The prelude to the revolution was marked by the long, authoritarian rule of President Porfirio Díaz, who had been in power since 1876, barring a four-year period. Díaz's regime, known as the Porfiriato, was characterized by significant economic growth and modernization. However, these advancements came at a high social cost. Economic gains were unevenly distributed, favoring the elite and foreign investors, while the majority of Mexicans, particularly rural peasants and indigenous communities, faced exploitation and disenfranchisement.

Díaz's promise in 1908 of free and democratic elections sparked hope among the populace but also sowed the seeds of his downfall. When Francisco I. Madero, a wealthy landowner with liberal ideals, announced his candidacy, Díaz reneged on his promise and imprisoned Madero. This act ignited the revolutionary movement, leading Madero to call for an armed uprising against Díaz in his Plan of San Luis Potosí.

The revolution officially began on November 20, 1910. Its early phase saw a series of localized rebellions against the federal government. Key figures emerged, such as Pascual Orozco and Pancho Villa in the north, and Emiliano Zapata in the south. Díaz, unable to quell the uprisings, resigned in 1911 and went into exile in France, marking the end of the Porfiriato.

Madero, upon assuming the presidency in 1911, sought to implement democratic reforms. However, his moderate stance disappointed many revolutionaries who had hoped for more radical changes, particularly in land reform. Madero's failure to satisfy these demands led to further unrest.

The political instability culminated in 1913 with a coup d'état led by General Victoriano Huerta, resulting in Madero's assassination. Huerta's usurpation of power united various revolutionary factions against him. Venustiano Carranza, Álvaro Obregón, and others joined forces with Villa and Zapata to overthrow Huerta, who ultimately fled the country in 1914.

The post-Huerta period did not bring peace, as the revolutionary leaders turned against each other. The most significant conflict was between the Constitutionalist Army, led by Carranza and Obregón, and the forces of Villa and Zapata. The Convention of Aguascalientes in 1914, an attempt to reconcile the factions, failed, leading to a civil war within the revolution.

Carranza's forces eventually gained the upper hand, and he assumed the presidency in 1915. His regime was marked by the drafting of the Mexican Constitution of 1917, a landmark document that incorporated many revolutionary ideals, including land reform, labor rights, and secular education. However, the actual implementation of these policies was slow and uneven.

The later stages of the revolution were marked by continued violence and political assassinations. Zapata was killed in 1919, and Villa, after a brief retirement, was assassinated in 1923. Carranza, facing opposition from Obregón, was killed in 1920, and Obregón assumed the presidency.

The revolution officially ended in the 1920s, though its legacy continued to shape Mexican politics and society for decades. The Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), founded in 1929, emerged from the revolution and dominated Mexican politics for much of the 20th century.

The Mexican Revolution was significant not just for the changes it brought to Mexico but also for its influence on the broader Latin American context. It was one of the first major social revolutions of the 20th century, preceding the Russian Revolution of 1917. Its focus on social and agrarian reforms inspired similar movements across Latin America.