Discuss_the_Relative_Importance_of_Military,_Religious_and_P

Discuss the Relative Importance of Military, Religious and Political Factors in the Rapid Spanish Conquest of Mexico Discuss the Relative Importance of Military, Religious and Political Factors in the Rapid Spanish Conquest of Mexico On 13 August 1521 the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan, had fallen to the Spanish conquistadors. Cortes and his followers had only landed in Mexico in April 1519. By the time of Cortes’ last departure form Spain in 1540; Mexico City had become a powerful colonial metropolis, the capital of a Spanish territory extending south into Central America and North to or beyond the Gulf of California. The campaign waged by Cortes was so successful that all ensuing campaigns were modelled upon the Aztec conquest. The question posed is how was the conquest of Mexico achieved in such a small space of time' It would seem unfeasible that a small army of soldiers could overcome thousands of Native Americans on their own soil; Tenochtitlan was a perfect location to offer resistance to the Spanish, as a great lake surrounded it. There are several combined factors that led to a sweeping conquest of Mexico of which I shall discuss, and in particular compare those of Military, Religious and! Political aspects The Aztecs had massive populations, strong empires, kingdoms and warlike traditions. conquest, mexico, spanish, cortes, spaniards, military, religious, aztecs, time, tenochtitlan, spain, large, iron, indian, horse, even, capital, against, 1521, weapons, small, political, native, first, factors, warfare, people, montezuma, men, indigenous, important, however, factor, experience, expansion, example, cortes, conquistadors, aztec, arrived, america, allies, after, advantage, 1519, weaponry, vital, using, under, two