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Introduction
The Spanish defeat of the Aztec Empire, also identified as the Subjugation of Mexico or
the Spanish-Aztec Battle, was a pivotal moment in the Span invasion of the Americas. For
instance, there are several accounts of the occasions transcribed by Spanish conquistadors, their
tribal associates, as well as the conquered Aztecs
(Levy, Buddy 26)
. Basically, it was just a minor
fight amongst an unimportant cluster of Spaniards and the Aztec Realm, establishing an alliance
of Spanish attackers of Aztec tributaries, notably the Aztecs' native enemies and rivals.
They
banded together for two years to overthrow the Mexica of Tenochtitlan. The excursion to Mexico
was a portion of an experiment of Spanish annexation of the New Domain after 25years of
permanent Spanish settlement and discovery of the Caribbean. Following Juan de Grijalva's
voyage to Yucatán, Hernán Cortés, a Spanish conquistador, steered an excursion to Mexico
(Levy, Buddy 29)
. Cortés, as well as his entourage, set out for 2 years later. August 1521, a
federation militia of Spanish troops as well as the intrinsic Tlaxcalan combatants commanded by
Cortés and Xicotencatl the Younger seized the Aztec Empire's sovereign Cuauhtémoc and
Tenochtitlan, the Aztec Empire's investment.
The collapse of Tenochtitlan marks the inauguration
of Spanish rule in dominant Mexico, and the city of Mexico City was built on the remains of
Tenochtitlan.
Cortés formed allies with the Aztec Empire's tributary city-states (altepetl) and
their radical rivals, notably the Tetzcocans, a prior partner in the Aztec Triple Alliance.
Additional city-states entered, comprising Cempoala and Huejotzingo, as well as institutions
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surrounding Lake Texcoco, the Valley of Mexico's inland lake system
(Levy, Buddy 36)
.
Therefore, this paper discusses how the Spanish defeated the Aztecs.
How The Spanish Defeated the Aztecs?
In 1519-1521, a small Spanish force of 600 defeated the Aztec civilization of 200,000
people. The tiny army had only 600 soldiers and then 300 reinforcements. One of the primary
reasons they defeated the Aztecs was their superior arms and equipment. The Spanish also had
better tactics, which, combined with Aztec errors and a few unlucky factors, helped them defeat
the Aztecs. Similarly, the Spanish had a diverse arsenal of firearms and tools that aided their
conquest of the Aztec civilization, such as arms and horses
(Levy, Buddy 37)
.
This provided the
Spanish with a significant advantage over the Aztecs battling on the ground with wooden
firearms. Arms used by the Aztecs comprised wooden daggers tipped with stones and cane arms.
On the other hand, the Spaniards had steel arms and metallic shields.
The Spaniards often wore
full metal armor, while the Aztecs wore knitted cotton armor. Many of these advantages
contributed to the Spaniards' eventual victory over the Aztecs.
The Spaniards attempted to assemble natives to outnumber and defeat the Aztecs if they
refused to surrender. Besides, their military strategy was to destroy their adversary to ensure
success. The Aztecs, on the other hand, decided to trap the Spaniards as slaves and use them as
blood sacrifices for their Gods.
Throughout the military involvement, the Spanish withdrew
because they were losing troops, but the Aztecs fought until they were injured or killed. This
demonstrates that Aztec military strategies were much less sophisticated than those of the
Spaniards
(Levy, Buddy 43)
.
Also, the Spaniards employed a siege strategy against the Aztecs
and the city of Tenochtitlan, preventing them from obtaining clean water and provisions. Since
the Aztecs didn't know what to do, they became very ill; hence they were forced to give up. The
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Spaniards' superior military experience and general emotional intellect played a significant part
in their conquest of the Aztecs.
Another explanation they were able to defeat the Aztec with a handful of men is that they
could destroy such a vast military civilization due to their religious convictions. The Aztec
spiritual practices dominated the Aztec people's lives, eventually leading to the Aztec
civilization's extinction.
To predict the future, the Aztecs depended much
on omens and dreams.
Therefore, the
fall of the great city of Tenochtitlan was foretold in a prophecy by the aunt of the
Aztec's spokesperson, Montezuma
(Daniel, Douglas
186). She described men dressed in black
stone and riding Holstein deer. They marched from Anahuac to Tenochtitlan, flaming and
hunting civilians down along the way.
They gathered with Montezuma, and she had foreseen him
deceased amongst them. She saw the entire city engulfed in fire as the chief of the horrifying,
white-faced beings stood enthroned amid the ashes. Such visions played a significant part in the
religious practices of The Aztecs.
Montezuma fell into a deep depression after reading his aunt's vision and refused to talk
to anybody for several days. As other dreams came from the Spanish conquerors' empire,
Montezuma believed it was time for Quetzalcoatl, an Aztec deity of wisdom and civilization, to
reclaim the throne and overthrow the people Tezcatlipoca in search of his riches
(Daniel,
Douglas
188).
According to the myth, when Quetzalcoatl arrives, he would be a white man with
a long black beard. When the Spaniards came, and Montezuma saw that they had long, heavy
beards and wore colorful clothes while riding in on horses, an animal the Aztecs had never seen
before, Montezuma thought it was Quetzalcoatl.
The spread of diseases in the community was another explanation why the meager army
of 600 defeated the Aztec Empire. After Cortes arrived in Mexico, another Spanish army came
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from Cuba to ensure he obeyed instructions. This new party had an African slave who had
smallpox, a highly infectious illness.
Cortes' men became infected with the disease. When they
arrived, the Aztec army soon routed the Spaniards, killing many and forcing the remainder to
flee. The soldier was killed, and it is possible that when his body was taken, an Aztec contracted
the disease, causing smallpox to spread among the population
(Daniel, Douglas
196). People had
no resistance and no idea how to deal with it.
In several instances, the whole family died. Houses
were quickly flattened over the corpses, and there was no time to remove too many victims.
During the siege of Tenochtitlan in 1520, the city was starving and died from smallpox. The
epidemic alone is estimated to have cost the empire 25% of its wealth. Even more critically, the
Aztec chain of command was in shambles.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the sophisticated weapons, strategies, plague, and the Aztec religious way
of life were all factors in the Spaniards' conquest of such a vast territory with a large force.
While
the Aztecs had a large army and successfully repelled the Spaniards, the Spaniards' sophisticated
weapons and strategic strategies, along with the Aztecs' poor culture, ultimately contributed to
their downfall.
Works Cited
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Daniel, Douglas A. "Tactical factors in the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs."
Anthropological
Quarterly
(1992): 187-194.
Levy, Buddy.
Conquistador: Hernan Cortes, King Montezuma, and the last stand of the Aztecs
.
Bantam, 2009.