Aztecs have been one of the world’s greatest nations, fascinating people in the modern world with massive engineering constructions and specific religious differences. The Aztec empire appeared in North America on the territory of Mexico, and in the thirteenth century, they arrived in Mesoamerica (History). The beginning of the nation’s history is unclear as it is old and specific notes were not taken during the Aztec empire’s development. However, the story started has been explained when the Spanish occupied their territories and won the fight for the lands. This paper will show the key element which allowed the Spanish people to stay stronger compared to one of the greatest nations as Aztecs. According to History, the significance of the empire was valued by the number of states and citizens as around 6 million people were living on the territory of Mexico. People were divided into casts, and these systems allowed the nations to become the most civilized.
Aztecs were not prepared for the Conquistadors and were not prepared to fight for their territories as a lot of time was spent on developing citizens and expanding infrastructure. The Battle of Tenochtitlan became a planned strategy of Spanish leaders who used all their advanced innovations and strong animals to colonize one of the massive empires of the sixteenth century (Coe et al. 180). Aztecs suggested Conquistadors share and avoid fighting where people could die. However, Spanish people followed their initial plan. At the beginning of the battle, the strength of both nations was equal, and the Aztecs showed a positive result which could lead them to victory. However, the Spanish were well prepared for such outcomes and showed their strong sides when the Aztecs lost a significant part of their army.
Firstly, Spanish people had more advanced weapons, and their cavillation stepped forward in the development. When one of the most famous fights happened in the sixteenth century, the Spanish used guns and gunpowder while the Aztecs did not have this invention (Coe et al. 181). Secondly, the Spanish people’s military preparation improved, and they had more fighting experience than the Aztecs. The nation in central Mexico could build increasable buildings, but their fighting abilities were low. Thirdly, according to Coe et al., the Spanish had strong horses, and they were able to transfer animals to ensure their win (185). However, the Aztecs had llamas that were not load-bearing and could not help during the fighting.
Also, differences in medicine helped the Spanish people win the war with minimal loss. Europeans brought unknown diseases, which decreased the number of Aztecs. Lastly, the differences in body construction played a significant role in the victory of the Spanish people as European men had a more massive structure. Consequently, the army of Spanish was able to win one of the most massive empires in the world by using civilized strategies.
Even though Aztec defenders were fighting till the end, the Spanish knew their strong sides and prepared a strong strategy based on these aspects to win and receive more lands. Conquistadors have not fully controlled factors like strong horses and differences in medicine, but these factors benefited them. Consequently, even though the Aztecs were one of the most powerful nations in the sixteenth century, the Spanish managed to fight with them and colonize part of their lands using advanced innovations.
Works Cited
Coe, Michael D., Urcid, Javier, and Koontz, Rex. Mexico: From the Olmecs to the Aztecs (Eighth edition). Thames & Hudson, 2019.
“Engineering an Empire: The Aztecs (S1, E3) | Full Episode | History.” YouTube, uploaded by History, Web.