Brief biography of Hernan Cortes. Hernan Cortez - Spanish conquistador, conqueror of Mexico (from the series “Great People”) Fernando Cortez discovered

Cortes Hernan (Fernando), b. 1485, d. 1547 – one of the greatest figures of the era great geographical discoveries, Spanish conqueror of Mexico.

He was born into a poor noble family in the city of Medellin, studied law at the University of Salamanca, receiving a good education there. In 1504, Cortés traveled to the West Indies, recently discovered by Columbus, and became secretary there to the governor of Cuba, Velazquez. Velazquez had already twice undertaken trips to neighboring Mexico, where the strong Indian state of the Aztecs was then located. Both of these expeditions were unsuccessful, but Velazquez equipped a third, putting Cortes at its head. When the campaign had already begun, Velazquez, out of suspicion, tried to remove Cortes from leading it, but he did not obey the order received and on February 18, 1519, sailed from Havana on 11 small ships. His force was only 670 men, including 400 Spanish soldiers, 200 Indians, 16 horsemen and 14 cannons.

Hernan Cortes. Portrait by an unknown artist of the 18th century.

Having rounded the eastern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula, Cortez followed further north along the Mexican coast, entered the mouth of the Tabasco River and took the city of the same name standing there. The local Indian residents expressed their submission to the Spanish king, paid tribute and delivered 20 slaves. One of them - Malinche (Marina) - became Cortez's lover and companion and played the role of translator in his further campaign.

Cortez moved on. On April 21, 1519, he landed at the place where he later founded the city of Veracruz. The Mexican natives greeted the strangers warmly. Aztec Emperor Montezuma sent rich gifts to the Spaniards, thinking that, having received them, they would go home. But these luxurious gifts only fueled the greed of the conquerors and encouraged them to continue their enterprise. Cortez decided to take advantage of the hostility of the subject Mexican state of Tlaxcala to the Aztecs ruling over it. Having set his ships on fire, on August 16, 1519, he headed inland with 500 infantry, 16 horsemen and 6 guns, joined by another 400 soldiers of the local prince Sempoala. The Tlaxcalans initially attacked the Spaniards fiercely, but were repulsed and joined Cortes, numbering 600 people. The inhabitants of Cholulu planned a surprise attack on Cortez and his people. But he punished them with such ferocity that after this all the cities on the way to the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan (Mexico City) surrendered to the Spaniards without resistance.

Montezuma met Cortez on November 8, 1519 in front of the gates of the capital and ordered to provide the Spaniards with a palace, which Cortez immediately fortified with cannons. But soon one of Montezuma’s commanders, on his orders, attacked the Spanish coastal settlement. Cortes responded by capturing Montezuma and keeping him in custody in the Spanish camp. The captive sovereign, whom the conquerors treated cruelly and humiliatingly, formally continued to rule, but Cortes forced him to recognize himself as a vassal of Spain and agree to pay tribute. The Spaniards captured enormous booty in Tenochtitlan.

Cortez's route to Tenochtitlan

Viceroy Velazquez, meanwhile, sent a fleet of 18 ships, with 800 crew and 72 cannons, under the command of Panfilo Narvaez, ordering him to arrest Cortes and complete the conquest of Mexico himself. Having learned about this, Cortes left 150 people in Tenochtitlan, and with the remaining 250 he moved on May 29, 1520 against Narvaez, defeated him and captured most of his people. Almost all of them entered Cortez's service.

The Aztecs rebelled at this time. Cortes, with 1,300 Spaniards and 8,000 Tlaxcalans, hurried back to Tenochtitlan. Here the rebels besieged him, and he was forced to leave the city. The retreat, before which Cortes ordered the death of Montezuma, took place on the night of July 1-2, 1520 (noche triste - “night of sorrow”). During it, 860 Spaniards, several thousand Tlaxcalans, all the cannons and rifles, most of the horses and booty were lost. With the remnants of the army, Cortez came across a large Aztec army and was wounded. The Knight of Salamanca saved the Spaniards from death only by rushing into the enemy lines and capturing their banner - the discouraged Indians were defeated.

On July 8, the Spaniards arrived in Tlaxcala. Reinforced by new troops sent against him by Velazquez and the governor of Jamaica, and now having 550 infantry, 40 horsemen and several cannons, Cortes on December 28, 1520 again set out from Tlaxcala to Tenochtitlan, where Montezuma’s nephew, a very capable young man Cuauhtemoc (Guatemozin), ascended the throne. Cortes took the second city of Mexico, Tezcuco, and made it, due to its favorable location, his headquarters. While the ships he needed were being built on the lake, Cortez occupied several more surrounding cities - by force or with the consent of the inhabitants.

Having received new reinforcements from Haiti (200 soldiers, 80 horses, 2 heavy cannons and a large number of Indians), on April 28, 1521, he moved his forces to Tenochtitlan from different directions. The first attack on the city was repulsed. 40 Spaniards were captured and sacrificed to the Aztec gods. Only after the destruction of three quarters of the city did three detachments of Spaniards unite on July 27, 1521 in the large square of Tenochtitlan. Cuauhtemoc was captured. On August 13, 1521, the rest of the city surrendered. Cuauhtemoc and two Indian princes were accused of attempted conspiracy. They were tortured and hanged.

Despite Velazquez's opposition, the Spanish king Charles V approved Cortes as the chief commander and governor of New Spain. Cortez restored calm in the former Aztec possessions and began to zealously spread Christianity there.

In 1524 he undertook a trip to Honduras to find a way out to the Pacific Ocean. Enemies began to accuse him of abuse of power and desire for independence. To justify himself, Cortes went to Spain in 1526, was received by the king with great honor and received from him the title of Marquis del Valle de Oaxaca. In 1530, Cortez again headed to Mexico City, invested, however, only with supreme military power. To the indignation of Cortes, another person was soon appointed civil viceroy of Mexico - Antonio Mendoza.

Cortes made new expeditions to explore an unfamiliar country. In 1536, after great dangers and labors, he discovered the California Peninsula. In 1540 Hernán Cortés returned to Spain and a year later participated in expedition undertaken by CharlesV against the Muslim pirates of Algeria. He died (1547) in disgrace and was buried in Mexico.

One of the greatest people in human history was the Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes, the conqueror of Mexico.

Cortez was truly a great commander. His most important merit is the fact that, possessing a very small army, he was able to defeat an enemy significantly superior in number and conquer a very significant territory.

Hernan Cortes was a Spanish nobleman who, in search of adventure and thirst for exploits, went to America, where he married the sister-in-law of the governor of Cuba, Diego Velazquez. It was Velazquez who appointed Cortez commander of the expedition to Mexico. True, he soon canceled the appointment of Cortez, but, nevertheless, Cortez in 1519 led 11 ships and a modest army of 110 sailors, 533 soldiers, of which only 13 people were armed with firearms, and also having artillery of only 14 guns went to conquer Mexico.

Having landed in Mexico, Cortez ordered the ships to be burned in order to deprive the army of hope of return, and, having reconnoitered the situation, led his troops to the Aztec capital.

What did Cortez hope for, going on a campaign against an entire powerful state, and having more than a small army under his command?

