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The core idea of just war theory
What is Just War Theory?” Michael Walzer states that a core idea of Just War Theory
What is Just War Theory?” Michael Walzer states that a core idea of Just War Theory
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“The Conquest of New Spain” is the first hand account of Bernal Diaz (translated by J.M. Cohen) who writes about his personal accounts of the conquest of Mexico by himself and other conquistadors beginning in 1517. Unlike other authors who wrote about their first hand accounts, Diaz offers a more positive outlook of the conquest and the conquistadors motives as they moved through mainland Mexico. The beginning chapters go into detail about the expeditions of some Spanish conquistadors such as Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba, Juan de Grijalva and Hernando Cotes. This book, though, focuses mainly on Diaz’s travels with Hernando Cortes. Bernal Diaz’s uses the idea of the “Just War Theory” as his argument for why the conquests were justifiable …show more content…
and conducted in a positive manner. The “Just War Theory” states three main principles: 1. Taking human lives is seriously wrong, 2. States have a duty to defend their citizens and defend justice and 3. Protecting innocent human life and defending important moral values sometimes requires willingness to use force and violence. Consequently, Diaz’s justification for the conquests raises a number of ethical issues for the post-colonial world. Diaz embarked on two failed expeditions into Cuba and the Yucatan.
Both times he was beaten back to the coast by Maya armies. Shortly after his expeditions, Cortes suffered the same fate during his attempt to penetrate Cozumel and Champoton. In March of 1519, after both men’s failed attempts, Cortes put together a larger expedition with the expectation of being able to set up trade with the Maya. He hoped this would help lead to the establishment of a permanent Spanish settlement. Instead, Cortes was able to defeat small groups of Maya armies during this time. After being defeated, the Maya offered Cortes objects made of gold and told stories great empires that layed further into the mainland. Overcome with ambition and visions of conquest, all focus was moved from the establishment of a permanent settlement to tracking down and finding these …show more content…
riches. Throughout the book, it describes how it was the God given “duty” of the Spanish conquistadors to spread Christianity and rid the natives of their devilish religion.
As a critical reader, it is easy to see that, along with the intention of spreading the word of God, there were obvious ulterior motives. These motives included the justification of the rape, murder and pillaging of native settlements. On their trek to Mexico, Montezuma sent continuous waves of Aztec warriors to intercept the Spaniards and ensure they did not make it to the Aztec capital. In the conquistador’s defense, they were soldiers and they were an army so they had to do what was necessary to defend themselves. Cortes was also able to use somewhat of a psychological warfare strategy as well. In the chapter “The March to Mexico” Diaz says “ In less than two hours our Tlascalan allies, who as I have said had remained in the fields, arrived after fighting a tough battle in the streets, where the Cholulans had posted other companies to defend the town and prevent their entrance, which had been quickly defeated however”(Diaz, 199). Cortes quickly realized that there were hostilities between the native tribes. When we would reach a village that was peaceful, he would make an alliance and tell them that he would help engage in battle and defeat their rival tribe. This worked very well and helped with the conquistadors march to the capital
city. Diaz does a great job of explaining the good deeds the Spanish warriors bestowed upon the natives. Deeds such as showing mercy on Montezuma’s ambassadors after they had plotted to attack them, freeing Indian slaves who were marked for sacrifice and giving gifts like cloth to Natives. He explains “ I cannot omit to mention the cages of stout wooden bars that we found in the city, full of men and boys who were being fattened for sacrifice at which their flesh would be eaten (Diaz,203). The argument doesn’t lie wherein the fact that they did not offer such good deeds, but along with the compassion they showed also came the bad intentions of making unethical decisions for the use of personal gain. That is a major point Diaz fails to mention throughout his book. Bartoleme de Las Casas was a Spanish priest who traveled with the conquistadors on their conquest through Mexico. He also wrote a book on his witnesses of these conquests except his point of view is just the opposite of Diaz. In his book “Brief account of the Devastation of the Indies” he writes, “Their reason for killing and destroying such an infinite number of souls is that the Christians have an ultimate aim, which is to acquire gold, and to swell themselves with riches in a very brief time and thus rise to a high estate disproportionate to their merits” (de Las Casa, 2). As the reader, I am able to understand and interoperate the argument of both sides to this debate. There is no question that atrocities were committed by the conquistadors in the Indies. Rape, murder, plundering and genocide were all committed during the conquest. An argument that Diaz does have is that not all conquistadors participated in these horrible acts. There were good men who did great things and that is what should be written in the history books. Regardless of the actions taken by the conquistadors on their conquest of New Spain, Diaz’s book gives an interesting and important point of view into a sensitive time in history. In war, unthinkable acts and actions must be taken. This was especially true for soldiers who lived in a time where colonialism was a way of life. Men who were given the opportunity to go on a journey that nobody had ever been on before took advantage of it, maybe too much advantage, and saw a way to begin a new and prosperous life. They would go to such great length as to use the “Just War Theory” as a justification to acquire this new life. Though all may not agree with the conquistador’s actions, it is important to understand what was happening during this time in history and why these men participated in the conquest of New Spain.
