The great navigator and conquistador Hernando Cortez was born in 1485 in the Spanish city of Medellin into the family of a poor nobleman. From childhood, the boy was distinguished by outstanding courage. He was a born leader and adventurer.

The boy's father insisted that he enter the University of Salamanca. However, Cortez did not like life behind books and lectures, and two years later he returned home and began to seriously think about a military career.

In 1504, Hernando settled on the island of Haiti, where he acquired an estate. In addition, the young man received the post of secretary in the council of the city of Asau. For six years he was sedentary. But the thirst for adventure haunted him.

In 1511, Diego de Velazquez began the conquest of Cuba, and Hernando happily changed his quiet life as a landowner and official for the perilous life of a conquistador. The young man fought so desperately, with unrivaled courage, that his merits were personally noted by Velazquez, who made Cortez his personal secretary.

At the end of hostilities, Hernando settled in the first Isxan city based in Cuba - Santiago de Barracoa. He said goodbye to his single life, married Catalina Suarez, and took up the housekeeping. Cortees raised sheep, horses and cattle, and with the help of the Indians allocated to him, he mined gold in the mountains and rivers.

Knowing about the extraordinary abilities of Cortez, about the fact that he has excellent organizational skills, Diego de Velazquez appointed him commander-in-chief of the expedition to Central America. With great enthusiasm, Hernando set about equipping the fleet, spending a lot of money on this and pledging all movable and immovable property against loans. When Cortez's personal finances were exhausted, he borrowed money from wealthy townspeople.

It should be noted that a huge number of people hastened to enroll in the team of Hernando Cortez. The thought of the untold riches that are in unknown countries literally feverish the Spaniards. As a result, six ships were equipped and more than 300 people became members of the expedition. But Velazquez was unhappy with the fact that the preparations for sailing had acquired a truly large-scale character, and therefore removed Cortez from command.

Hernando instantly got his bearings in this difficult situation for himself, and at his own peril and risk, at night he gave the order to the crew to raise the sails. On November 18, 1518, the Spanish fleet sailed to a small port 80 kilometers west of Santiago Macaque. More and more people arrived under the banner of Cortez. In the end, about two thousand Spaniards took part in the campaign, the purpose of which was to conquer Mexico.

In 1519, an adventurer expedition reached the mouth of the Rio Tabasco and captured the provincial capital of Tabasco. Outraged by the impudent expansion of the Spaniards, numerous detachments of Indians surrounded the city. Cortez decided to accept the battle, and on March 25, the first battle of the conquistadors with the Redskins took place. The Spaniards won a brilliant victory and set off along the coast to the northwest, where they founded the city of Veracruz near latitude 19 ° south.

Hernando understood perfectly well that it would not be possible to conquer a state in which there are more than two million soldiers with the help of weapons. Anyone would lose heart, but not the great diplomat, adventurer and intriguer, such as Cortez. With promises, bribery, threats, he attracted to his side the leaders of the outlying peoples, who were tired of living under the yoke of the power of the supreme ruler of the Aztecs - Montezuma.

As a result, on November 8, 1519, the Spaniards entered the capital without a fight. ancient state Mexico City, and the leader himself was taken hostage. The leader of the Spaniards easily managed to force Montezuma to hand over some of his commanders, whom he ordered to be immediately burned at the stake. Then he forced the leaders to swear allegiance to the Spanish king and set the amount of tribute that they were to pay in gold.

Most of the treasures of the ruler of the Aztecs, Cortés appropriated to himself. Having learned about the deeds of his former secretary, Diego de Velazquez equipped a punitive expedition, which included 1,500 people, to arrest all participants in the Mexican campaign. Hernando came forward with a small party. By cunning and bribery, he brought discord into the ranks of the arrivals and on May 24, 1520, he won the battle.

But then fate intervened in the fate of Cortez: among the prisoners there was a smallpox patient. The epidemic of a terrible disease quickly spread, killing almost half of the Indian population. The blame for the misfortune that befell their state was blamed on the pale-faced. As a result, the uprising covered almost the entire territory of Mexico. Montezuma was killed, and Cortez left Mexico City on the night of 1 to 2 July with heavy casualties.