Hernán Cortés was a great strategist. Based on intelligence, he knew that many Indian tribes did not like the Aztecs and hoped to win them over to his side.

At the very beginning of the campaign, Cortez's army encountered resistance from the Tlaxcalan Indian tribe. Cortez managed not only to defeat a superior enemy, but also to “persuad” the vanquished to unite in a campaign against the Aztecs.

The Aztecs, led by Montezuma, fought the Spaniards and Tlaxcalans, but lost, although they had a significant advantage in the number of troops. In November 1519, Cortes entered the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan without a fight.

However, a detachment of Panfilo de Narvaez arrived on the shores of Mexico with the task of arresting Hernan Cortez. Cortes, leaving part of the troops in the conquered capital of the Aztecs, returned with the rest of the soldiers and defeated Narvaez, and added the vanquished to his army. Meanwhile, the Aztecs, dissatisfied with the power of the Spaniards, and especially with Cortez's deputy, who treated the conquered people too harshly, rebelled and expelled the conquerors from the capital. However, the returning Cortes besieged and re-conquered Tenochtitlan in June 1520 - now forever.

We can name only three significant factors thanks to which Cortes succeeded in his campaigns of conquest. First of all, Cortes was a skilled and intelligent commander. Secondly, the presence of firearms helped him. And thirdly, he was helped by the myth that existed among the Aztecs about the god Quetzalcoatl, who left but promised to return, and for whom the Aztecs mistook Cortes. Moreover, the last two factors are essentially not so significant; Cortes was simply able to put them to his service.

Hernan Cortez was a tough, desperate and fair man, for which he earned respect from the Indians, who, having gotten to know him better, idolized the brave conquistador. Cortes, for his part, never humiliated the vanquished, and even, due to his ideas about the world, tried to instill in them the Christian religion.

True, the King of Spain, although he forgave Cortez’s unauthorized campaign, still removed the conqueror of Mexico from his post as mayor of Mexico City. Returning to Spain, Cortes received the title of Marquis and lands as a reward, so he became a very rich man, but America forever won his heart. How many times did he beg the king to allow him to return to New Spain, but he never received permission.

Hernan Cortes, the Spanish conquistador and conqueror of Mexico, died in Spain in 1547, embittered and disillusioned with life. In his will to his son, Cortes asked him to seriously think about the question - is it morally acceptable to have Indian slaves? This was a very strange request all along. But, based on this, we can conclude that not only the Indians were conquered by the personality of Cortes, but they themselves were able to earn respect from the great commander.

Hernan Cortes Spanish conqueror of Mexico.

Biography of Cortez

Hernan Cortes was born in 1485 in the kingdom of Castile (now part of Spain), in the city of Medellin. He came from a fairly famous but poor family of nobles.

His parents wanted their only son to become a lawyer and sent the boy to study law at the University of Salamanca when he was fourteen. However, he himself was not delighted with this prospect and quit his studies when he was sixteen years old.

The news of the amazing discoveries of Christopher Columbus, which he made in the New World, captivated his imagination. Hernan dreamed of travel, fame and wealth.

Travels of Cortez

Cortez sailed to the New World in 1504. First he arrived on the island of Hispaniola, in the city of Santo Domingo. Using his knowledge of the law, he found work as a notary and over the next five years built an excellent reputation for himself.

In 1511, Cortés joined Diego Velazquez's expedition to Cuba. The trip was a success: Velazquez became the governor of Cuba, and Cortes, who showed himself well, became the mayor of Santiago.

Conquest of Mexico

In 1518, Cortez led an expedition to explore the Mexican mainland. This was exactly the adventure he had been dreaming about for years. Literally at the last minute before departure, Velazquez, with whom relations were deteriorating, forbade Cortez to leave. But he ignored the direct order.

Cortes the conqueror photo

Cortés and his men landed on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico in April 1519. The ambitious Spaniard demanded a meeting with the Aztec Emperor Montezuma II. However, he was refused. Then Cortez decided to get to the capital of Tenochtitlan on his own and, gathering his team, went to the very heart of the Aztec empire. His army consisted of 500 infantry, 100 sailors and 200 slaves.

Along the way, he found out that some of the tribes inhabiting these lands did not really like their ruler, and entered into an alliance with them. However, not everyone was happy about the newcomers. In the city of Cholula, a major religious center of the Aztec empire, Cortez learned that they were planning to kill him in his sleep. For this he executed three thousand local nobles, priests and soldiers. Part of the second largest Aztec city burned down.

When Hernán Cortés arrived in Tenochtitlan on November 8, 1519, he was greeted by Aztec Emperor Montezuma II. Although he did not trust Cortes, he gave him and his people rich gifts. But they did not satisfy the greed of the Spaniards. Cortez took Montezuma hostage in his own city. After some time, the city rebelled against the invaders, the emperor was killed, and Cortes had to temporarily flee the city.

Hernan Cortez, taking Mexico photo

This event, which occurred on June 30, 1520, went down in history as the “night of sorrow.” But soon Cortes returned to Tenochtitlan with a large army, besieged and conquered the capital of the Aztec empire. After conquering the Aztecs, Cortez renamed Tenochtitlan Mexico City. This city became the capital of New Spain, and Cortez became its governor.

Thanks to the efforts of ill-wishers, after some time Cortes fell out of favor with the King of Spain and was removed from power. He was forced to return to his homeland to justify himself. Cortés was rewarded by the emperor and returned to New Spain in 1530 to continue his struggle for power.

But he never became governor again, and his research and military achievements no longer resounded throughout the world. On December 2, 1547, while in Spain, Cortes died of pleurisy. His body was transferred to Mexico several years later.

Hernán Cortés is the second cousin of Francisco Pizarro, who conquered the Inca Empire in Peru.

• In his will, Cortes gave large sums for a missionary school and convent in Coyoacan.
• After revealing the intrigues he had participated in against Velazquez, Velazquez forced him to marry his sister-in-law. Cortez did not want to, because at that time he was living with an Indian concubine, who bore him a daughter.
• In addition, Cortez had a son from the translator Malinche (Doña Marina) and from the Aztec princesses, including the daughter of Montezuma. All of them were recognized as his rightful heirs.

Spanish conquistador. In 1504 - 1519 he served in Cuba. In 1519 - 7527 he led the conquest in Mexico, which led to the establishment of Spanish rule. In 1522 - 1528 - governor, and in 1529 - 1540 - captain of New Spain (Mexico). In 1524, in search of a sea passage from the Pacific to the Atlantic, he crossed Central America. In the last years of his life he showed himself to be a talented colonialist.

The two famous conquistadors were from the Spanish province of Es Tremadura. Hernan Cortez was born in the town of Medellin, Francisco Pizarro - in Trujillo. There was also a family connection between them: Cortez was the son of Martin Cortez de Monroe and Donna Catalina Pizarro Al-tamarino. Cortez, Monroe, Pizarro, Altamarino - ancient noble families, Cortez's father and mother belonged to the hidalgo class. In accordance with Spanish custom, the full name of the future conqueror was Hernan Cortez y Pizarro Cortez and Pizarro were distinguished by extraordinary courage, both were born leaders, adventurers . Moreover, both recruited their best people precisely in Extremadura, a harsh, high-altitude country.