One of the most interesting aspects of Diaz’s narrative is towards the end when Cortés broaches the subject of Christianity with Montezuma. Conversion and missionary work was one of the most important and lasting goals of the conquistadors and other contemporary explorers, they were charged with this duty by the rulers who sent t...
Victors and Vanquished by Stuart Schwartz attempts to explore differing perspectives of the conquest of Mexico as the historical narratives are from both the outlook of the Spanish conquistadors as well as the Nahua peoples. In these primary sources, there was a fundamental focus on the encounters between the Spaniards and the Mexica. The first source is an excerpt from The True History of the Conquest of New Spain by Bernal Díaz del Castillo, a Spanish conquistador, who participated as a foot solider in the conquest of Mexico with Hernán Cortés. Although Díaz del Castillo was a witness of the conquest, he wrote his account of what he had witnessed decades after the Spanish victory, in 1521. In his account, Díaz del Castillo concentrated on the ways in which the Spanish viewed the Nahua peoples. The second source is taken from the Florentine Codex and is one which was collected twenty
Cortes was able to conquer the Aztecs for several very different reasons. In combination these reasons allowed him to have the upper hand in the conquest of Mexico. Arguably these reasons can be sorted into six different categories. The various causes for Cortes' success will be assessed in a climax pattern. To begin with the Aztecs had a harsh tribute system that was not popular among the people of Mexico. This cruel tribute system allowed Cortes to act as a liberator. Furthermore, with the Spanish brought several diseases into Mexico in witch they were immune to but the Aztecs were not. The spread of diseases such as small pox reduced the Aztec population and furthered Cortes' success unintentionally Also Marina was a tribal girl given as a gift to Cortes, she proved invaluable in translating local dialects in combination with Geronimo de Aguilar. Also an important aspect of his success was due to Montezuma's belief that Cortes was Quetzakoatl. A predominant reason for the Spanish success was due to their weaponry especially their armour and firepower. Perhaps the most important reason of all was that of Cortes' Indian allies such as the Tlaxcalans who made up the majority of his combined army. All these reasons worked together to allow Cortes, originally with 508 men to conquer the Aztec Empire of millions of people.
The history of the Western hemisphere is full of war and conquest. One of the most significant and defining of those conquests is the downfall of the Mexica/Aztec Empire. While there are many other events to choose from, this one stands out since it was one over one of the largest empires in Central America. It is also important to look at because of the immense cultural impact it had. The story of this takeover reads like a movie script, a small band of Spaniards single handedly takes down the most powerful empire in Central America. It was an epic battle, which unfortunately led to the destruction of a magnificent culture. As in any major historical event there are many underlying themes and storylines that come together to make the event happen. The Spanish conquest of the Aztec is no different. Three major themes are seen in this struggle. One of them is the incredible advantage that the Spaniards technology gave them over the Aztecs. A second major theme is the greed that fueled the conquests in the New World. The last major theme was the effect of the political divisions and rivalries within Montezuma’s Central American Kingdom. As this historical event progressed each one of these themes began to intertwine until they became an almost unstoppable force.
Jacques Lafaye, a French historian, published a study pertaining to the intellectual history of New Spain and its development of a national consciousness that would facilitate a move towards independence. Lafaye takes a unique approach of examining the formation of Mexico’s national conciseness by pointing to the importance of religious thought in that process. In this ethnohistorical study the author pays special attention to the interaction of Iberian Christianity and Aztec belief system in New Spain. Through careful analysis the author confronts the merging of these two faiths and their role in the transition from the Aztec world to independent Mexico. Lafaye specifically alludes to the syncretic nature of St.Thomas-Quetzalcoatl and Guadalupe-Tonantzin
In a modern sense, his main goal was to kick out the Aztec Indians there and show them who the boss is. The Native Americans were full of malice, as according to Spanish History, yet they respected Hernan Cortes. Some of them thought that Hernan Cortes was their god, Quezacoatl, reincarnated to lead them the way. At first, the Moctezuma, the Aztec's leader, sent rich gifts to Cortes. The sight of such wealth only made Cortes and his men march faster to the capital. It's just like following a trail of pieces of candy. You don't just want the little pieces found, but the entire bag.
The Spanish defeat of the Aztecs has been extensively criticized for many years. Religion was a motive for discovery, enabled the Spanish to enter the heart of the empire, and was used as justification for torture of the natives. The centrality of religion as a force in Spanish conquest is undeniable. Virtually all of Aztec culture was destroyed and the Spanish victory has had lasting effects for both natives and Europeans up to and including the present-day.
