The Rise and Fall of the Aztec Empire

Formation of the Aztec Empire

Date: 1428
Powers Involved: An alliance between three powers in Central America.
Ruling Methods:
- Military domination
- Strategic alliances
- Taxes
- Culture centered around sacrifice and rituals.
Conquered Cities: Allowed to practice own traditions if they also worshiped Huitzilopochtli, the Aztec god of the sun and war.
Tribute to Emperor Moctezuma II: Cities paid taxes in exchange for protection and trade.
Peak Population: Several million people.

Year: 1519
Spanish Motivation: Riches of the Americas.
Key Figures:
- Hernán Cortés: Led the expedition.
- Diego Velázquez: Governor of Cuba.
- Gerónimo de Aguilar & Gonzalo Guerrero: Stranded Spaniards with knowledge of local languages.
Initial Encounters:
- Cozumel: Discovery of Aguilar and Guerrero.
- Tabasco: Battles with the Maya.

La Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz: Cortés' legal maneuver to escape Velázquez's jurisdiction.
Tonac Kingdom: Allied with Cortés against Aztecs.
Mutiny Concerns: Cortés destroyed his own ships to prevent return to Cuba.
Tlaxcala: Allied with Spanish against common enemy, the Aztecs.

Cholula: Preemptive Spanish attack due to suspicion of an ambush.
Tenochtitlan: Initial peaceful entry followed by tension.
- Moctezuma believed Cortés might be the returning god Quetzalcoatl.
- Cortés took Moctezuma hostage to control the city.

Rebellion: Result of a massacre during a religious festival.
La Noche Triste: Spanish retreat from Tenochtitlan, suffering heavy losses.
Battle of Otumba: Spanish cavalry played a crucial role in defeating Aztec forces.
Siege of Tenochtitlan:
- Spanish constructed warships and controlled lake access.
- Smallpox devastated the Aztec population.

Collapse of Tenochtitlan: August 13, 1521.
Significance:
- Demonstrated the power of European weaponry.
- Smallpox and famine greatly weakened Aztec resistance.
Establishment of New Spain: Spanish colony established on Aztec ruins, leading to the foundation of modern-day Mexico City.