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Hernán Cortés lands at
Veracruz on 21st April, 1519 and has defeated the Aztecs within three years. This astonishing feat is ascribed
to three main attributes. Firstly, he is a ruthless
leader (he burns his boats on landing in Mexico,
thus leaving no way back). Secondly, the weapons and
armour of the Spanish are superior to those of the
Aztecs. Thirdly, with the aid of La
Malinche, Cortés is able to form alliances
with the indigenous enemies of the Aztecs (such as the
Tlaxcalans). Cortés'
chief obstacle in conquering the Aztecs is Moctezuma
II, their emperor. Moctezuma is an
indecisive leader - he puts obstacles in the way of Cortés'
men and urges his allies to fight him, yet when Cortés arrives in Tenochtitlán, he is welcomed as a guest and given gifts. This indecision
is attributed to Moctezuma's religiousness - according to
the legends, Quetzalcóatl is
due to return when Cortés arrives. Like Quetzalcóatl,
Cortés is bearded and fair-skinned, and arrives
from the East, the direction in which Quetzalcóatl disappeared.
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1519-1520 - The Phony War
When Cortés arrives in Tenochtitlán, he
repays Moctezuma's courtesy by making him prisoner in his own
palace. His men fight Moctezuma's allies for the next year
and make allies of their own with the enemies of the Aztecs.
April 1520 - The Battle of
Cempoala
Cortés' mission has been unofficial from the beginning,
and so Panfilo Narváez heads a second expedition to bring
him back to Cuba. Hearing of this threat, Cortés marches
east, surprising and killing Narváez at Cempoala.
He also persuades the majority of Narváez's men to switch allegiance before returning to Tenochtitlán.
24th June - Cortés' Return
Whilst Cortés is fighting Narváez, Pedro de
Alvaredo, the man left in charge of Tenochtitlán,
massacres a group of Aztec priests during a religious
ceremony. In an attempt to pacify the Aztecs, the
conquistadors bring Moctezuma out to speak to his people. As
he tries to calm the masses, one of his followers throws a
stone and wounds him. Cortés arrives to find his men under siege in their quarters and has to fight his way back into
the city, only to be trapped himself.
27th June - Death of Moctezuma
Moctezuma dies from his wound, making the situation even
worse for the Spanish.
30th June - La
Noche Triste
Cortés eventually decides to break out from his position
and the Spanish try to flee the city at night. However, the
Aztecs have severed the causeways from Tenochtitlán to the
mainland, and Cortés loses half of his men trying to escape.
They are so weighed down with stolen gold that they can
barely swim and are an easy target for the Aztec warriors.
January 1521 - The Spanish Return
The Spanish are able to regroup in Tlaxcala and return
with more allies, more supplies and fresh troops. Using boats,
they are able to besiege the city from all sides. The Aztecs
have their own problems as they are suffering an epidemic of
smallpox which claims Moctezuma's successor,
Cuitláhuac.
August 1521 - The Fall of
Tenochtitlán
The Aztecs fight for months under Cuauhtémoc,
but eventually the city falls to the Spanish. Although the
rest of the country remains to be conquered, the defeat of
the Aztecs in Tenochtitlán is the beginning of a total
defeat...
