how did the spanish defeat the aztecs

They acted as spies. In Europe, the armored knight had dominated the battlefield for centuries and weapons such as the harquebus and crossbow were specifically designed to pierce armor and defeat them. The effect the Spanish had on the Aztec Empire is a mixed lot. All rights reserved. GROSS! The harquebus was undeniably effective against any one opponent, but they are slow to load, heavy, and firing one is a complicated process involving the use of a wick which must be kept lit. Its population was about 150,000 on the eve of Spanish conquest. What is the major body in the legislative branch? Cortes’s army besieged Tenochtitlan for 93 days. The Spanish army, led by Cortes, started to battle with the people of Aztec ruled by Montezuma at that time. The Aztecs were a primitive people who practiced rituals that were inhumane. different than that, it replaced right into a organic backstab/deceive the Aztec king by using the Spanish conquistador that enabled him to defeat the Aztecs. The invasion ended in two years, on 13 August 1521, with the capture of the capital of the Aztec Empire. Cortes was able to rule the Aztecs through Montezuma for several months (Gillen, & Ghosh, 2007). The conquest of the Aztec Empire by conquistadors can be considered as a major event in the colonization of America by the Spanish. Large, heavy shields were not necessary for the conquest, although many conquistadors used a buckler, a small, round or oval shield usually of wood or metal covered with leather. Their lances were long wooden spears with iron or steel points on the ends, used to devastating effect on masses of native foot soldiers. The Spanish recruited the enemies of the Aztecs and Incas to help break the two kingdoms. Some even abandoned metal armor entirely, wearing escuapil, a sort of padded leather or cloth armor adapted from the armor worn by Aztec warriors. The allies of the Spanish who helped defeat the Aztec Empire. A number of factors and circumstances can be attributed to the defeat of the Aztecs by the Spanish. During the Spaniards retreat, they defeated a large Aztec army at Otumba and then rejoined their Tlaxcaltec allies. Half the Aztec population died from smallpox so the Spanish attacked them. The Spanish reached the town of Otumba, and there the Aztec were prepared to make a final, crushing attack on the Spanish.20 The Aztec vastly outnumbered the weary and wounded Spanish. Like the cavalry, Spanish foot soldiers made good use of swords. NASTY! How did the spanish explorers defeat the aztec. Chinampas. The killing of several Spaniards following an attack by the Aztec on Nauhtlan can also be regarded as another factor, which precipitated the defeat of the Aztecs. Superior weaponry and a devastating smallpox outbreak enabled the Spanish to … Between 1519 and 1521, Spanish conquistadors, led by Hernán Cortés, overthrew the Aztec Empire.This event is called the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire.Cortés helped old enemies of the Aztecs defeat them in one of the most important events in the Spanish colonization of the Americas.. Some had rudimentary stone axes or clubs with spikes coming out of the end. Aztec warriors occasionally had a macuahuitl, a wooden sword with jagged obsidian shards set in the sides: it was a lethal weapon, but still no match for steel. He did it through a combination of luck, courage, political savvy and advanced tactics and weapons. Montezuma II sent Cortés gifts of gold and chocolate to welcome the Spanish. ABC-CLIO, 2006, Santa Barbara, Calif. Peterson, Harold Leslie. Under the leadership of Hernan Cortes in 1521, the Aztec Empire was destroyed. Spanish armor, mostly made in Toledo, was among the finest in the world. The Spanish city of Toledo was known as one of the best places in the world for making arms and armor and a fine Toledo sword was a valuable weapon indeed. UH-OH! The fine Spanish steel sword was such an advantage that for some time after the conquest, it was illegal for natives to have one. A heavily armored Spanish foot soldier could cut down dozens of native enemies in minutes with a fine Toledan blade. However, the conquest of the Aztec Empire by the Spanish marked an end of the Aztec expansion (Holmer, 2005). After a three-month siege, Spanish forces under Hernán Cortés capture Tenochtitlán, the capital of the Aztec empire. Spanish conquistador Hernando Cortes' was able to defeat Montezuma and the Aztec empire by the use of force and with the help of native tribes who had been conquered by the Aztecs. These small forces were able to defeat much larger ones. Superior weaponry and a devastating smallpox outbreak enabled the Spanish to … Some of the weapons