WHI-Chap6/21-Obj11
Explain how the Aztec and Inca empires fell:
Fall of the Aztec Empire
The Aztecs fell mainly for two reasons: the actions of the Spaniards and revolts started by smaller surrounding communities. The Aztecs had many conflicts with their neighbors, but the main reason for their downfall was the Spanish conquest of the Aztec empire.
Disease played a huge part in the fall of the Aztec empire. Smallpox spread among the population. The people had no resistance and no idea how to treat it. During the siege of Tenochtitlán in 1520, the population was not only low on food but dying of smallpox. Twenty-five percent of the empire is said to have been lost to the disease alone. The Aztecs were starting to lose all their military organization because their principal leaders were dying. The emperor, Cuitláhuac, died of smallpox, along with many of the leaders of the army.
The tactics of the Spanish army also played a major role in the fall of the Aztec empire. Hernán Cortés, a Spanish conquistador who led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire, used clever tactics in the final siege that, in combination with his native allies and the epidemics of disease, brought about the fall of the Aztec empire.
Fall of the Inca Empire
The Inca empire fell when the Spanish conquistadors invaded, bringing disease and war. The Spanish had superior weapons, which gave them a big advantage during war. The Spanish had guns, while the Incas were armed with clubs and axes. War and epidemics caused the Inca civilization to decline and eventually become absorbed into Spanish culture.
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