisons and capturing towns. Dà ­az might have been able to handle Villa and Orozco, but he also had to worry about the guerrilla forces of Emiliano Zapata in the south, and before too long it was evident that Dà ­az could not defeat the enemies arrayed against him. He left the country in April of 1911, and Madero entered the capital in June, triumphant. In Defense of Madero Once in office, Madero quickly got into trouble. Remnants of the Dà ­az regime despised him, and he alienated his allies by not honoring his promises to them. Two key allies he turned against him were Zapata, who was disappointed to see that Madero had little interest in land reform, and Orozco, who had hoped in vain that Madero would give him a lucrative post, such as state governor. When these two men once again took up arms, Madero called on Villa, his only remaining ally. Along with General Victoriano Huerta, Villa fought and defeated Orozco, who was forced into exile in the United States. Madero could not see those enemies closest to him, however, and Huerta, once back in Mexico City, betrayed Madero, arrested him and ordered him executed before setting himself up as president. Campaign Against Huerta Villa had believed in Madero and was devastated by his death. He quickly joined an alliance of Zapata and revolution newcomers Venustiano Carranza and Alvaro Obregà ³n dedicated to removing Huerta. By then, Villas Division of the North was the most powerful and feared military unit in the nation and his soldiers numbered in the tens of thousands. Huerta was surrounded and outnumbered, even though Orozco had returned and joined him, bringing his army with him. Villa led the fight against Huerta, defeating federal forces in cities all over northern Mexico. Carranza, a former governor, named himself Chief of the Revolution, which irritated Villa although he accepted it. Villa did not want to be president, but he did not like Carranza. Villa saw him as another Porfirio Dà ­az and wanted someone else to lead Mexico once Huerta was out of the picture. In May of 1914, the way was clear for an attack on the strategic town of Zacatecas, where there was a major railway junction that could carry the revolutionaries right into Mexico City. Villa attacked Zacatecas on June 23. The Battle of Zacatecas was a huge military victory for Villa: barely a few hundred out of 12,000 federal soldiers survived. After the loss at Zacatecas, Huerta knew his cause was lost and tried to surrender to gain some concessions, but the allies would not let him off the hook so easily. Huerta was forced to flee, naming an interim president to rule until Villa, Obregà ³n, and Carranza reached Mexico City. Villa Versus Carranza With Huerta gone, hostilities between Villa and Carranza broke out almost immediately. A number of delegates from the leading figures of the revolution got together at the Convention of Aguascalientes in October of 1914, but the interim government put together at the convention did not last and the country was once again embroiled  in a civil war. Zapata remained holed up in Morelos, only fighting those who ventured onto his turf, and Obregà ³n decided to support Carranza, mostly because he felt Villa was a loose cannon and Carranza was the lesser of two evils. Carranza set himself up as  President of Mexico  until elections could take place and sent Obregà ³n and his army after the rebellious Villa. At first, Villa and his generals, such as  Felipe Angeles, scored decisive victories against Carranza. But in April, Obregà ³n brought his army north and lured Villa into a fight.  The Battle of Celaya took place from April 6-15, 1915 and was a huge victory for Obregà ³n. Villa limped away but Obregà ³n chased him and the two fought at the Battle of Trinidad (April 29-June 5, 1915). Trinidad was another huge loss for Villa and the once-mighty Division of the North was in tatters. In October, Villa crossed the mountains into Sonora, where he hoped to defeat Carranzas forces and regroup. During the crossing, Villa lost Rodolfo Fierro, his most loyal  officer, and cruel hatchet man. Carranza had reinforced Sonora, however, and Villa was defeated. He was forced to cross back into Chihuahua with what was left of his army. By December, it was evident to Villas officers that Obregà ³n and Carranza had won: most of the Division of the North accepted an offer of amnesty and switched sides. Villa himself headed into the mountains with 200 men, determined to keep fighting. The Guerrilla Campaign and the Attack on Columbus Villa had officially gone rogue. His army down to a couple