Cortes Conquers the Aztecs: Spanish Conquest or Indian Civil War Essay

The Spanish conquests of Montezuma and the Aztecs were some(prenominal) a Spanish conquest as well as an Indian civil war. The thing that ties them both together is the Conquistador Hernan Cortes. You could argue for both sides as to which played a more(prenominal) pregnant part in the light up of the Aztecs, however, I feel they both played an peer office in the get the best of the Aztecs and the fall of Tenochititlan to the Spaniards.When Cortes first came to Mexico, he did not jockey the language spoken by the Indian tribes. He was fortunate enough to live two interpreters Aguilar, a shipwrecked Spaniard who had learned the Maya language, and Malinche. Malinche was a young maiden given to Cortes as an offering. Between her and Aguilar, Cortes was able to become beaten(prenominal) with the way the Aztecs lived, thought, and fought. He used this tactical manoeuvre to aid in expedition and to sustain against any attacks.By far, one of the biggest dgetfalls of Montezuma a nd the Aztecs was the role of the God Quetzalcoatl. The majority of the Aztecs lives and beliefs was centered on their Gods. One of their biggest beliefs was of the God Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent. Montezuma viewd that Cortes was the world version of Quetzalcoatl. The legend of Quetzalcoatl depicted a bearded, white God who looked similar to Cortes. Quetzalcoatl was giving during the Toltec rule and had supposedly left the vale because he was un halcyon with the way things were. The Aztecs believed he was expected to return and bring moxie good times and good fortune. Cortes took profit of their beliefs and immersed himself into the Aztecs lives.Against the advice of his royal family, Montezuma welcomed Cortes and the Spaniards with open arms. They wanted Montezuma to stamp out the foreigners. The Aztecs tried giving the Spaniards gold and some other riches to get them to leave their metropolis. This only if fueled their desire and ambitions for more, and they refuse d to leave. The more they gave, the more the Spaniards wanted. Cortes made Montezuma a prisoner of his own city, which led to an uprising by the Aztecs k promptly as La Noche Triste, or The pitiable Night. Many lives were lost on both sides.Many other figures contributed to Cortes victory e rattlingplace the Aztecs. His soldiers had far more superior weapons and they had horses. The Aztecs were very afraid of the horses because they had never seen anything like them before. unhealthiness also played a long part in the defeat of the Aztecs. The Spanish brought ailments that the Aztecs had no immunities for. Three-fourths died from either force or diseases such as small-pox and the morbilli in just the first atomic number 6 of the conquests. The Aztecs tactics of war were quite divers(prenominal) from those of the Spaniards, and this was also a point in the Spaniards favor. The Spaniards fought to kill. The Aztecs did not. The Aztecs fought to capture and get prisoners so they could later use them as human sacrifices to their Gods. In fact, Cortes himself was captured several times but was re-captured by his men and rescued.The most important factor by far in the defeat of the Aztecs by Cortes, according to some historians, is the financial aid he received from the other suppress Indian tribes in the area. This is why I believe one could view this as not only a Spanish conquest, but also as an Indian civil war. These other Indian tribes chose to attend Cortes fight because they felt they would benefit greatly from the defeat of the Aztecs. They were tired of living under(a) the Aztecs rule and saw Cortes as a type of hero, or liberator. They were more than happy to help wage a war against the Aztecs if it meant they could have better lives.After umpteen deaths on both sides, The Aztec capitol fell in August of 1521. After capturing Tenochititlan, the Spaniards destroyed the city and on top of it built was is now present day Mexico City.I believe th e preceding statements support my argument that the most important factors in the demise of Montezuma and the Aztecs were from the have-to doe with combination of having to deal with a Spanish conquest and an Indian civil war.SourcesVigil, crowd Diego From Indians to ChicanoInternet site, Then Again selective information World History Chronology Project www.thenagaininfo Matthew, Roy T. and F. DeWitt Platt westward HumanitiesSullivan, Richard E., Dennis Sherman and John B. Harrison A mulct history of Western Civilization Wood, Michael A Legacy- The Search for Ancient Cultures