The Aztecs lost the war with the Spanish due to a combination of factors, including technological imbalance, the Spanish's superior weapons and armor, the arrival of diseases like smallpox, and the eventual alliance of many indigenous groups with the Spanish. The Spanish had metal armor, crossbows, and cannons, which gave them a significant military advantage. Additionally, the long history of sedentary life and farming in Europe contributed to more advanced technological developments.
The Aztecs built their empire through their strategic location on an island in the Great Lake, which allowed them to control trade and collect tribute from surrounding city-states. They also used polygamy to their advantage, preventing internal conflicts by carefully managing the succession of power and ensuring multiple lines were invested in the ruling dynasty. They were also skilled fighters, with a well-organized system of military training for young men.
The Aztecs practiced human sacrifice for both religious and political reasons. According to their priests, sacrifices were necessary to appease the gods and ensure the sun would rise. However, scholars also argue that it was a form of terror tactic to intimidate and control conquered peoples, as well as to prevent rebellion. The practice became more brutal and frequent in the decades leading up to the Spanish conquest.
Aztec boys around the age of 12 or 13 were sent to boarding schools where they were trained in warfare. They learned how to use weapons like bows and arrows, spears, and clubs embedded with obsidian. They were gradually introduced to combat, starting with less intense tasks like taking captives and working their way up to full warrior status. Those who failed to meet the military requirements might become water carriers or priests.
In Aztec society, women were not typically involved in direct combat, but they were seen as equally brave and important as men. Childbirth was considered a form of warfare, and women who died in childbirth were honored similarly to warriors who died in battle. There are some accounts of women fighting in desperate moments, but their role in warfare was not as prominent as that of men.
Camilla Townsend felt the need to retell the Aztecs' story to provide a more authentic and nuanced perspective based on indigenous sources. She wanted to present the Aztecs' story as they told it in their own language, without the European frame of reference that often shaped earlier accounts. This approach revealed a more complex and human portrayal of the Aztecs, which resonated with readers.
In another special episode looking back at history, Venetia Rainey talks with the author of ‘Fifth Sun: A New History of the Aztecs’, a book that came highly recommended by David Knowles. It’s a new look at how the Aztecs dealt with internal conflict, how they lost the war with the Spanish, and how history has misremembered them.
'Fifth Sun: A New History of the Aztecs’, by Camilla Townsend, is available here:
https://global.oup.com/ukhe/product/fifth-sun-9780197577660 ) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy) for more information.