Introduction
Central and South America became the site of a turning point in a large-scale battle, after which the local tribes came under the control of the Spaniards. In general, it can be conditionally divided into two main campaigns, namely the campaign against Mexico and the Yucatan. As a result of fierce battles, due to the technological advantage, the local tribes were captured. In the case of the battle for Yucatan, an important role was played by the diseases that were brought to the island by the Spaniards, especially measles. It weakened the already feeble resistance, which became a decisive moment. The purpose of the work is to compare the situation in central Mexico and on the Yucatan Island and highlight the main features of the battles.
Main body
The conquest of Mexico is the most extensive military campaign during the colonization of America. It began in 1519, not long after the Spanish discovered the island of Yucatan in 1517 (Hassig, 2014). The commander-in-chief of the expedition was Hernan Cortes, and the first team landed on the island of Cozumel. Cortes had previously participated in various tours and companies, which gave the commander-in-chief experience. In 1518, the commander began to struggle to manage the expedition to capture Mexico (Hassig, 2014). One spent significant financial resources on the purchase of equipment and crew, guns, and horses. It is worth noting that the Mexicans have never seen horses, which formulated a psychological moment in the history of the battle.
Having landed on the island of Cozumel, the team discovered that the local population was escaping into the interior of the island. However, an order was given to inform the natives about the peaceful purposes of their arrival. The island turned out to be sparsely populated and poor, signs of sacrifice were found, which caused an attempt to change the faith of the natives. An order was given to destroy local idols and place their own symbols of religion.
The first fight between Spaniards and local tribes occurred on the Campeche Bay, on its southern coast, in the country of Tabasco. Having won the first resistance, several detachments were sent inland, but there they met with larger local military forces. In April, the Spaniards built the Veracruz city to provide rear and went on the coast of the mainland (Hassig, 2014). The Spanish conquistadors had a significant technological advantage, namely iron armor, firearms, and war horses. However, the number of troops was insufficient, and the populous country offered fierce resistance. Nevertheless, the authority of the Aztecs was fragile, which the Spaniards took advantage of, bribing and threatening certain heads of local communities. The daughter of the leader of one of the conquered tribes helped Cortez, being a guide.
After a long resistance, in 1519, the Spaniards entered the city of Tenochtitlan. It was a beautifully built and developed city, which became an important strategic object. Further, Panfilo Narvaez’s fleet arrived in the city of Veracruz with the aim of capturing Cortés alive or dead. Leaving part of the troops, the Spaniards decided to attack the Panfilo detachment. Having shown how richly the people of Cortes live, Panfilo’s army fought without motivation and was soon defeated. In 1520, uprisings broke out, which led to the fact that the Spaniards were forced to retreat (Hassig, 2014). In 1521, Cortes received additional troops and reinforcement, and started a new graduate attack. After a long siege, the Spanish conquistadors broke into the city of Tenochtitlan and won.
The conquest of the Yucatan was a major state capture campaign based on the Mayan tribes in the peninsula. In 1502, on the fourth voyage, Christopher Columbus saw a large merchant ship near Honduras, and after this the first contact with the Maya occurred (Clendinnen, 2003). After Spaniards had their ship crashed in 1511, they looked for shelter on the east coat of the peninsula. Six years later, Cortes contacted these survivors, and in 1517 Francisco Hernandez landed on the peninsula. However, the Spaniards suffered heavy losses and were forced to retreat to Cuba. Further, as a result of rumors about the wealthy Aztec Empire in the west, Cortes set sail with another sweat and made the way to Tabasco.
In 1524, under the leadership of Cortes, a large expedition was carried out to Honduras, and three years later, Francisco de Montejo entered from Spain with a fleet. After that, they managed to subjugate the northeast of the peninsula, and together with their son, they managed to suppress the resistance of Tabasco. In 1531, a significant attack was made in Campeche by the Maya, but the Spaniards successfully repelled it, after which the city of Chichen Itza was founded (Clendinnen, 2003). However, in 1535 the Spanish conquistadors were forced to retreat from Campeche to Veracruz, and peaceful attempts to incorporate the Yucatan into the Spanish Empire failed.
The following years became decisive in the capture of the Yucatan peninsula, as a result of which the resistance finally weakened. In 1541-1542, the first official Spanish councils were established in Merida and Campeche, which determined their power in this territory (Clendinnen, 2003). The western provinces accepted Spanish rule as a number of powerful lords converted to Christianity. Further, in 1546 an unsuccessful uprising against the Spanish was undertaken under the control of the union of the eastern provinces (Clendinnen, 2003). The Maya, with several territories, were defeated in this single battle based on the numerical and technological advantage of the Spaniards. This event and the loss of the battle formulated the final capture of the northern part of the Yucatan Peninsula.
It is also worth noting the impact of diseases on the outcome of the battle, as it had a significant influence. In 1520, a soldier who arrived in Mexico was infected with smallpox, which was the beginning of a ferocious epidemic among the peoples of North and South America. Moreover, it also had an impact on the Maya in the Yucatan Peninsula, which forms the main difference between the battles for central Mexico and Yucatan. Namely, the death rate among civilians and troops was about 75-90% which, in the absence of advanced medicine, was devastating. Other illnesses included influenza, lung disease, and tuberculosis. Judging by the ancient writings of the Maya, the spread of these diseases is associated precisely with the arrival of the Spaniards.
The Spaniards used the strategy of accumulating local indigenous heritage in the cities they founded, thereby forming local communities. The residents were obliged to pay tribute to the Spaniards, and those who refused to live in such conditions fled into the forest. However, only a few survived in the wild conditions, with diseases and exile. Some of the areas controlled by the Spanish also had poor conditions, disease, hunger, and an unsanitary environment. In addition, coastal territories were exposed to pirate attacks, which also negatively affected development.
Furthermore, for comparison, it is also worth noting the armament of the Spaniards during the capture of Yucatan. The warriors were armed with rapiers, crossbows, and light artillery. The cavalry had in their arsenal a spear 12 feet long and served as a pike for the infantry. In humid tropical climates, crossbows were easy to maintain and convenient to use. During the capture of Mexico, firearms were widely used, which became a significant fat core of the advantage. Loud claps and severe injuries had a psychological effect on the Indians, which instilled in them fear and a desire to surrender. It is also necessary to note the effective armor of the Spanish conquistadors compared to the cloth armor of the Indians.
The Mayan warriors fought the Spaniards with flint-tipped spears, bows, arrows, and stones. Warriors carried shields made of wood or animal skins, adorned with feathers and animal skins. Some warriors had rolled cotton scrolls around their bodies, and the Maya aristocracy had quilted cotton armor. They wore cotton armor to protect themselves, and it was not as effective as the Spaniards’ armor.
Conclusion
To conclude, the capture of Mexico and Yucatan were turning points in the history of the peoples of South and Central America. Many architectural and historical monuments and unique objects were destroyed. In addition, a variety of infectious diseases were brought to the territory, which had an impact on the outcome of hostilities. Consequently, the Spanish rule was adopted in the territories, as a result of which a new political order was formed.
References
Hassig, R. (2014). Mexico and the Spanish Conquest. University of Oklahoma Press.
Clendinnen, I. (2003). Ambivalent Conquests: Maya and Spaniard in Yucatan, 1517-1570. Cambridge University Press.