Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire
The Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, also known as the Conquest of Mexico, the Spanish-Aztec War (1519–1521), or the Conquest of Tenochtitlan was one of the primary events in the Spanish colonization of the Americas. There are multiple 16th-century narratives of the events by Spanish conquistadors, their indigenous allies, and the defeated Aztecs. It was not solely a small contingent of Spaniards defeating the Aztec Empire but a coalition of Spanish invaders with tributaries to the Aztecs, and most especially the Aztecs' indigenous enemies and rivals. They combined forces to defeat the Mexica of Tenochtitlan over a two-year period. For the Spanish, Mexico was part of a project of Spanish colonization of the New World after 25 years of permanent Spanish settlement and further exploration in the Caribbean.
| Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire | |||||||||
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| Part of the Spanish colonization of the Americas and Mexican Indian Wars | |||||||||
Conquest of Mexico by Cortés, oil on canvas Spanish: Conquista de México por Cortés | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
Indigenous allies:
Support or occasional alliesb: |
Aztec Triple Alliance (1519–1521) Allied city-states: Independent kingdoms and city-states:
Governorate of Cuba (1520, see) | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
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Spanish commanders:
Indigenous allies:
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Aztec commanders:
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| Strength | |||||||||
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Spaniards (total):
~10,000 Totonac (~8,400 followed Cortés from Cempoala) and high number of other indigenous allies | |||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
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1,800 Spaniards dead
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200,000 Aztecs dead (including civilians)
Unknown casualties of other natives 15 Spaniards dead, many wounded at the Battle of Cempoala (1520) | ||||||||
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| History of Mexico |
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| Timeline |
| Mexico portal |