Hernan Cortez's father predicted a career as a lawyer for his only son. At the age of fourteen, the young man was sent to the University of Salamanca. However, two years later Hernan returned home.

Chronicler Bernal Diaz wrote about Cortes: “He was a good Latinist and, when talking with learned people, spoke to them in this language. Apparently, he was even a Doctor of Law. He was also a bit of a poet and wrote lovely poems, and what he wrote was very worthy.”

After leaving the university, Cortez spent his days in idleness. He was too headstrong to allow others to guide him. The ardent and sharp young man was already thinking about a military career. However, he stayed in Seville for another two years.

In 1504, nineteen-year-old Cortes went to the island of Hispaniola. Here in Haiti, Cortes petitioned Santo Domingo for citizenship and land. Upon his arrival in the New World, he had no intention of settling here, but due to circumstances he was forced to try his luck as a municipal official and landowner. Governor Ovando allocated him land and Indians for work. In addition, Cortes, as a lawyer, was given the position of secretary in the council of the newly founded city of Azua, where he lived for six years. However, Hernan did not give up his penchant for adventure and participated in the fighting against the rebel Indians.

In 1511, Diego de Velazquez began the conquest of Cuba. Cortes, having abandoned his possessions, exchanged the quiet existence of a landowner for the adventurous life of a conquistador. During the Cuban campaign, thanks to his open, cheerful nature and courage, he acquired many friends. Cortez was in favor with the newly appointed governor Velasquez and even became the personal secretary of his patron. He settled in the first Spanish city in Cuba, Santiago de Barracoa, where he was twice elected alcalde (city judge). He also achieved success as a landowner, starting to breed sheep, horses, and cattle. In subsequent years, he devoted himself entirely to the improvement of his estates and, with the help of the Indians allocated to him, mined a large amount of gold in the mountains and rivers.

Changes also occurred in his personal life; in Santiago, in the presence of the governor, Cortes celebrated his wedding with Catalina Suarez, who came from the small landed nobility of Granada.

During the years spent in Cuba, Cortez learned a lot. He realized that corrupt Spanish officials played a major role in the colonist's career. The courtesy and diplomatic dexterity of the future conqueror is evidenced by the fact that, despite the occasional love affairs and other escapades that led to clashes with Velazquez, he continued to enjoy the favor of the wayward governor.

Velazquez appointed Cortes commander-in-chief of the expedition to Central America. Hernan immediately began equipping the fleet. He mortgaged his estates, borrowed money from several wealthy citizens of Santiago, and when his credit was exhausted, he used credits extended to his Friends. The reputation of Cortes, as well as the news of the wealth of the newly discovered countries, forced many adventurers to rush to his banner. Six ships were equipped, and more than three hundred people volunteered to take part in the expedition.

However, Velazquez wanted to limit the size of the expedition to a small number of participants and ships, and its goals - to continue discoveries, and then begin to colonize the country himself. The scale of the preparations displeased the governor, and he removed Cortes from command of the expedition.

Cortes, in this difficult situation for him, showed the ability to quickly make decisions, which subsequently more than once saved the expedition from certain death. Despite the fact that the crew was not fully staffed and the ships were insufficiently equipped, Hernan Cortes secretly gave the order to raise the sails. At midnight, the small flotilla weighed anchor. Cortez risked his head; only the success of the expedition could save him.

On November 18, the fleet moved to Macaca, a small port about 80 kilometers west of Santiago. Here the expedition members considered themselves beyond the reach of the governor's pursuit. In Trinidad, Cortés replenished his supplies and ordered his black velvet standard to be raised, which featured a red cross surrounded by white and blue flames and the Latin inscription “With this sign I conquer.” Noble and famous hidalgos were already under the command of Cortez, so more and more people joined the expedition. In the end, about 2,000 Spaniards took part in the conquest of Mexico. With this detachment, Cortes set off on the most risky and difficult military campaign of his century.

On February 10, 1519, the squadron headed for Cape San Antonio, chosen as a gathering place. The expedition consisted of 11 old ships. On February 18, a course was set for Yucatan. The soldier Bernal Diaz del Castillo, who described the campaign of the conquerors, reported about his 34-year-old commander-in-chief: “As for Cortez’s appearance, he was attractive, stately and strong. His face was ashen-gray; it would have been more beautiful if it had been a little longer... The expression on his face hardly indicated a cheerful disposition. His gaze was mostly serious, but he could, when he wanted, give his eyes great courtesy... He was an excellent horseman, skilled in the use of any weapon, in battle both on foot and on horseback, and, most importantly, he had courage that did not stop at anything... If Cortez was possessed by an idea, then it was no longer possible to force him to abandon it, especially in military matters...”

Such was the man to whom the Spanish knights entrusted themselves and who had the opportunity to become their leader in the greatest adventure, which they had never dreamed of in their wildest fantasies.

The flotilla, which had put to sea in favorable weather, was then caught in one of those powerful hurricanes that are not uncommon in the Caribbean at this time of year. It was scattered in all directions, and Cortes, on his flagship ship Capitaña, was the last to arrive at the gathering place - the island of Cozumel .

Finally the expedition reached the mouth of the Rio Tabasco, or Rio Grijalva, as the river was named after its discoverer. The Spaniards occupied the capital of the province of Tabasco and soon regretted that they had embarked on such an adventure, since numerous Indian detachments approached the city.

After much thought, Cortez decided to give the enemy battle. Retreating early in the campaign would have undermined the morale of his men and inspired the Indians. On March 25, 1519, on the day of the Annunciation, members of the expedition heard mass and then rushed into battle. Although the Spaniards were opposed by superior forces of the aborigines, they were victorious. The Indians, who had never seen horses before, fled in panic, and the horsemen, led personally by Cortes, shouted “Santiago!” rushed after them. At the site of the victory, a new provincial capital was subsequently built, named Santa Maria de la Victoria.

Spanish losses were insignificant. The inhabitants of Tabasco, who had lost several thousand people, made peace with the Spaniards. The leaders presented gifts, including 20 Indian girls, whom Cortes, after baptism, distributed among his captains. One of them, Marina, gave birth to Cortes a son, who received the name Don Martin Cortes in honor of his grandfather and subsequently became the commander of the knightly order in Iago...

The expedition continued its journey. The first meeting with the powerful ruler of Mexico, Montezuma, took place in San Juan de Ulua. From the stories of the Indian ambassadors one could judge the greatness and power of the Aztec empire. The idea of ​​conquering by force a state in which there are about two million warriors, with a detachment of 600 people, should have seemed pure madness. It was possible to conquer Mexico only through political and diplomatic means, through clever use of the split that existed within the Indian people.

A week later, Montezuma's ambassadors again arrived at the Spaniards' camp. A hundred porters delivered the ruler's gifts to the conquerors. To the surprise of the Indians, Cortez became interested in the yellow metal that was mined in mountain mines. The Indians themselves called gold “the impurity of the gods.”

With the help of precious offerings, Montezuma sought to force the outsiders to abandon their plan to capture the Mexican capital. The ruler did not suspect that it was his rich gifts that further inspired the Spaniards to move towards the source of these treasures. Products made of gold could prevent the danger threatening Mexico no more than the spells of magicians and sorcerers, sent again and again by Montezuma.

