Summary Of Hernan Cortes Campaign Against The Aztecs

Hernan Cortes led a campaign against The Aztecs. He brought only a few hundred Spaniards soldier and defeated millions of Indians on their home territory. Such a feat would’ve been impossible had it not been for several key factors. In a war, numbers does not mean victory and Cortes was fortunate enough to make up for his lack of men with the aid of other Indians, nature, and religion. Nature’s force played a powerful and unforeseen role that decimated the Native’s population. The Spaniards brought deadly diseases such as smallpox and measles that the Natives have never encountered before. The Natives were not immune to these new diseases and that lead to the deaths of thousands of Indians, closing the gap between the number of men under Cortes’ control and the Indians. The surviving warriors were unable to fight at their full potential due to the sickness. The Spaniards, who were immune to these diseases, were able to at their full strength. Without this natural factor, the chances of the Mexicans beating Cortes with sheer number increases.
Cortes’ men are properly equipped and armed. His troops are equipped with advanced weapons, while the Mexicans were using clubs and stone weapons. Not only did Cortes’ men fought with armors, the Spaniard brought horses with them. This gave them an edge to chase and cut down the Mexicans who were fighting on foot. The Mexicans have never seen this type of warfare before, so they have limited knowledge on how to stop the cavalries effectively. Cortes also brought canons, and muskets, which wreak havoc on the Mexicans. The final piece of advantage Cortes has over the Mexicans in battle tactic is discipline and organization. His troops are organized and fought in an orderly fashion compared to the Mexicans, who are