Critical

Spanish Conquest of the Aztec Empire

Spanish and Indigenous allied campaign that toppled the Aztec Empire and opened central Mexico to colonial rule.

Timeline
1519-1521
Duration
3 years
Region
Mesoamerica
Record
Static archive

Historical overview

Overview adapted from a Wikipedia summary and stored locally on May 11, 2026.

The Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire combined Spanish expeditionary forces with Indigenous allies against Mexica power. The fall of Tenochtitlan opened central Mexico to colonial rule.

Theater countries

Mexico

Actors

Spanish expeditionAztec EmpireTlaxcalan and allied Indigenous states

Tags

conquestcolonial-waramericas

Border context

1500-1599historical border era

Early modern conquest and wars of religion

European oceanic conquest, Reformation warfare, Ottoman-Habsburg rivalry and Asian state wars define a more connected conflict map.

Spanish conquests transform the Americas. Religious wars split parts of Europe.

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