Hernan Cortes, before moving into the interior of Mexico, founded a village on the coast - Villa de la Vera Cruz. In order to maintain at least the appearance of legality, Cortez entrusted all powers to the city council appointed by him and asked for his resignation from the post of commander-in-chief. The power of Governor Diego Velazquez replaced the power of the Council of Veracruz. For appearances, there was a discussion for some time, then Cortes again appeared before the Council, where they announced to him that they could not find a more worthy candidate for the post of leader of the expedition than him. Cortes became chief judge and captain general. However, for this decision to gain legal force, it was necessary to obtain the approval of the King of Spain. Hernan Cortes used his gift of eloquence to win over Velazquez’s supporters, of whom there were many in his squad.

In his decision to make his way to the mysterious capital of the Mexican Empire, Cortez found unexpected, and therefore much desired allies in the Totonacs, the enemies of the Mexicans. Indians from this tribe invited Cortez to visit their capital, Sempoalla.

In order to bind the Totonacs even more firmly to himself, Cortez ordered the capture of five Mexican tax collectors. At the same time, he played a double game, since he ordered his people to secretly release the Aztec officials and send them to Montezuma with a friendly message. Thus, Cortez gained the favor of the Totonacs, and on the other hand, received the gratitude of the Mexicans, who were not aware of the Spaniard’s treachery.

But the conquistador also needed to enlist the support of the Spanish king in order to avoid possible sanctions from Velazquez. Cortes refused his fifth share of all the booty he had won so far and managed to persuade the soldiers to give up their share in favor of the king.

In July 1519, the best ship of the squadron sailed to Spain with a fair wind. For Hernán Cortés, the reception of his envoys at court was a triumph. The king expressed his gratitude and, together with his courtiers, admired the works of art of the New World. The king legalized the activities of the conquistador; at the same time he gave the order to equip three ships to help Cortes.

On August 16, 1519, the Spanish conquerors, together with the Totonacs, set out towards the Mexican capital of Tenochtitlan. A camp was set up on the steep slopes of the Cordillera.

On the fourth day, the detachment finally entered the mountains. A steep climb began to the fortified city, which Diaz calls Socochima in his notes. Two paths led to it, carved into the rock in the form of stairs and very convenient for defense. However, the local cacique received an order from Montezuma to let the Spaniards through.

For the next three days, the Spaniards walked through “desert terrain, uninhabited due to its scarcity, lack of water and severe cold.” Crossing the desert, they reached a chain of hills. Here, on the pass, there was a small repository of idols, “resembling a roadside chapel,” lined with neatly stacked bundles of firewood. Cortés named the place Puerto de la Lena (Port of Brushwood). Soon the army reached a large city, whose stone houses, whitewashed with lime, sparkled so brightly in the sun that the strangers remembered the south of their native Spain. Bernal Diaz writes that they named the city Castilblanco (White Fortress). Now it is called Saulta. And Brother Bartolomeo, the head of the priests of the detachment, who did everything possible to spread the faith in the cities and villages of the Totonac Indians, did not allow the cross to be installed here: he was struck by the scale of the sacrifices. There were thirteen teocalli (Indian temples) with the inevitable piles of skulls in each. Bernal Diaz estimated the number of people sacrificed here at more than a hundred thousand.

Cortez needed allies, and since the Cempoalans assured him of the friendly intentions of the Tlaxcalans, whose lands lay ahead, Cortez sent four Indians ahead as ambassadors, and he himself set out for the city of Ixtacamaxchitlan. Three days later the detachment moved through the valley into the mountains.

Having overcome the pass, the conquistadors entered the lands of hostile tribes. Bernal Diaz describes the subsequent events as follows: “Two armies, numbering about six thousand, came out to meet them with loud cries and the beating of drums. Blowing into trumpets, they shot arrows, threw spears and fought with extraordinary courage.” It was a rare battle among the natives that began without confrontation - and Cortez had time to show signs of his peaceful intentions and even communicate with the Indians through an interpreter. But in the end they rushed to the attack, and this time Cortes himself was the first to shout the old battle cry of “Santiago!” During the first onslaught, many Indians were killed, including three chiefs. Then they retreated into the forest, where the Tlaxcalan leader Xicoten-catl was waiting in ambush with forty thousand warriors. The terrain was rough to make good use of the cavalry, but when the Spaniards drove the Indians into the open, the situation changed, and Cortes was able to bring six of his cannons into battle. But even with cannons, the battle lasted until sunset. The Indians outnumbered the Spaniards and their allies many times over, since Xicotencatl had five chiefs, each commanding ten thousand warriors.

According to Bernal Diaz, the first clash with the main forces of the Tlaxcalans took place on September 2, 1519, and three days later another major battle took place. Cortez claimed in his letters to the king that there were 139 thousand Indians. The battle took place on the plain, where both cavalry and artillery could deploy. The Tlaxcalans attacked in droves, and the artillery mowed them down like grass, and the battle-hardened Spanish soldiers burst into the enemy crowd like Roman legionaries. However, soon the Spaniards had only a dozen horses left, and the sharp blades of the infantrymen brought Cortes victory. In addition, this time there was a split in the Tlaxcalan camp: two of Xicotencatl’s commanders refused to march with him. As a result, the four-hour battle ended in the complete defeat of the Indians.

“We gave thanks to the Almighty,” writes Bernal Diaz. The Spanish lost only one soldier, although sixty were wounded. But the conquistadors did not care about their wounds.

Subsequently, the Tlaxcalans attacked in small detachments, which competed with each other for the honor of capturing a living Spaniard. But the surrounding leaders were already beginning to come to the camp with peace proposals. Two days after the battle, fifty Indians appeared in the camp. They offered the soldiers cornmeal, turkey, and cherry flatbreads. Cortes was warned that these were spies, and he himself noticed that the envoys were interested in the location of defensive posts, and ordered them to be captured. During interrogation, they admitted that they had come for reconnaissance in order to prepare a night attack. Having cut off their hands, Cortes sent them back to Tlaxcala and began to prepare to repel the attack.

At night, the camp was stormed by approximately ten thousand soldiers. The priests convinced Xicotencatl that at night valor leaves the Spaniards. Unfortunately for him, this was not true - Cortez led his army into the expanse of corn fields, where he met the Indians. The Tlaxcalans, unaccustomed to night battles, were quickly defeated, after which the leader not only assured the Spaniards of eternal friendship, but also invited them to enter the city; at the same time he also complained about Montezuma’s constant oppression.

At this time, another embassy from Montezuma came to Cortes - six leaders with a retinue of two hundred people, who brought Cortes gifts of gold, congratulations on the victory and, more importantly, the news that Montezuma was ready not only to become a vassal of the Spanish king, but also to pay an annual tribute on the condition that the Spaniards do not enter the capital of Mexico. It was both a bribe and a deal. Thus, Cortez was able to play a subtle game. He still did not trust the Tlaxcalans and admitted that he “continued to court both, secretly thanking each side for their advice and pretending to have warmer feelings for Montezuma than for the Tlaxcalans, and vice versa.”

