Hernán Cortés was a Spanish conquistador who brought territories of the Aztec Empire under the rule of Spain in the early sixteenth century. A talented strategist and warrior, Cortés managed to demonstrate outstanding military shrewdness and excellence in tactics that can explain the success of the Spanish colonization of Mexico. Among other reasons for Cortés’ campaign’s advancement was the technical superiority of Spaniards who were armed with guns and swords that could not be comparable to the Aztec army’s weaponry. However, although these aspects of Spanish victory are quite significant, researchers indicate that other factors could contribute to the fall of the Aztec Empire and further colonization of Mexico. Among them are diseases that Europeans have brought to the continent, including smallpox, that “undermined Indian resistance by killing most Indians and their leaders” (Diamond, 1999, p. 220). Moreover, the naivete of the indigenous populations who were taken Spanish army for a god and objective military made it possible for Cortés to attract native allies and make the conquest complete.
References
Diamond, J. (1999). Guns, germs and steel: The fates of human societies. W.W. Norton & Company.