The Spanish conquest of
the Aztecs in Mexico by Cort©s in 1519 was in part facilitated by the Aztecs' belief
that Cort©s was a god called Quetzalcoatl. Before reaching the Aztec capital at Tenochtitlan,
Cort©s made alliances with tribes who were rivals with the Aztecs. When the Spaniards reached
Tenochtitlan, Montezuma, the Aztec leader, honored Cort©s as a god and therefore did not defend
his empire. With far fewer troops than the Aztecs, Cort©s took Montezuma captive and was able
to command the Aztecs through him. After getting reinforcements from Cuba, the Spanish conquered
the capital with their guns and horses in 1521.
The Incas in Peru were
captured by Pizarro in 1532 with a force that was far inferior in number to the forces of the
leader, Atahualpa. The size of the Incan force was similar to the large number of Aztec forces
that were also defeated by the Spanish. It...
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