[Note 1] Additionally, Cobos Batres was able to inspire the national sentiment of conservative criollo leaders José Azmitia, Tácito Molina, Eduardo Camacho, Emilio Escamilla, and also Julio Bianchi, into forming a Central American Unionist party and opposing the strong-arm regime of Estrada Cabrera.

Since then, Estrada Cabrera publicly admitted his willingness to bow to international opinion on opening spaces for political rivals, but kept arresting Unionist sympathizers.

[1] This caused a lot of resentment and anger and united the Guatemalan people against the President, who was already detested after two decades of strong-armed rule and, in particular, for his egregious incompetence in leading the recovery after the 1917-18 earthquakes.

[7] Prince Wilhelm and his companions returned to Guatemala City on April 8, 1920, and he wrote in his book that "there was a sort of feeling in the air as though something was about to happen".

[9] Congress assembled in one of the city’s public buildings and requested that ten medical men should be deputized to go to "La Palma" and investigate; the ten departed willingly enough, but being perfectly aware that following instructions would have been a death sentence, they stopped at a nearby corner, waited for a few hours and returned to Congress with their decision: the president is most certainly insane.

[11] Herrera, then a representative from his hometown Santa Lucía Cotzumalguapa, had been elected on account of his good repute, his distinguished personal qualities and his great wealth, on the assumption that it would have rendered him less likely to enrich himself at others' expense.

Some added the clatter of tin cans and braying of toy trumpets to the noise,[12] while in government buildings and barracks the soldiers simply looked on.

[14] Cabrera resisted this designation and settled for a fight from his residence in "La Palma", which was a large enclosed area with roads crossing both ways, without civilizing aspects such as a park or garden.

[13] The Unionists were caught off-guard: they were disorganized and they had almost no weapons, but they quickly remedied the situation: Government buildings were systematically plundered and they gathered arms and ammunition from the most unlikely places.

Cars with the Red Cross flag dashed incessantly, nurses rode the running boards, each with medical supplies in one hand and a machete stuck in her belt.

[18] The combat left water lines and electric cables damaged, leaving the city in darkness from the first night on; telephone and telegraph were also out of order.

[18] During these days there was reason to fear that the Cabrerists might attempt to outflank the city and fall upon the revolutionaries from the rear, causing each to defend himself as best he could in the confusion;[19] and several times a truce was proclaimed, only to be broken a few minutes later.

[20] Prince Wilhelm and his companions remained at the Hotel, which thanks to its solid walls and corrugated iron roof, withstood the rain of rifle bullets and shrapnel.

On the wall of the commandant's quarters hung a detailed artillery map of the city and, close by, Estrada Cabrera's last order - dated six days previously - for the establishment of an extra telephone line to "La Palma".

[27] San José fort was in similar situation to that of Matamoros, except that the ammunition had been dispatched more recklessly; the ground was so littered with empty cases that it was difficult to walk.

[27] Given the large ammunition at the ex-president's disposal, it was remarkable that he surrendered so soon; but the troops were unreliable, deserting in great numbers to the Unionists at every opportunity.

[28] Several attempts were made to take the Military Academy by force and to lynch the former president, but they all were strongly repelled by the Unionist guards as the party leaders were determined to return to a democracy ruled by law as soon as possible.

zNor could they prevent arsonists from destroying the central railway station; thick, suffocating clouds of smoke poured over the city, literally obscuring the sun.