British Marines Lend Muscle to Mexican Rebels, But Which Side Are They On?

Washington D.C. was abuzz with the news of foreign forces landing on Mexican soil. On April 14, 1911, a contingent of 80 British marines and a Maxim gun from the British man-of-war Shearwater was dispatched to San Quintin, Mexico. Their mission was to protect the town from a threatened attack by the revolutionary forces of Ricardo Flores Magón and his followers. However, the rebels failed to materialize, and the British troops were withdrawn, marking the first time foreign forces had been deployed on Mexican soil in the midst of the revolution.