Fall Of The Aztec Empire Essay

475 Words2 Pages

When it comes to the fall of the Aztec Empire there were many factors that lead to the fall. Out of all the factors though 3 main factors contributed the most to the fall of the Aztec empire: Aztec conflict with neighboring groups; Moctezuma’s errors in strategy; and no cure for smallpox.

To begin, is the Aztec conflict with neighboring groups and its part in causing the downfall of the Aztec empire. The Aztecs before the arrival of the Spanish had a habit of conquering and forcing tribute from those conquered peoples. As a result of this war mongering behavior many groups in Mexico disliked the Aztec empire. Upon the arrival of the Spanish empire who had the intent of conquering the Aztecs many of the groups who disliked the Aztecs joined the Spanish’s army. Once the army reached Tenochtitlan the entire force amassed only 1% Spanish people with the rest being Allie’s which were acquired. This proves that the Aztec conflict with neighboring groups was one of the biggest contributing factors to the downfall of the Aztec empire. …show more content…

On the arrival of the Spanish and Cortes, in Mexico, Moctezuma heard of the fact that they were gathering an army. Upon their arrival at the capital city of Tenochtitlan in order to try befriending the Spanish he decided to invite them in. This would prove to be a grave mistake, because upon seeing the riches of the grand city of Tenochtitlan they made moves in order to claim the riches by putting Moctezuma under house arrest. These events eventually cascaded into the siege of Tenochtitlan in which Cortes and the Spanish now had an advantage in knowing the city's layout. All of this helps show the part in which Moctezuma's errors in strategy lead to the fall and collapse of the Aztec

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