Why Did Hernando Cortes Able To Conquer The Aztecs

In 1521, Hernando Cortés, an adventurer from Spain, led an army of 508 men into the Yucatán peninsula on an exploratory expedition. During their explorations, they stumbled upon the Aztec Empire, the world’s largest city at the time. Despite the enormity of the empire, it was struggling to thrive due to a rigid political system and low technological development. The Spaniards, who were motivated by the promise of gold and wealth, were able to conquer the Aztecs by using the native people’s fear, instability, and lack of superior weapons to their advantage. When Cortés, an adventurer from Spain, arrived to the mainland with an army of 508 soldiers, they stumbled upon an empire weakened by war and an unstable political system. The Aztecs

As word of these invaders spread throughout the kingdom, Cortés’ name grew infamous, becoming a catalyst of fear. Despite this, many of the natives supported Cortés in his endeavor to conquer the empire due to the extreme brutality they faced in their daily lives. Cortes’s army grew rapidly, and with the assistance of as many as 200,000 natives, he was able to topple the Aztec empire. With more than forty thousand natives slaughtered, this was a bloody feat; However, Cortés victory brought about its own set of consequences. Unable to endure the carnage left in his wake, Cortés retreated back to camp shortly after he took the city. The natives, unfortunately, did not have the ability to retreat from the reality that had now entered their doorstep. After the defeat of the Aztecs, Hernando Cortés abolished human sacrifice, taxation, and carried out mass conversions to christianity, declaring the creation of a Christian

Evidence might lead one to believe that the Nahua thought the Spaniards were influenced by the god, Tezcatlipoca, who was known to coerce men into doing wicked things in order to reward those who could resist temptation. After the defeat of the Otomis, who were known as great and valiant warriors, the Tlaxcalan people allied with the Spaniards in the hopes of escaping destruction. The natives treated the Spaniards well, placing them into their palaces and giving them their daughters. After the solidification of their alliance, the Tlaxcalans requested that the conquistadors battle their enemies, the Cholulans, stating,”The Cholulans are very evil; they are our enemies.” After the defeat of the Cholulans, they continued their journey to Mexico, searching for gold and