used by the Spanish included guns, unlike the Aztecs, who used weapons made from woods, as well as shields made from canes and stones. women who helped Cortez defeat the Aztecs. The Aztecs and Incas numbered in the millions, yet were defeated by Spanish forces numbering in the hundreds. A heavily armored conquistador could slay dozens of foes in a single engagement without receiving a serious wound. Like the harquebus, the crossbow was a European weapon designed to defeat armored knights and too bulky and cumbersome to be of much use in the conquest against the lightly armored, quick natives. a. Spain began to levy heavy taxes on its American colonists b. Spain sold its land in the americas to other European countries c. The monarchy received a portion of all its treasures taken by the conquistadors. The Tlaxcalans decided to be allies to defeat the Aztecs. Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortés and his men landed on the Mexican coast on April of 1519.   A heavily armored conquistador could slay dozens of foes in a single engagement without receiving a serious wound. Some infantrymen preferred a salade, a full-faced helmet that looks a little like a steel ski mask. The helmet most commonly associated with the conquistadors was the morion, a heavy steel helm with a pronounced crest or comb on top and sweeping sides that came to points on either end. Within just two years, Aztec ruler Montezuma was dead, the capital city of Tenochtitlan was captured and Cortés had claimed the Aztec empire for Spain. How could I not? Francisco Pizarro and the Conquest of the Inca. Within just two years, Aztec ruler Montezuma was dead, the capital city of Tenochtitlan was captured and Cortés had claimed the Aztec empire for Spain. This tactic was instrumental to the Spaniards as it helped them stop the Aztecs from accessing supplies and water. The Spanish Conquistadors were completely outnumbered and in a foreign land yet they easily defeated these vast and powerful empires. The other principle factor that contributed to the defeat of the Aztecs was that they did not retreat when they lost their warriors in the battlefield. 1517 Exploration of Hernandez de Cordoba. The natives did have some success with missile weapons, using slings to launch stones at the conquistadors. In close combat, a rider would use his sword. For instance, the Spanish joined hands with the Tlaxcaltecas and the Totonacs, in order to defeat the Aztecs. The Spanish who came to settle the New World were generally not farmers and craftsmen but soldiers, adventurers, and mercenaries looking for a quick fortune. These men would dress in Jaguar skins or eagle feathers and were very brave warriors. He is a former head writer at VIVA Travel Guides. Arms and Armor in Colonial America, 1526-1783. How did they do it? The Spaniards were also well prepared and supplied with all the resources needed in the war. In South America, some cultures developed bows and arrows, although they were rarely able to pierce armor. Although Montezuma II did not trust Cortés, he also was worried that Cortés was the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl. Cortes' defeat of the Aztec Empire had many ramifications, not the least of which was the eventual creation of the nation we know as Mexico. The Spanish conquest was devastating to the Aztec people. ****** d. Spain took control of the space trade between Africa and americas The natives had some better luck with missile weapons. What impressed me the most was that my writer took samples of my own writing and used those to write my term paper. Cortes’s army besieged Tenochtitlan for 93 days. The Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, also known as the Conquest of Mexico (1519–21), was one of the primary events in the Spanish colonization of the Americas. In the early sixteenth century, the mighty Aztec empire in the New World was defeated by a relatively small amount of Spanish soldiers. it fairly is beneficial to verify extra with regards to the how the Spanish did this. The Spanish were retreating towards Tlaxcala and were constantly hounded by the Aztec. Select all that apply. The Aztecs relied on the atlatl, which propelled javelins or darts at enemy soldiers. Battle of Tenochtitlan (May 22–August 13, 1521), military engagement between the Aztecs and a coalition of Spanish and indigenous combatants commanded by Hernan Cortes. Human Sacrifice. The Spanish started invading the Aztec Empire in February 1519. Divided Empires When the Spanish arrived in Mesoamerica and South America, they were greatly outnumbered but they found two weakened empires. The Spanish reached the town of Otumba, and there the Aztec were prepared to make a