of hundred men, he resorted to banditry to keep his men supplied with food and ammunition. Villa became increasingly  erratic and blamed the Americans for his losses in Sonora. He detested  Woodrow Wilson  for recognizing the Carranza government and began harassing any and all Americans that crossed his path. On the morning of March 9, 1916, Villa attacked Columbus, New Mexico, with 400 men. The plan was to defeat the small garrison and make off with weapons and ammunition as well as to rob the bank and get revenge on one Sam Ravel, an American arms dealer who had once double-crossed Villa and a Columbus resident. The attack failed on every level: the American garrison was much stronger than Villa had suspected, the bank went unrobbed, and Sam Ravel had gone to El Paso. Still, the fame Villa gained by having the guts to attack a town in the United States gave him a new lease on life. Recruits once again joined his army and word of his deeds  was  spread far and wide, often romanticized in song. The Americans sent  General Jack Pershing  into Mexico after Villa. On March 15, he took 5,000 American soldiers across the border. This action became known as the â€Å"Punitive Expedition† and it was a fiasco. Finding the elusive Villa proved next to impossible and logistics were a nightmare. Villa was wounded in a skirmish in late March and spent two months recovering alone in a hidden cave: he dispersed his men into small squads and told them to fight on while he healed. When he came out, many of his men had been killed, including some of his best officers. Undaunted, he took again to the hills, fighting both the Americans and Carranzas forces. In June, there was a confrontation between Carranzas forces and the Americans just south of Ciudad Juà ¡rez. Cool heads prevented another war between Mexico and the United States, but it was clear that it was time for Pershing to leave. By early 1917 all American forces had left Mexico, and Villa was still at large. After Carranza Villa remained in the hills and mountains of northern Mexico, attacking small federal garrisons and eluding capture until  1920 when the political situation changed. In 1920, Carranza backed off a promise to support Obregà ³n for president. This was a fatal mistake, as Obregà ³n still had much support in many sectors of society, including the army. Carranza, fleeing Mexico City, was assassinated on May 21, 1920. The death of Carranza was an opportunity for  Pancho Villa. He began negotiations with the government to disarm and stop fighting. Although Obregà ³n was against it, Provisional President Adolfo de la Huerta saw it as an opportunity and brokered a deal with Villa in July. Villa was granted a large hacienda, where many of his men joined him, and his veterans were all given mustering-out pay and an amnesty was declared for Villa, his  officers, and men.  Eventually, even Obregà ³n saw the wisdom of peace with Villa and honored the deal. Death of Villa Obregà ³n was elected President of Mexico in September of 1920, and he began the work of rebuilding the nation.  Villa,  retired to his hacienda in Canutillo, began farming and ranching. Neither man forgot about one another, and the people never forgot Pancho Villa: how could they, when the songs about his daring and cleverness were still sung up and down Mexico? Villa kept a low profile and was seemingly friendly with Obregà ³n, but soon the new president decided the time had come to get rid of Villa once and for all. On July 20, 1923, Villa was  gunned down as he drove a car  in the town of Parral. Although he was never directly implicated in the killing, it is clear that Obregà ³n gave the order, perhaps because he feared Villas interference (or possible candidacy) in the 1924 elections. Pancho Villas Legacy The people of Mexico were devastated to hear of Villas death: he was still a folk hero for his defiance of the Americans, and he was seen as a possible savior from the harshness of the Obregà ³n administration. The ballads continued to be sung and even those who had hated him in life mourned his death. Over the years, Villa has continued to evolve into a mythological figure. Mexicans have forgotten his role in the bloody Revolution, forgotten his massacres and executions and robberies. All that is left is his daring, cleverness and defiance, which continue to be celebrated by many Mexicans in art,  literature, and film. Perhaps it is better this way: Villa himself certainly would have approved. Source: McLynn, Frank.  Villa and Zapata: A History of the Mexican Revolution. New York: Carroll and Graf, 2000.