Entering Tlaxcala, Cortez not only conquered a city of thirty thousand, but also the entire district, “ninety leagues in circumference,” since Tlaxcala was the capital of a country that could be called a republic. The city itself, according to Cortes, “larger than Granada and much better fortified,” lay in a lowland among the hills, and some temples stood in the mountains surrounding the capital. In order to secure the friendship of the Spaniards, the leaders offered them hostages, and to strengthen it, five virgins, their daughters. But they did not want to overthrow their idols or put an end to the sacrifices.

In Tlaxcala, Cortez collected information about the Mexican capital and the Mexicans themselves. The Tlaxcalans told him how many drawbridges there were on the dams and even how deep the lake was. They estimated the strength of the Mexican armies of Montezuma alone at 150 thousand warriors. The Tlaxcalans were confident that the Spaniards were their only hope in the fight against Montezuma, so Cortes received the support of the entire country.

It is unknown what thoughts and doubts tormented the conquistador: he always carefully hid his feelings. But it is known that he certainly took into account the wishes of the people and did not take any important steps if he did not have their support.

Cortez again faced a choice of path. Tenochtitlan lay due to the west. Go straight or go through Cholula, as Montezuma's ambassadors advised? The Tlaxcalans grimly predicted a trap for him in Cholula. While Cortes was racking his brains, another embassy arrived from Montezuma, four leaders with gifts - gold jewelry worth two thousand pesos. They, in turn, warned Cortez that the Tlaxcalans were waiting for the right moment to kill and rob the Spaniards. This was such an obvious attempt to quarrel him with his new allies that Cortez ignored the warnings.

On October 12, 1519, the Spanish army, reinforced by 5,000 Tlaxcalans, marched to Cholula, located 40 kilometers away, which was considered a loyal ally of Tenochtitlan. This city was home to many luxurious teocalli. Arts and crafts flourished here.

On the morning of October 13, the Spaniards were met by a procession of Cholulu residents. The foreigners, who from the day they appeared were considered teules (gods), were fumigated with the aroma of plant resin. At the request of the chiefs, the Indians from Cortez's auxiliary detachments set up camp outside the city, while the Spaniards themselves were quartered in Cholulu itself. However, Cortez suspected that a trap was being prepared for them.

He invited local leaders to his place, pretending that he was going to leave the city the next day, and asked them to provide 2,000 tamans (porters). The leaders readily agreed.

Early in the morning, porters appeared in the courtyard of the house where the Spaniards lived, as well as local leaders who were invited to say goodbye. Cortez summoned the leaders to his presence and accused them of conspiracy. At the signal, the Tlaxcalans entered the city. Arson and general looting of the city began. The news of Cholula's cruel punishment spread throughout all the provinces of the Aztec empire. Montezuma's fears were confirmed; the ruler of Mexico decided to receive the conquistador in the capital.

On November 1, 1519, the Spaniards set out in strict marching order towards the capital of Mexico. Tenochtitlan, which was called the “Venice of the Aztecs,” made a great impression on the Europeans, but to the amazement was added an ever-increasing anxiety, for, as Bernal Diaz put it, “before us was the great city of Mexico City, and we had less than 400 soldiers.”

Montezuma greeted the strangers with a bow. Then the traditional exchange of gifts took place. Accompanied by a solemn procession, the Spaniards walked to the palace of Montezuma Azayacatl's father, where the reception was to take place.

Cortez understood that if the bridges were destroyed, the city would turn into a trap for his detachment. Therefore, one of his first tasks was the construction of four brigantines, which would make him independent of the roads running along the dams.

Cortez used both political and military means to carry out his plans. In Veracruz, the Indians killed several Spaniards, including the commander Escalante. On November 14, 1519, Cortes ordered the arrest of his hospitable host Montezuma right in his palace, accusing the ruler of organizing an attack in Veracruz. Spanish officers occupied the exits from the imperial palace, and then Montezuma, in a simple, unadorned palanquin, accompanied by an armed escort, was taken to the palace of his late father. So the “Lord of the World” became a prisoner of the Spaniards.

In his report to Charles V, Cortés presented his violent actions as a measure necessary to ensure the safety of the Spaniards and to protect the interests of the king. The captive emperor served as a guarantor of the safety of his soldiers, because in this authoritarian state no one would dare to do anything against the Europeans without the sanction of Montezuma.

The “Lord of the World” gave calming orders to the population, declaring that he preferred to be located closer to his European friends. In reality, Cortez ruled. He was also supposed to convey the tribute intended for the Aztec emperor. The Spaniards still showed respect for Montezuma's royal title, recognizing his right to all the external attributes of supreme power.

Cortez's next step was Montezuma's official abdication from the throne. In December 1519, in the presence of the highest officials of the empire, a formal act of taking the oath of allegiance to the Spanish monarch was carried out, due to the absence of the person represented by Hernan Cortes. Submission to the supreme authority of Charles V was solemnly certified by a notary.

After the transfer of power to Cortez, Montezuma had no choice but to give his father’s treasures to strangers. The Indians valued gold only in the form of elaborate jewelry, while the Spaniards melted precious works of art into ingots and put a royal mark on them.

In early May 1520, six months after arriving in Tenochtitlan, a message arrived from the coast that worried Cortés. A punitive expedition under the command of Panfilo de Narvaez appeared in Mexico. She was sent by Diego Velazquez to deal with the rebellious Cortes.

The conquistador faced the threat of war on two fronts. Attempts to negotiate with Narvaez were unsuccessful.

Knowing the great numerical superiority of Narvaez's army, Cortes nevertheless divided his already small army. A small detachment managed to get unnoticed to the capital of the Totonacs, where the punitive detachment was located, and take the enemy by surprise. The army of the Cuban governor laid down its arms. Thus Cortes, a recent troublemaker who stood at the head of a handful of adventurers, became the independent leader of an army hitherto unseen in the New World.

But at this time, Hernan received alarming messages from Tenochtitlan: the Aztecs attacked the garrison. However, the Mexicans had enough reasons to use Cortez's absence to attack the Spaniards in Tenochtitlan: the capture of their ruler, the devastation of palaces, the theft of treasures of gold and silver, the desecration of temples and the destruction of images of gods, Cortez's failure to fulfill his promise to leave the city after the arrival of the ships and , finally, the presence of mortal enemies, the Tlaxcalans, which probably most offended the proud Tenocha people.

On June 24, 1520, with the Spanish situation in Tenochtitlan desperate, Cortés re-entered the Mexican capital. With his detachment, he made his way to Azayacatl's palace and found himself under siege. It was dangerous to stay in Tenochtitlan. But how to get out of the city when all the bridges are destroyed?

Cortez ordered the construction of a portable wooden bridge, with which it was possible to overcome the destroyed passages across the canals. In the presence of witnesses, he ordered the king's fifth to be packed into bags and appointed reliable officers to guard the royal share.

On June 30, 1520, Cortes gave the order to leave the capital. On the night of July 1, when the Spaniards crossed the bridge, the Indians attacked the conquerors and dealt them a crushing blow. On the notorious “night of sorrow,” all the guns, 80 horses, and 459 Spaniards died. The entire convoy and most of the treasures captured in a hurry were destroyed. Cortez almost died.

