Latest / The Rise of Colonialism: How Europe Divided the World — Fexingo History / The Fall of Tenochtitlan: Cortés and the Aztec Empire
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- Lucas: So we've talked a lot about how Europeans carved up oceans and coasts — treaty lines, spice monopolies, fortresses. But the really shocking conquests happened when a handful of men took down entire empires. I'm thinking of Cortés and the Aztecs. Luna: Right, the one that seems almost impossible. A few hundred Spaniards against millions. Lucas: Exactly. In 1519, Hernán Cortés landed near modern-day Veracruz with about 600 men, 16 horses, and a few cannons. By 1521, Tenochtitlan — the Aztec capital, one of the largest cities in the world — was rubble. How? The short answer is that Cortés was a master of alliances and the Aztecs were already fragile. Luna: Fragile how? I thought the Aztec Empire was at its peak. Lucas: In some ways yes. Moctezuma II ruled over a tribute empire that stretched from the Gulf to the Pacific. But that empire was held together by fear. Conquered city-states — especially the Tlaxcalans — hated the Mexica, as the Aztecs called themselves. They were looking for a way out. Lucas: Cortés arrived with something they'd never seen: horses, steel swords, gunpowder. But more importantly, he had a translator. A Nahua woman named Malintzin, often called La Malinche. She spoke Nahuatl and Maya, and she learned Spanish fast. Without her, Cortés couldn't have negotiated his way inland. Luna: So she was the key to the whole campaign. Lucas: Absolutely. She not only translated but understood the political landscape. Cortés knew he had to turn Moctezuma's enemies into his allies. He marched inland, and after a few skirmishes, he made a pact with the Tlaxcalans — traditional enemies of the Aztecs. They provided thousands of warriors. Lucas: By November 1519, Cortés entered Tenochtitlan. The city was breathtaking — built on an island in Lake Texcoco, connected by causeways. Moctezuma received him, but then Cortés took the emperor hostage in his own palace. For months, he ruled through Moctezuma. Luna: That's incredibly bold. How did the Aztecs not revolt immediately? Lucas: Moctezuma himself told them to cooperate. But tensions grew. Then came the Noche Triste — the 'Sad Night' of June 30, 1520. While Cortés was away dealing with a rival Spanish force, his lieutenant Pedro de Alvarado massacred Aztec nobles during a festival. The city rose up. Lucas: Cortés rushed back, but the Aztecs trapped them inside the city. On the night of June 30, the Spanish tried to flee over the causeway. The Aztecs attacked from canoes, and hundreds of Spaniards drowned under their own gold. Cortés lost maybe half his men. He famously wept under a tree — that's where the name Noche Triste comes from. Luna: But he survived, and he regrouped. Lucas: Right. He retreated to Tlaxcala, rebuilt his forces, and planned a siege. Meanwhile, smallpox — brought by a slave from Cuba — swept through Tenochtitlan. It killed Moctezuma's successor, Cuitláhuac, and maybe a quarter of the population. The new emperor, Cuauhtémoc, was a fierce young leader, but his people were dying. Lucas: In May 1521, Cortés attacked with 900 Spaniards and maybe 100,000 indigenous allies. They cut the causeways, blocked food and water, and bombarded the city day after day. The Aztecs fought house to house, but after 75 days, the city fell. Cuauhtémoc was captured while trying to escape by canoe. Luna: And that was the end of the Aztec Empire. Lucas: In a way, yes. But it's not a story of Spanish superiority as much as a story of disease, alliance, and leadership. Cortés was ruthless and brilliant, but he couldn't have done it without the Tlaxcalans — or without smallpox. The conquest of Mexico was a catastrophe for the indigenous population, but it also created a new world: New Spain, a hybrid culture that still shapes Mexico today. Luna: It's incredible to think how much turned on that one night — the Noche Triste. If Cortés had died then, everything would be different. Lucas: That's the thing about history — small moments, huge consequences. And speaking of small things making a big difference, a couple of dollars a month is genuinely what keeps these conversations going. If you've gotten something out of them, buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo helps us keep researching and recording. Luna: Yeah, it really does make a difference. Every bit helps us keep the show ad-free. Lucas: Anyway, back to the story: Cuauhtémoc was tortured to reveal gold, but he never gave in. Cortés had him executed in 1525. But his resistance made him a national hero in Mexico today. The fall of Tenochtitlan isn't just a Spanish victory — it's a story of Aztec courage in the face of overwhelming odds.