final, crushing attack on the Spanish.20 The Aztec vastly outnumbered the weary and wounded Spanish. Nevertheless, eagle feathers provide no protection from a steel sword and native armor was of very little use in combat with conquistadors. Cortés defeated the Spanish force, but when he returned to Tenochtitlán he was met with a shock. Circumstances, such as the use of siege warfare by the Spaniards, also led to the defeat of the Aztecs. Iberia and the Americas: Culture, Politics and History. Although the Aztecs had a larger army than the Spaniards, the physical army of the Aztecs faced defeat because of the mental power used by the Spaniards. The conquest of the Americas proves decisively the advantage of advanced armor and weaponry in any conflict. The superior weapons and adequate resources that the Spanish army had can also be regarded as one of the factors, which contributed to the defeat of the Aztecs. Horses Advanced Weapons Since the Spanish had horses and the Incas had never seen them before, it scared them. Horses were another advantage that the natives could not counter. The effect the Spanish had on the Aztec Empire is a mixed lot. A full suit of metal armor weighed about 60 pounds and the weight was well distributed over the body, allowing it to be worn for long periods of time without causing much fatigue. It generally included even armored boots and gloves or gauntlets. He tried to reach a nearby Mayan city was but his troops were ambushed and many Spanish lost their lives in the attack.. The metal armor worn by the Spaniards also contributed to the defeat of the Aztecs, whose armor was made from stiffened cotton. The Spanish were greatly aided by diseases previously unknown to that part of the world. Cortés and his men fled the city. In this lesson, you will explore the defeat of the powerful Aztec Empire, and then test your understanding about the Aztecs, the Spanish conquest of Mexico, and empires in Central America. As we well know, modern historiography has discredited the notion of a single definitive defeat of indigenous peoples by the Spanish conquistadors in North America, while bringing into focus the importance of conflicts between indigenous peoples in bringing down the Aztec Empire. The Aztec religious belief dominated the lives of the Aztec people and ultimately lead to the demise of their civilization. you ought to definitely have googled this question. From 1518-1521, Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes and his army brought down the mighty Aztec Empire, the greatest the New World had ever seen. Cuauhtámoc, Cuitláhuacs successor as emperor, was taken prisoner and later executed, and Cortés became the ruler of a vast Mexican empire. Social Studies, 21.06.2019 18:00. For example, they invaded the Inca Empire at a time of great crisis, as a brutal civil war between brothers Huascar and Atahualpa was just ending when the Spanish arrived in 1532; and the Aztecs were widely despised by their subjects. The Spanish defeat of the Aztecs in the sixteenth century is one example of the swift, silent, and deadly affects caused by disease. The mighty Aztec and Inca Empires fell apart rapidly once the Spanish arrived. The Aztecs focused on road construction, while the . The finely made weapons did not pass inspection until they could bend in a half-circle and survive a full-force impact with a metal helmet. The spanish conquered the great Aztec and Inca empires by bringing diseases to kill most of them off quickly, scaring them with the horses, and using their more advanced superior weapons to kill them. Were the Spanish troops far more equipped with deadlier weapons or did the Spanish hold a secret weapon that destroyed the empire?. Malintzin. The Spanish conquest of Yucatán took almost 170 years. The natives had never seen any guns, or armor. Bye Bye! The Spanish armor and weapons had much to do with their success. The Spanish had armor, guns, and horses, which gave them a great advantage over the native population. Mexico City was constructed on its ruins. Spanish And Aztecs Battle. “Hernán Cortés.” Ages of Exploration, The Mariners' Museum and Park. Historians often disagree on the impact, both positive and negative, that the Spanish had on Aztec civilization. On advancing towards the enemy unlike the Spaniards as it helped them stop the Aztecs made steel. When the spoils were divided, cavalrymen received a much higher share of the Aztecs were a people! Brought them more wealth and power Hernán Cortés. ” Ages of Exploration, the mighty Aztec and Inca empires apart... This victory marked the fall of the Spanish conquest as well as an Indian civil war when the were... 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