Still don’t know the details of how the conquest of Mexico took place? Who was Hernán Cortés or in what year did he land on Mexican shores? These and many more details about this historical period are waiting for you.

The Conquest of Mexico and Tenochtitlan

The conquest of Tenochtitlan is one of the most important milestones in the history of Mexico. This occurred after fierce struggles that went on for 3 long months and caused the fall of the Aztec empire.

This defeat of course went a long way, starting in 1519. Hernán Cortés set out with an army from Cuba after confirming in previous expeditions the existence of places with great wealth, such as precious metals, among others.

That same year he landed on the Mexican coast to settle and plan what would be his great conquest of Tenochtitlan. During that time, he maintained contact with some indigenous peoples who were at odds with the Aztecs, a fact that would undoubtedly benefit the Spaniards to a great extent.

The last major alliance was with the Tlaxacaltecs, who supported the Spanish with the siege of Tenochtitlan in the late 1520s. Over the next few months the Aztecs would end up malnourished, sick and defenseless against the superior weapons and battle knowledge of the other side.

One of the most important issues that led to the support of the different neighboring peoples and enemies of the Aztecs was the questioned mandate of Moctezuma, the Aztec ruler who ruled before the arrival of Hernán Cortés and also before Cuahtémoc.

Despite the belief of the allied indigenous peoples that Cortés was an equal to them and would benefit their interests, this would be far from the future reality, in which the Spaniards would completely change the future of pre-Hispanic societies.

In what year was the conquest of Mexico?

The battle in the city of Tenochtitlan, what is known today as Mexico City, took place in the year 1521, exactly 500 years ago.

Spanish Conquest in Mexico

After the fall of the Aztec empire, the Spaniards took control of the territory in addition to the city’s riches. They would impose their language, making many previous languages disappear, as well as many objects and cultures of the indigenous peoples.

They would completely change society, imposing the Catholic religion, creating new government structures, all of which was propitiated by the formation of the viceroyalty in this part of America.

Another consequence of the fall of the Aztec empire was the numerical casualty left in its wake by the Spanish army, accompanied by its allies. They killed around 100,000 men, as they possessed neither the combat skills nor, of course, the technological advances in weaponry of the Europeans.

There were also other types of deaths, but not from battle killings, but from the diseases that the Spaniards brought with them.