How Did Cortes Conquer The Aztec Empire

It is often assumed that when Cortes first arrived in the Americas, he was able to quickly dismantle the Aztec empire with little support outside the army he brought from Spain. But to put it simply, this idea is a myth that perpetuates a very eurocentric interpretation of history. In reality there were a number of factors that lead to the swift Spanish conquering of the Aztec Empire, but the general idea of what happened can be summed up like this: The spanish conquest of the Aztecs was not a result of overwhelming spanish technological and tactical superiority, but a result of a culmination of factors, namely, Aztec blunders, disease, and native rebellions.

When Cortes arrived on mainland America, he had only a small force with him. His

army consisted of roughly 500 men, 13 horses, and a few cannons. No matter how equipped or skilled, this would never be enough manpower to capture what was probably the largest city on earth at the time. Luckily for Cortes, opportunities were quick to present present themselves. Because of how the Aztec empire was structured, many of the city states in the empire were not exactly on friendly relations with the capital. Many were only obeying imperial command due to necessity, but did not actually have any real allegiances. Cortes was able to exploit this rift within the Aztec Empire, and while on course to Tenochtitlan he was able to amass a number of allies, dramatically increasing the size of his army.

Two of the major alliances that Cortes was able to secure were the Tlaxcalans and the Cholulas.

The Tlaxcalans were a force that had never been conquered by the Aztecs, and fiercely opposed occupation of any kind. Because of this, when they first encountered the Spaniards, they treated them as a threat -- an invading force, and attacked. The attack was ineffective though, and the Spanish and the Tlaxcalans quickly realized that it was in both of their best interests to work together to bring down the Aztecs, who both considered to be the primary threat on the continent. They would then form a formal alliance, and would be some of the most important forces under Spanish command. Soon after, Cortes would enter the city of Cholula. At first the spanish were welcomed into the city, but the calm would not last. After suspecting a plot against him, Cortes ordered a massacre of innocent civilians in the City, killing thousands, taking prisoners that would be sent off to be sacrificed, and burning many parts of the city. Despite this after the deed was done Cortes helped rebuild the city, and promised to pardon the Cholulans of their alleged misdeeds if they would swear allegiance to Spain. And that is what they did. While they did not directly contribute to the Spanish army, Cortes had secured an ally in the region, further increasing the number of regional states that had become openly hostile to the Aztec

empire.

Soon after, Cortes marched to the capital, Tenochtitlan, and the the first major deciding factor in the Aztec defeat is shown.

The Aztec leadership makes some critical blunders. When Cortes, a man who has been ravaging across the continent and destroying anything in his way, arrived in Tenochtitlan, Montezuma welcomes him with open arms. It is often debated whether or not Montezuma believed Cortes to be a literal god, or if he was simply trying to get more information about who the spanish were. Either way Montezuma treated the spanish lavishly, despite being completely capable of ordering their deaths at any time, he toured them around the city, gave them a luxurious palace to stay in, and allowed them relatively free movement throughout the city. This was a critical mistake by Montezuma, one that would bring the Aztec empire one step closer to being conquered. Soon after being given the palace in Tenochtitlan, the Spanish took Montezuma hostage in the palace. With the Aztec ruler hostage in their palace, the Spanish ensured that they would not be attacked, cut off, or sieged in all but the most dire circumstances. This allowed the Spanish to control essentially a fortress in the middle of the Aztec capital, while also having crippled the Aztec leadership structure, and giving them a powerful bargaining tool. This trust of the spanish was a major blunder, and it essentially turned the tables of who was in power in the City, putting the Spanish in a position of

power.

The second major factor that would lead to the defeat of the Aztec was one that they would never expect: Disease. Eventually, after Cortes acquired more resources and Spanish manpower by defeating a group sent to capture him, the Spanish were forced to retreat from Tenochtitlan. While Cortes was battling his attempted capturers, the man he left in control in Tenochtitlan massacred a religious gathering, for reasons that are still debated today. This caused Aztec outrage like the Spanish had never seen. The ensuing battles and Spanish retreat would cause major casualties to the Spanish and their allies, estimated at around 700 Spaniards and 2000-3000 Tlaxcalans. This rebellion also led to Montezuma’s death, although it is not known whether he was killed by the Spanish or the Aztecs. Either way, the spanish were forced out of Tenochtitlan, and went back to Tlaxcala to recover. This is when disaster struck the Aztec empire.

Smallpox broke out in Tenochtitlan. Some of the Spanish still carried the disease in their bodies, but they had built an immunity to it. The natives, on the other hand, had never encountered such a disease. The city, incredibly densely populated, was devastated. It is estimated the almost half of the population of the City was wiped out in the outbreak, through disease or starvation. The social order of the city collapsed. The successor to Montezuma after his death, Cuitlahuac, died only 80 days after taking power. The disease also struck the native allies of the Spanish, but the effects were less severe as the Spanish soldiers and leadership were immune from the disease and the power structure of the Spanish remained fully intact. By the end of the outbreak, the Aztec empire was essentially crippled. Their leadership was annihilated, many of their soldiers were dead, and their society was barely functioning. This was the second major factor that contributed in the eventual defeat of the once great Aztec Empire.

Eventually, after both sides regrouped, Cortes decided that it was time to formally end the Aztec empire. It is at this time that what was probably the most influential factor in the Aztecs defeat really shows itself. When Cortes decided to invade the Aztecs, it is estimated that the he may have had close to 200,000 native warriors under his command, a number which dwarfs the number of Spanish, who numbered only in the hundreds. Aztec city states were often quite willing to pledge their allegiances to the Spanish, as they appeared to be a stronger force on the continent, and the city states often held no real allegiance to the Aztecs, only allying out of necessity. By the time of the final siege of Tenochtitlan, many of the former allies of the Aztecs had switched sides, and the Spanish were poised to capture the city with ease. The massive native army under Spanish command captured the city after only 75 days of sieging the city, and the Aztecs formally surrendered. This battle shows how overwhelmingly clear it is that the native allies were absolutely essential to the Spanish success. With a ratio of over 200 to 1 native allies to Spanish soldiers, there is simply no question that without the native allies conquest of the Aztecs would have been impossible.

Overall, there were multiple different factors that eventually would culminate in the fall of the Aztec empire to the Spanish. Among them, the most important factors undeniably boil down to Aztec mistakes, disease, and native’s who allied with the Spanish. Without all of these, it is questionable whether Cortes would have been able to succeed in his goal, and conquer the Aztec empire. But as we have already seen, the tides of fate moved in Cortes’ favor, and he was able to abuse these factors to force the surrender of the Aztec empire.