On July 7, 1520, at Otompan, or as the Spaniards called it, Otumba, Cortés met with a huge army of Mexicans, approximately 200,000 warriors, and the Spaniards no longer had firearms. Nevertheless, the Spaniards and Tlaxcalans furiously attacked the superior enemy forces. Cortes, at the head of a cavalry detachment, broke through the thick of the enemies and pierced the magnificently dressed Aztec leader with a spear. When the Indians saw their standards in the hands of the Spaniards, they panicked and began to flee.

Inspired by success, Cortez decided to conquer the Mexican capital again. He ordered the construction of 13 brigantines, which were dismantled after testing. Indian porters carried them across the Sierra to Lake Texcoco. The brigantines were reassembled at a distance of 800 meters from the shore; At the same time, about 40,000 Indians were busy digging a canal leading to the lake. These preparations lasted almost seven months.

On December 28, 1520, Cortez set out for Mexico with his impressive army. He chose a difficult but safe path through the wild Sierra. Before the assault on Tenochtitlan, Cortés had 650 infantry, 194 riflemen, 84 cavalry and 24,000 Indian auxiliaries, as well as three heavy cannons and 15 field guns.

On May 20, 1521, the assault on the Mexican residence began. The brigantines destroyed the entire flotilla of Indian canoes. But the advance along the dams came with heavy losses, so Cortez decided to take Tenochtitlan by siege. The Mexicans, greatly superior in manpower, continued to resist. Cortes only miraculously managed to escape from the hands of the Indians twice thanks to the bravery of his soldiers. Nevertheless, he continued to propose peace to the Aztecs.

On August 13, 1521, the Spaniards burst into the city and, having suppressed the resistance of the defenders, captured it. According to various sources, from 24 to 70 thousand Mexicans died or died of hunger or disease. The exact number of Spanish losses is also not established; at least 100 people were captured and sacrificed to pagan gods, and about the same number died. Allied losses approached 10 thousand.

The siege lasted 75 days, and, according to Cortez's reports, there was not a day without fighting with the Indians. The Aztec leader Cuauhtemoc fell into the hands of the Spaniards during his flight and, chained, appeared before Cortez.

However, the treasures for which, in fact, this grandiose operation was started, disappeared without a trace. Probably, the Indians drowned part of their wealth in the lake or hid it in some other place. Cuauhtemoc, even under torture, did not say where Montezuma’s treasures were hidden.

Before 1524, Spanish conquistadors founded several cities in Mexico. Cortes spent most of his time in Coyohuacan, from where he personally supervised the restoration of Tenochtitlan. During these years he proved himself to be a talented colonialist. By the will of the Spaniard, a new Ibero-American culture was to emerge through the merging of ancient American and Christian cultures. Great progress was also made in converting Indians to Christianity. Cortes asked the king to send missionaries of “good and exemplary life.”

Cortes himself throughout his life enjoyed the confidence of the natives, for whom he often acted as a lawyer and who, according to eyewitnesses, greatly respected and revered him. However, the distrust of the Spanish court towards the conquistador and serious suspicions on the part of royal officials in Mexico itself did not allow Hernán Cortés to realize his dream - to extend the power of Spain to the South Sea and to the shores of Asia. Meanwhile, he, who brought a powerful power to the monarch as a trophy, was accused by envious people of seeking separation from the Spanish crown.

Cortez went to Spain to meet the king. At the end of May 1528, the conquistador with an impressive retinue landed at the port of Paloe. At the emperor's court he was received with all honors. Cortes swore his allegiance to the monarch. On July 6, 1529, the Emperor granted him the title "Marquis del Valle de Oaxaca", awarded him the Grand Cross of the Order of Saint James and gave him extensive lands in Mexico. However, this time Hernan did not receive the post of governor of New Spain. Appointed captain-general of New Spain and the South Sea Islands, Cortes was not deceived that new large expeditions could end successfully only if the discoverer had gubernatorial powers.

In July 1529, the conquistador was given new plots of land in the capital of Oaxaca. Cortez became lord of 22 settlements and 23,000 Indian vassals. By marrying Juana Zúñiga, daughter of the Count de Aguilar and niece of the Duke de Béjar, Hernán gained access to the most influential houses of the highest Spanish aristocracy. One of his gifts to the young bride - two fabulously beautiful emeralds carved in the shape of roses (the work of Mexican craftsmen) - aroused the admiration of the entire court. The glory of the conqueror thundered throughout Europe and the New World, so that Cortes, according to contemporaries, competed in glory as a commander with Alexander the Great and in wealth with Croesus.

In the spring of 1530, he, accompanied by his wife and his elderly mother Doña Catalina, returned to Mexico, where he devoted himself primarily to the tasks of colonization. He brought sugar cane from Cuba, raised Merino sheep and developed gold and silver mines. But these peaceful pursuits could not satisfy his adventurer nature.

In 1532 and 1533 he equipped two small flotillas. Cortez attempted to establish a settlement in California. But such enterprises required a lot of money without bringing anything in return. In 1535, Cortez himself went on an expedition, walking along the coast of the Gulf of California to 30 degrees north latitude. In the south of the California Peninsula, he founded the city of Santa Cruz, present-day La Paz. In 1539, three ships did not return. The financial damage caused to Cortes ultimately amounted to almost 200,000 gold ducats.

Nevertheless, the geographical discoveries were very significant. It was established that California is not an island, but part of the mainland. Finally, Cortez explored large areas of the western coast of the American continent and the Gulf of California. Despite the difficulties, he conceived a new expedition under the command of his son Don Luis. However, the first viceroy of New Spain, Antonio de Mendoza, who himself claimed discoveries in this area, did not approve of the enterprise. The outraged Cortes decided to go to the king.

In 1540, accompanied by his son Don Martin Cortes, he landed in Spain. The king was absent, however, Cortes was given a magnificent reception in the capital. He was warmly welcomed to the Indian Affairs Council, but the Marquis did not achieve any tangible success.

In 1541, Cortes and his son took part in the memorable Algerian campaign of Charles V. During a storm that destroyed part of the fleet, the Marquis's galley also became a victim of the elements. The Cortes barely escaped

Unfortunately, all of Cortez's initiatives in Spain did not find a response from the nobles. Upon returning to his homeland, the king also did not support his plans to expand the borders of the Spanish empire at the expense of the entire territory of the newly discovered continent. After three years of waiting, Hernan decided to return to Mexico.

However, he only managed to get to Seville. There he fell ill with dysentery. Cortes still managed to complete his earthly affairs and signed his will on October 11. He died on December 2, 1547 at the age of 62, having shortly before his death moved from the city to the quieter village of Castilleja de la Cuesta.

Initially, the conqueror was buried in the family crypt of the Dukes of Medina Sidonia. After 15 years, his mortal remains were transported to Mexico and buried in the Franciscan monastery in Texcoco next to the grave of his mother. In 1629, the marquis was buried with great pomp in the Franciscan church in Mexico City. In 1794, the sarcophagus was moved to the Hospital of Jesus of Nazareth, once established by Cortez. This tomb was decorated with a simple tombstone and a bronze bust. In order to save the remains from destruction, they had to be secretly removed in 1823. In Naples, in the crypt of the Dukes of Terranuova-Monteleone, descendants of the great-granddaughter of the conqueror, they finally found peace. Cortez's last wish expressed in his will - to find an eternal refuge in Coyohuacan - remained unfulfilled. The great discoverer and conqueror of Mexico is buried far from the places where he knew success and triumph, far from the country with which his name is forever associated.

