When CortĂ©s entered Tenochtitlan in November 1519, he took Moctezuma II hostage. In June 1520, while CortĂ©s was away dealing with a rival Spanish force, Aztec warriors rose against the Spanish garrison. Moctezuma was killed — whether by the Spanish or his own people is disputed. The Spanish fled the city in chaos on the night of 30 June–1 July 1520, a retreat the Spanish called La Noche Triste ("The Night of Sorrows"). Hundreds of Spanish soldiers drowned in the causeways, weighed down by stolen gold.
The new emperor, Cuauhtémoc, led the Aztec resistance. But by the time Cortés returned for the final siege in May 1521, smallpox had already devastated Tenochtitlan. The epidemic, which struck in late 1520, killed the previous emperor Cuitlåhuac (who had reigned for just 80 days) and may have killed 40% of the city's population.
The Siege of Tenochtitlan lasted approximately 75–80 days. CortĂ©s built 13 brigantines (flat-bottomed warships) and transported them overland to Lake Texcoco, cutting off water and food supplies to the island city. Fighting was intense and brutal. CuauhtĂ©moc finally surrendered on 13 August 1521. He was later tortured and executed on CortĂ©s's order in 1525.
The fall of Tenochtitlan was followed by the rapid conquest of most of central Mexico by 1522 and the formal establishment of New Spain with Cortés as its first governor.
This deep dive covers 🔥 La Noche Triste and the Siege of Tenochtitlan within Aztecs and the Spanish Conquest, 1519-1535 for GCSE History. Revise Aztecs and the Spanish Conquest, 1519-1535 in Component Group 5 â World Depth Studies for GCSE History with 14 exam-style questions and 17 flashcards. This topic appears less often, but it can still be a useful differentiator on mixed-topic papers. It is section 4 of 14 in this topic. Use this deep dive to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Practice questions for Aztecs and the Spanish Conquest, 1519-1535
Describe two features of the Aztec Empire in 1519.
Describe two features of Hernån Cortés's expedition to Mexico in 1519.