Introduction
In 1519, Herman Cortes decided to adventure into the Mexican interior in search of gold rumored to exist on the American mainland. Together with his crew of eleven ships and five hundred men, they headed to Mexico and conquered the Aztecs in 1521 to claim the Aztec empire in Mexico for Spain. In concurrence with many explorers known in history books, Herman exhibited the unique attributes of an influential leader, yet controversial in his endeavors. Although he perceived Aztecs as savages and cannibalism practitioners, his slaughtering and oppression adventures in these areas were self-justified for Spaniard colonial conquest and adventures.
Discussion
Ideally, Cortes‘ main aim was to acquire land and resources for the Spaniards in America’s mainland areas. His troop landed and interacted with the Amerindian allies and displaced them inland to occupy some of their residences. They then feasted and merry with their women; Cortes took Malinche, who became a valuable interpreter for his troop while trying to conquer Moctezuma (Jessie 1). Certainly, the women played a central role in Cortes’s strategy to divide and rule the region. In return, they managed to woe and conquer their subjects in this region over the exploitation of gold. Indeed, the Aztecs might have planned to capture and attack Cortes’ soldiers only to be overpowered by the military operational strategies employed by their leader.
However, armed Aztecs gathered while being guests of Montezuma and surrounded Cortes’ men. They later killed their emperor, claiming he was a traitor, and chased the Spaniards away from the city. This act was the onset of the deadly operation conducted by Cortes and his crew, slaughtering and oppressing the Aztecs (Jessie 1). Potentially, the Aztecs could not have suffered such a plight had they complied with Cortes’ request to either surrender or die. Indeed, Cortes’ strategy and conquest in exploiting the American mainland engrained Spaniard colonialism in this area, marking the beginning of the long-term exploitation of resources from the American mainland.
Primarily, the Aztec empire had started crumbling from within, experiencing internal problems. There was considerable unrest in the empire due to a lack of trust in the emperor’s rule. Therefore, the unhappy subjects in the city also fueled the conquest and the attack on the Aztecs. Indeed, it was an extreme whose end justified the means because Cortes’ tactics worked against emperor Montezuma. Also, personal greed and self-gratification divided Moctezuma’s empire, creating a wave of discontent that would eventually lead to internal wars. Their lack of solid leadership and the rule of law exposed their territories to their enemies, resulting in their empire’s fall. Therefore, Cortes’s attack would stabilize and utilize the resources rumored to exist on the mainland.
Again, it is crucial to recognize the spread of diseases as another factor in the oppression of the people. During the battle between Aztecs and Cortes’ men, smallpox from the Antilles weakened and killed several city defenders advantaging Cortes’ troops to conquer further in the city and claim territory for the Spaniards in a fiercely contested battle(Jessie 1). Interestingly, Cortes had destroyed his ships to avoid retreat, and his men had to soldier on even if most of them were being killed in the process.
The other concern is that Cortes’ men had backing from different quotas. For instance, Cuban soldiers backed them up when the Aztecs were about to destroy their base in the city. This scenario points to a potential case of discontent and disharmony with other regions portrayed by the Aztecs. In a battle, getting patronage from non-allies and allies can significantly boost the mission(Jessie 1). Therefore, Cortes’ soldiers understood the value of Cuban support to progress into the territories of the Aztecs with confidence and self-reliance.
At the same time, some people may construe the suffering to the wild nature of the Aztec leadership that existed during this era. Ideally, the people were divided because of the kind of leadership that existed during this time. Instead of sending troops to cross-examine the nature of Cortes’ men, Moctezuma was sent to know whether Cortes was a god or human(Jessie 1). Such religious conception may have directly impacted the unity of the people as they tarried through their daily activities. Cortes understood the value of such a scenario and took advantage of the situation capturing soldiers unaware.
Conclusion
To conclude, there are countless reasons to justify the slaughter and oppression of the Aztecs in Cortes’ conquest. Although justifying human torture for any reason may be inhumane, it is vital to understand the dynamics of colonial conquest under this circumstance. Essentially, there are significant correlations between the slaughter, oppression, and political circumstances during this conquest. In essence, most events occurred as a cause-effect of discontent among the parties. While Cortes and his team sought gold and other resources, the Aztecs had their struggles and weaknesses that made them vulnerable. Therefore, to avoid such torture, it was essential to unite and work as an entity or negotiate with the Spaniard colonials over their conquest and demands.
Work Cited
Jessie Szalay “Hernán Cortés: Conqueror of the Aztecs” Live Science (2022). Web.