Hernan (Fernando) Cortes is a famous person in history, one of the conquerors of the American continent, a great figure in the era of great geographical discoveries, who conquered the Aztec state (the current territory of Mexico). Answers to questions about who Cortes is and what his role was in the conquest of Mexico and the peoples of North America will be of interest to both schoolchildren and adults.

Biography of Hernán Cortez

By birth, Fernando Cortes de Monroy (1485-1547) belongs to a noble family, although impoverished. Cortes spent his childhood in Medellin (Spain), then graduated from the University of Salamanca, where he studied law.

From a young age, he had a reputation as a rake and lover of women, spending his time in carousing and drinking with a company of rich loafers. His amorous affairs and scandals infuriated the city authorities and the police, and Hernan decided to set out on long journeys in search of adventure.

In 1504, 12 years after Columbus discovered American lands, Cortez, dreaming of the treasures of the Indians, went on a sea voyage to the West Indies, where he served as secretary to the Cuban governor Velazquez, periodically making trips to American lands.

During one of his campaigns, after landing on the island of Santa Domingo in 1511, Hernan became famous for his cruelty in an effort to suppress the resistance of local residents by any means, often inhumane. After the capture of the island, Cortez received as personal property not only many lands, but also gold mines and made a good fortune for himself. He married and managed his lands using the labor of Indian slaves, but then in 1518, rumors spread around the island about the discovery of a gold-rich Aztec country on the Yucatan Peninsula.

After two unsuccessful campaigns on Mexican lands, where the powerful Aztec state was located, Velazquez decided to equip the 3rd expedition and instructed Cortes to lead it, but at the last moment he wanted to cancel his decision. However, Hernan had already gathered 670 people, 11 horses, 10 cannons for the campaign and, contrary to the decision of the governor, in February 1519 he sailed from Havana on 11 ships towards Mexico.

First trip

This campaign became a turning point in the fate and biography of Cortez. Due to the understaffing of the expedition, he began his pirate activities: he confiscated food supplies in the port of Macau, then in Trinidad he captured a Spanish merchant ship with cargo, which caused even greater rage from Velazquez.

The campaign began with Cortes sailing north and, having rounded the Yucatan, swam to the mouth of the river. Tabasco captured the Indian city. Attempts at resistance by local residents were broken by the attack of armed horsemen and fire from all guns, because the Indians had never seen horses or firearms before.

Local residents submitted to the Spanish conqueror, paid tribute and even gave 20 slaves, one of whom Malinche (or Marina) later became his mistress and translator.

In April 1519, Hernán Cortés landed in a place surrounded by swamps and jungles, where the city of Veracruz was later founded, and entered into negotiations with the Aztec emperor Montezuma, who graciously sent the Spaniards expensive gifts to pay off. However, the conquerors, seeing the gold, decided to continue their campaign.

The Legend of Quetzalcoatl

Montezuma and his leaders, having heard about the arrival of the Spanish ships and not really knowing who Cortes was, decided that it was their legendary god Quetzalcoatl, whose arrival they had been waiting for many years, who had returned.

One of the Indian gods, Quetzalcoatl, according to legend, was a white man with a beard. He allegedly arrived on a winged ship from the direction where the sun rises. By coincidence, the place where the god descended from the ship turned out to be exactly where Cortez’s camp was set up.

According to legend, Quetzalcoatl taught local residents all crafts, gave them wise and fair laws and religious views. He was considered the founder of a country in which corn and cotton fields bountifully bore fruit. Then the white god returned to where he came from.

All the Aztec legends about Quetzalcoatl predicted the coming of white-skinned conquerors who could conquer the Indian tribes and replace the local gods with their own. It was because of the ancient legend that the Aztecs believed that the prophecy had come true and their struggle would be futile.

The military council and Emperor Montezuma became disheartened and decided to negotiate with the Spanish conquistadors, appeasing them with generous gifts and showing the power of the Aztec people with a demonstration of wealth.

However, the opposite happened: it was these rich gifts and gold that whetted the appetite and greed of the Spanish conquerors. Cortes told the delegation of leaders that he was the representative of the King of Spain and would be his ambassador to the conquered lands.

Trek to the state of Tlaxcalana

Cortez's next strategic step was a hiking expedition deep into Mexico to lands that were hostile to the Aztecs, which he decided to take advantage of. The embassy of the Totonac king asked for help in the fight against the Aztecs, and Hernan decided to take advantage of this to start a war with Montezuma and his people.

Hernan Cortes led his army, which was increased by the warriors of the Totonac tribe, to their capital, Sempoala. On the advice of the leader, it was decided to go on foot to the capital of the state of Tlaxcalana, which also suffered from the oppression of the Aztecs, in order to gather an army. Due to unrest among the soldiers, he ordered all Spanish ships to be burned and the conspirators put to death.

The next campaign of Cortez and his warriors, including 1,500 Totonac Indians, began on August 16, 1519. All the local residents they met were friendly towards the Spaniards. During the transition, the army of conquistadors saw valleys and small cities with pyramids, a mountain range and snowy peaks in the distance, fields were sown with corn, aloe and cacti grew everywhere.

The Tlaxcalans initially met the Spanish army with hostility, sending an army against them armed with wooden clubs with spikes (obsidians). However, they could not resist the cannons and arquebuses of the Spaniards and surrendered after several battles. Peace was concluded, and Cortez entered the city, surrounded by a ring of snowy mountains. For the previous 50 years, the Tlaxcalans had been constantly at war with the Aztecs, so they were glad to enter into an alliance with the Spaniards to march on the Aztec state.

Defeat of Cholula

Montezuma, wanting to show kindness to the Spaniards, invited them to the city of Cholula, which was the religious capital of the Aztecs. In the middle of it, at the top of a huge pyramid, was the temple of the god Quetzalcoatl - a place of pilgrimage for Mexican Indians. In the city itself there were another 400 towers, at the top of which a fire was constantly burning. The Spanish army was stationed together with the Tlaxcalans in the courtyard of one of the Aztec temples.

One day, Marina told Hernan about overheard news about an impending conspiracy of the local aristocracy against foreign aliens, and the conquistador decided to get ahead of events and show the Aztecs who Cortes was. Having invited the dignitaries to visit him, he gave the order to the Spaniards to finish everyone off. Unarmed Indian aristocrats were killed, and their clothes and jewelry were divided among the conquerors.

The local population, hearing the sounds of fighting, tried to help their comrades, but in response the Spaniards rolled out cannons and began shooting at the city. Throughout the whole day, the destruction of local residents, looting and burning of houses continued, and by evening only ruins remained of the beautiful Cholule.

Capture of the Aztec capital

After 2 weeks, the conqueror of Mexico, Cortes, and his army decided to march on the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan (now Mexico City), for which they had to overcome a cold mountain pass and descend into the flowering Anaguac Valley. In the middle of it was a large lake, where the main city of the Aztecs was located, nicknamed by the Spaniards “Western Venice.” At that time, it had more than 300 thousand inhabitants, which even exceeded the population of London.

