What if Cortez Lost to the Aztecs?

This paragraph details the journey of Hernan Cortez, who abandoned his legal career to pursue conquest in the New World, inspired by tales of Columbus's expedition. Cortez's military successes in Cuba led to his election as mayor of Santiago and later, with wealth, he assembled an armada to explore Mexico. Upon landing, he famously ordered his ships to be burned, symbolizing no return. Facing the advanced Aztec civilization, Cortez employed a divide-and-conquer strategy, capitalized on a smallpox epidemic, and won the largest naval battle on a lake, leading to the fall of the Aztec Empire and the birth of New Spain. The paragraph also contemplates an alternate history where the Aztecs could have withstood Cortez's invasion, altering the course of history.

The second paragraph delves into the psychological warfare that contributed to the Spanish conquest, including the Aztecs' belief in the prophecy of the return of the feathered serpent god, Quetzalcoatl, which coincided with the European arrival. It discusses how the Spanish victories and the use of advanced weaponry, such as cavalry and artillery, painted an image of invincibility, leading to indigenous alliances. The paragraph hypothesizes that if Cortez had failed, the Aztecs might have adapted to the new threats, possibly changing their reliance on obsidian to more advanced materials like steel, leading to a technological leap similar to what Japan experienced in our timeline.

This paragraph explores the potential geopolitical implications had Cortez's expedition failed. It suggests that the Spanish would have been more cautious about sending more troops to the New World, possibly avoiding the Columbian Exchange and the decimation of the native population by Old World diseases. The delay in Spanish colonization could have led to a more gradual and different integration of the Old and New Worlds, with the Aztecs possibly maintaining their territory and influence, and other European powers potentially establishing trade and alliances in the region.

The fourth paragraph examines how a failure in the New World could have impacted Spain and Europe. It discusses the possibility that without the influx of New World wealth, Spain's power might have been diminished, affecting its ability to engage in European conflicts and potentially altering the course of the Protestant Reformation. The paragraph suggests that a less dominant Spain could have led to a more tolerant approach to Protestantism or a more aggressive one, depending on the decisions of Charles I and subsequent monarchs.

The final paragraph imagines an alternate economic and cultural landscape where the Aztecs survive and potentially thrive. It speculates on the existence of a black market for trading with the Aztecs, the involvement of privateers and pirates, and the possibility of other European powers, such as England and France, establishing trade relations with the Aztecs to gain wealth and undermine Spanish influence. The paragraph concludes by pondering the broader implications of these changes on the colonization of the Americas and the potential for a more complex and varied history.