Which factor significantly aided Cortés in defeating the Aztecs?

Which factor significantly aided Cortés in defeating the Aztecs?

• A. Smallpox
• B. Superior naval power
• C. A mistaken belief in omens
• D. An alliance with the Inca

Answer: (A)

The big factor here is the impact of European disease on the Aztec people. Smallpox swept through Tenochtitlan and surrounding regions after the Spaniards arrived, killing a large portion of the population, including many warriors and leaders. This decimated the Aztecs’ ability to mount resistance, disrupted political leadership, and weakened the tribute and labor systems that sustained the empire. With so many unable to fight or mobilize effectively, Cortés could press advance, capitalize on fragmented defences, and gain crucial support from nearby Indigenous groups who preferred Spanish rivals over a weakened Aztec state. The other options don’t fit as the decisive multiplier of Cortés’s victory. Naval power mattered little in an inland empire; omens shaped Aztec expectations but did not physically empower Cortés to conquer; and there was no alliance with the Inca to aid him.

The big factor here is the impact of European disease on the Aztec people. Smallpox swept through Tenochtitlan and surrounding regions after the Spaniards arrived, killing a large portion of the population, including many warriors and leaders. This decimated the Aztecs’ ability to mount resistance, disrupted political leadership, and weakened the tribute and labor systems that sustained the empire. With so many unable to fight or mobilize effectively, Cortés could press advance, capitalize on fragmented defences, and gain crucial support from nearby Indigenous groups who preferred Spanish rivals over a weakened Aztec state.

The other options don’t fit as the decisive multiplier of Cortés’s victory. Naval power mattered little in an inland empire; omens shaped Aztec expectations but did not physically empower Cortés to conquer; and there was no alliance with the Inca to aid him.