On November 8, 1519, the Spaniards approached Tenochtitlan, where local residents sitting in pirogues were waiting for them with rich gifts and goods. On a dam built of stone and sand, Montezuma was surrounded by his leaders.

The Aztec emperor was dressed in a cloak richly decorated with ornaments and jewels, his head was crowned with a headdress of emerald feathers and studded with pearls and stones. All of Montezuma's clothes and shoes sparkled in the sun from an incredible amount of gold. The leader greeted Cortez, presented him with a valuable decoration and solemnly led the Spanish army into the city, accompanied by the roar of drums and the sound of trumpets.

The Spanish conquistadors were invited to Montezuma's palace complex, built of hewn stone; on the other side of the square stood a huge pyramid consisting of 5 tiers. Having climbed 340 steps to its top, Montezuma showed Cortez his city. There were other Aztec settlements around the lake, connected by dams, canals and bridges; the total number of inhabitants reached almost 3 million people.

The city had a water supply system, which supplied fresh water from neighboring mountain peaks, but the lake itself was salty. In the square in front of the temple lay a huge monolithic stone made of red jasper, on which the Aztecs made sacrifices to their gods, and inside the tower stood a terrible stone idol, symbolizing the god of war Huitzilopochtl, who demanded human blood, decorated with skulls and natural sapphires.

For a whole week, E. Cortes pondered a plan to capture the city, and came to the conclusion that this could only be done by capturing their king, Montezuma. The lucky moment came a few days later, when the local governor killed Spanish prisoners. Cortes with an armed detachment burst into the palace and captured Montezuma, shackling him in chains and shackles, and burning the guilty governor at the stake.

The Aztec leader lost his courage and became submissive to the will of the Spanish conquerors, who even destroyed the local temple and erected a Catholic chapel on its ruins. Cortez then forced the king to give him the Aztec treasures as tribute to Cortez and Spain, and forced the local leaders to swear allegiance to the Spanish king.

Departure of Cortes for Veracruz

In May 1520, messages arrived from Veracruz about the arrival there of the Spaniards, led by Narvaez, sent by the governor of Cuba to capture E. Cortes and the wealth he had obtained. Because of this, he urgently gathered an army of 230 soldiers and went to meet the new enemy. The battle was short-lived, as a result of which Narvaez was wounded, and his warriors, lured by the promise of rich gifts, joined his army.

At this time, the Indians of Tenochtitlan rebelled and surrounded the island along with the Spaniards. They were enraged by the treacherous actions of the Spaniards, who, during an Aztec festival, attacked and killed unarmed leaders for the purpose of profit. The besieged asked Hernan for help, and he moved back with his army.

Having freely entered the city and closed the gates, Cortes united 2 troops, but immediately saw that he was surrounded by countless hordes of Indians. An assault took place, during which the Spaniards, with the help of cannons and rifles, fought off the armed Aztecs, who pulled them off their horses. The Indians immediately killed the captured warriors, sacrificing them to the god of war, which is why the entire lake turned red with blood. In response, Cortez gave the order to burn all houses in the city.

There are several versions of the death of the Aztec leader. According to one of them, Montezuma, wanting to save his country from the conquerors, agreed to appeal to the residents with a request to stop the fight, but for betrayal they threw stones at him, one of which mortally wounded him in the head. The Spaniards gave the deceased leader to the Indians, but where was he buried? still unknown. According to another, Montezuma was ordered to be killed and burned by Cortes himself on the night of July 2, 1520.

Escape from the trap and win

Cortez and the Spaniards had no choice but to flee from the surrounded city. At night, the conquistadors, together with their Indian allies, were able to cross the drawbridge, but were discovered and attacked by Indian warriors.

Only a small handful of conquerors managed to escape: almost 500 Spaniards and 5 thousand Tlaxcalans were killed, Cortes himself was wounded. All the wealth of the Aztecs (gold and jewelry) remained at the bottom of the lake; the cannons and many horses drowned.

Cortes then returned to Tlaxcalan, where he began to prepare a new attack on Tenochtitlan. In 1521, the Aztec capital was surrounded, and it was decided to starve out the inhabitants. The Tlaxcalans were given permission to plunder the Aztec villages and collect tribute from them.

Victory of the Spanish conquerors

Mexico was gradually conquered, and the victorious Spanish army took the local population into slavery. During the struggle, hundreds of thousands of local residents died, many died from hunger and infections - these were the results of Cortez’s conquest of the Aztec country under the flag of Spain.

The defeated country was named New Spain, and Tenochtitlan was renamed Mexico City. E. Cortes began equipping several more expeditions deep into Mexico. Cortez's last campaigns were marked by the discovery of the mountains and coast of the Gulf of California.

King Charles 5th of Spain, as a reward for the conquest of Mexico, promoted Cortes to the rank of chief commander, making him viceroy. Subsequently, he was engaged in restoring order in the occupied lands and spreading Christianity there.

Smart commander and strategist

The conquest of Indian territories and the tribes themselves was carried out so successfully by Cortez due to some accompanying factors:

• among his warriors and the Indians themselves, he became famous as an experienced and skillful commander, he was respected for his courage and cruelty;
• He was greatly helped by the presence of cavalry and firearms;
• in the fight against the Indians, he took advantage of the legend of the god Quetzalcoatl, for whom the Aztec leaders mistook him.

In order to find a passage to the Pacific Ocean, Cortes undertook a campaign in 1524 to the state of Honduras, after which his ill-wishers accused him of abuse of power. In 1526, he went to Spain, was solemnly received by the king and awarded the title of Marquis del Vale de Oaxaca, after which he returned to Mexico City in 1530 as a military commander. Cortez also equipped other expeditions to explore new American lands, during which the California Peninsula was discovered.

One of the rewards was the right to a special coat of arms of Cortez, the wishes for the production of which he would have to express independently. Hernan described his coat of arms as follows: a shield with the double-headed black eagle of Spain - on the left side, with a golden lion on a red field (in memory of strength and resourcefulness in battles), on the right - 3 crowns on a black field (in memory of the conquered leaders of Tenochtitlan), and around are the heads of 7 defeated Indian dignitaries and sovereigns of the provinces of Mexico, tied with a chain in a lock.

Last years

Returning to Spain in 1540, E. Cortes took part in the campaign of Charles the 5th, directed against Muslim pirates from Algeria. Subsequently, he asked the king several times to allow him to return to New Spain, to the lands that conquered his heart, where the best years of Cortez’s life passed, but he received refusals.

He died of dysentery in 1547 near Seville (Spain), embittered and disappointed with life, being in disgrace from power. Buried in Mexico. Judging by his will, left to his son, he began to think about whether it was really necessary to take the conquered Indians into slavery, and expressed some degree of respect for them.

The memory of the people of Spain and the whole world about who Cortes was has been preserved for several centuries. Mexicans often have a negative attitude towards him, as a cruel conqueror, especially from the descendants of the Indians. However, in the capital of Mexico, Mexico, a monument was erected to him, the Indian wife Malinche and their son Martin.