Fall of Tenochtitlan

Fall of Tenochtitlan
	Part of the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire
	; "Conquista de México por Cortés". An Unknown artist, second half of the 17th century. Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
Date	May 26 – August 13, 1521 (2 months, 2 weeks and 4 days)
Location	Tenochtitlan, present-day Mexico City, Mexico
Result	Spanish and Tlaxcallan victory Fall of the Aztec Empire;
Belligerents
Spanish Empire (Governorate of Cuba); Confederacy of Tlaxcala; Tetzcoco; Otomis; Chalco; Mixquic; Iztapalapa ;	Triple Alliance Tenochtitlan Tlatelolco; ;
Commanders and leaders
Hernán Cortés; Gonzalo de Sandoval; Pedro de Alvarado; Cristóbal de Olid; Xicotencatl I; Xicotencatl II ; Chichimecatecle; Ixtlilxochitl II	Cuauhtémoc (POW); Coanacoch (POW)
Strength
200,000 native allies; 900–1,300 Spanish infantry; 90–100 cavalry; 16 cannons; 13 lake brigantines;	80,000 warriors; 400 war canoes
Casualties and losses
450–860 Spanish; 20,000 Tlaxcaltecs	100,000 killed in action; 300 war canoes sunkAt least 40,000 Aztecs civilians killed and captured, other sources claim 100,000 to 240,000 were killed in the campaign overall including warriors and civilians

The fall of Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec Empire, was an important event in the Spanish conquest of the empire. It occurred in 1521 following extensive manipulation of local factions and exploitation of pre-existing political divisions by Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés. He was aided by La Malinche, his interpreter and companion, and by thousands of indigenous allies, especially Tlaxcaltec warriors.

Although numerous battles were fought between the Aztec Empire and the Spanish-led coalition, which was composed mainly of Tlaxcaltec men, it was the siege of Tenochtitlan that directly led to the fall of the Aztec civilization and the ensuing sacking and violence against the survivors. The indigenous population at the time was devastated due to a smallpox epidemic, which killed much of its leadership. Because smallpox had been endemic in Spain for centuries, the Spanish had developed an acquired immunity and were affected relatively little in the epidemic.

The conquest of the Aztec Empire was a critical stage in the Spanish colonization of the Americas.

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