This historical study will define the important role of Hernan Cortes in the colonization of Mexico in the age of the Spanish conquistador. Cortes was an important figure in Mexican history because of his discovery of Mexico at the Yucatan peninsula in 1519. During this time, Cortes became a historical figure that represented the “conquistador” system of conquest throughout the Mayan and Aztec Empires during the early part of the 15th century. The fall of these indigenous civilizations marked the beginning of Spanish colonization of Central America. Cortes was a significant figure because of the primarily military style of coercion and conquest that sought to annihilate the indigenous peoples of Mexico, and to claim Spanish territory. These conquests contributed significantly to the blend of indigenous and Spanish traditions of Mexico’s national history. Cortes represents the first phase of colonization for the Spanish empire in terms of the violent and aggressive nature of the Spanish Conquistador in the discovery of Mexico. The image of the Spanish conquistador as an often violent and ruthless colonizer is defined the invasion and destruction of the Aztec empire in Mexican history. In essence, a
Cortés came not to the New World to conquer by force, but by manipulation. Bernal Díaz del Castillo, in the "Conquest of New Spain," describes how Cortés and his soldiers manipulated the Aztec people and their king Montezuma from the time they traveled from Iztapalaopa to the time when Montezuma took Cortés to the top of the great Cue and showed him the whole of Mexico and its countryside, and the three causeways which led into Mexico. Castillo's purpose for recording the mission was to keep an account of the wealth of Montezuma and Mexico, the traditions, and the economic potential that could benefit Cortés' upcoming conquest. However, through these recordings, we are able to see and understand Cortés' strategy in making Mexico "New Spain." He came as a wolf in a sheep's clothing and manipulated Montezuma through his apparent innocence.
There, he convinced a rival tribe, the Nahua of central Mexico, to join his forces against the Aztec people. When the conquistadors finally arrived at Tenochtitlán, the capital of the Aztec empire, the Natives were convinced that he was one of their gods. Cortés abused this misbelief and used it to receive a portion of the Aztec gold. He eventually began to force the Aztecs to supply him with more riches, and the Aztecs rebelled. While the Natives successfully forced the conquistadors out of their area, many Aztecs had succumbed to the foreign diseases, such as smallpox and measles, brought over by the Spanish. Using this to their advantage, the conquistadors and the Nahua attacked the Aztecs again in 1521. Months of fighting and the final looting and destruction of Tenochtitlán forced the Aztecs to surrender. With their opponents gone, the Spanish began to carry out their plans for New Spain. To build up this colony and take the land’s resources, the conquistadors forced the natives into a system called encomienda. In this system, the Natives were forced to do physical labor for the Spanish, such as farming, ranching, and mining. In the mid-1500’s, priests pushed for the system to be abolished, which led the Spanish without the Natives’ labor and looking for a
When was Spain established? Spain is not immediately formed, but formed through a series of basic processes and events over centuries.
Cortes’ arrival in Veracruz defined a new stage of development in the conquest of indigenous peoples living in Mexico, but more importantly, as a pathway to attack and destroy the Aztec empire in the interior regions. The conquistador mentality had become a powerful statement of the military might of the Spanish Empire during the early 1500s, which galvanized Cortes and his military to successfully begin negotiations with the Aztecs to make alliances against local enemies in the area. Cortes’ arrival in Veracruz provided a window of opportunity to begin negotiating and communicating with Aztec representatives. When first landing in Veracruz, Cortes was able to settle the coastal city of Veracruz, which became the port of entry into Mexico.
The English and Spanish empires in Americas differ largely in terms of their relation with the native people. The treatment of Spanish colonist was much harsher than that of the English. Buoyed by the stories of gold lying to the west, Spanish conquest was focused only on gather invaluable treasures rather than building relation with the native settlers. The invasion of Aztec empire by Hernán Corté (1485-1547) with superior weapons aided by vicious attack dogs represents the climax of brutality and the harsh treatment of Aztec warriors fighting bare foot with stones, spears, and arrows. Spanish were not at all tolerant of their unique identity and beliefs.
The Aztec built a powerful empire that became a dominant and formidable force. The empire supported an enormous population, encompassed a vast territory and yielded an abundance of precious metals and other natural resources. Several factors contributed to the overall success of the empire, including an ideal geographical location and a social hierarchy that imposed law and order. To maintain such a vast domain the Aztec had to employ tactics that included domination and subjugation of enemy forces and an enormous slave population, as well as the organization of resources necessary to support an empire. The collapse of the Aztec Empire came relatively swiftly at the hands of a small, but menacing, force of Spanish conquistadors, who had set their sights on invading the territory, displace the indigenous leaders, and seize their immense reserve of gold. The downfall of the Aztec centered on ineffective leadership, internal conflicts, susceptibility to germ warfare and a history of brutality against their enemies.
The simple fact remains that without the aid of native allies, Cortes and his men would not have achieved the same success if any. After all, Hernan Cortes arrived on the shores of Yucatan in 1519 with a paltry band of 500 men. Not so much soldiers as they were hidalgos, these men were not trained in military tactics or had extensive experience in battle; many were even illiterate. Still, they were among the many who dreamed of sailing to the newly discovered Indies where they could enrich themselves and climb up in the world. European expansion was unprecedented due to the level of navigation skills, military enterprise, and resolution to gain new lands and wealth while preaching the word of the Lord. Conquistadors used all those as a backdrop but their intentions varied slightly. Cortes sought to expand the Spanish empire but he also longed for prosperity although his situation looked bleak. Fortunately for him, he encountered allies almost immediately after he arrived.