How Did The Spanish Conquer The Aztec Empires

The 16th century was the prime colonialism and expansion era for the Spanish Empire. The colonisation of the Inca and Aztec Empires saw a rise in economic trade around the world, as well as the expansion of the Spanish Empire. Spanish growth, was driven by a desire for an increase in trade, wealth and territory. The Inca and Aztec empires collapsed upon the arrival of the Spaniards, causing a disappearance of culture, way of life and religion. The Spanish plundered two great empires but ultimately economically and governmentally improved these two nations. The Aztec empire ruled most of Central America while the Inca Empire stretched through most of South - West America (Peru). Spanish conquistadors ‘colonised’ the Aztec empire within a period

The colonisation by the Spanish had a detrimental effect on the Aztec and Inca civilisations.” The remains of these once powerful empires are hardly recognisable due to the impact that the colonisation of their empires had on them.

The Spanish motivation behind conquering the Aztec and Inca civilisations was driven by one of the these concepts: desire for wealth, lack of trade, seeking opportunities and an increase in wealth. Spain’s empire had one of these concepts that drove its conquistadors to the expansion of their empire into the Americas. The Spanish Empire was alike many European nations at its prime century; forever striving for excellence and domination. The Spanish Empire towards the conclusion of the 16th century was one of the wealthiest nations in the world and a prominent amount of this wealth came from overseas holdings (Cliojournal, 2012). The Casa de Contratación ("House of Trade") was a government agency of the Spanish Empire, existing from the 16th to the 18th centuries, which attempted to control all Spanish exploration and colonization. 20% of a merchant's obtained wealth in the “New World” went towards the Spanish empire and this process was

Although the Spanish formally ‘colonised’ the Aztec and Inca empires, their tactics took on the characteristics of a conquistador. The words of Moctezuma’s priests adapted from the Codex Florentino, accounts compiled by the Benedectine priest Bernardino de Sahagún: “Our lord, we are no match for them: we are mere nothings!” (1519). The fall of the Aztec Empire in 1521 and the final and prolonged fall of the Inca Empire in 1572 concluded years of resistance and begun the history of the “New World”. Leadership of these two empires prior to Spanish arrival was uncertain because; Moctezuma (Montezuma) believed that the were Gods reclaimed to earth and the Inca emperor died in the smallpox epidemic, starting a civil war for leadership (History.com, 2009 and Mark Cartwright, Ancient.eu, 2014). This instability in leadership aided the Spanish in their ‘colonisation’ of the Aztec and Inca empires. Other factors that resulted in the decline of the Aztec and Inca empires was the superior weaponry, war tactics and range of infectious diseases that were exploited by the Spanish. Infectious diseases alone killed between 69% - 90% of Incas that contracted it and wiped out half of the population of the Aztec Empire in one year (Mark Cartwright, Ancient.eu, 2014). To boost their conquering force the Spanish formed alliances