In August 1521, after a long siege, the Spaniards nevertheless captured the capital of the Aztecs. The conquistadors suppressed the rebellion and made the Indians their slaves. The countless treasures of the Aztecs were mercilessly plundered, places of worship destroyed, traditional art objects made of gold and precious stones, sawn into pieces and divided.

After the conquest of Mexico City, the conquistadors began to expand the borders of New Spain. They conquered the Panuco Basin, reached the southeast of the Oaxaca Mountains and the Southern Sierra Madre and the coast in the Michoacan and Colima regions. In a few months they managed to discover the southern coastal strip of New Spain with a length of 1000 km.

In the winter of 1523, Pedro Alvarado, one of Cortez's closest friends and a member of the expedition, went to the Tehuantepec Isthmus, devastated the entire area and captured a huge booty. In the southeast, he discovered the mountainous regions of Chiapas and Southern Guatemala. On July 25, a Spaniard founded the city of Guatemala. His troops also surveyed the coastline for an additional 1000 km, passing between the bays of Tehuantepec and Fonseca.

For a long time, Hernando Cortez was haunted by rumors that there were large reserves of the yellow metal in Honduras. And finally, he equipped an expedition led by Cristoval Olid, one of the commander-in-chief's close associates. In search of untold treasures, the detachment went on five ships.

Six months later, rumors reached Mexico City that Olid had seized the country for his personal interests. To clarify the circumstances, Cortes sent a second flotilla there, but she did not reach the place, sank during a severe storm. Those who did manage to escape were captured by Olida. However, those who later escaped, including Francisco Las Casas, conspired and beheaded the traitor. Cortez, not knowing what had happened, gathered people and in October 1524 moved to Honduras by land. Having overcome 500 kilometers of the hardest route, his greatly thinned detachment reached the city of Trujillo (founded by Las Casas) only in the spring of 1526.

Returning to Mexico City after a fairly long time (in June 1526), ​​the conquistador was soon sent home. The king accepted him graciously, awarded him estates, gave him the title of marquis, but established an audience (government) to govern Mexico.

For science, the discoveries of Cortez, made during his campaigns, are truly invaluable. And the conquistador began to engage in research after returning to Mexico. On account of his seven expeditions, which he made on two or three ships. The first, led by Alvaro Saavedra, crossed the Pacific Ocean near the 10th latitude and discovered the northwestern protrusion of New Guinea, as well as the Marshalls, Admiralty and part of the Caroline Islands.

The second expedition, made in 1532 by Diego Hurtado Mendoza, surveyed an area of ​​the Pacific coast, equal to 2,000 kilometers. Both ships of the third (1533-1534) were lost in a storm on the very first night. True, then one of them, under the command of Hernando Grijalva, discovered the Revilla-Jihedo archipelago, and on the other, during a riot, the rebels stumbled upon the southern part of the California Peninsula, considering it an island. Cortez himself in 1535 led the fourth expedition, explored 500 kilometers of the coast of the California Peninsula and discovered the Western Sierra Madre mountains.

The fifth expedition, which took place in the period from 1537 to 1538, explored the same coast to the north for another 500 km. The sixth (1536-1539), headed by Grihalva, first crossed the Pacific Ocean almost along the equator. The seventh expedition (1539-1540) was led by Francisco Ulloa, who completed the discovery of the eastern coast of the Gulf of California, discovering the Colorado River, the entire western coast of the Gulf and the Pacific strip of California to 33rd northern latitude and thereby proving that this is a peninsula.

Upon returning to their homeland in 1540, Cortes and his son Martin received a magnificent reception. The following year, father and son took part in the infamous campaign of Charles V, during which a severe storm sank part of the fleet (the Cortes, however, managed to escape). After spending three years waiting for the king's response to the proposals of Cortés to expand the borders of Spain at the expense of the newly discovered lands and not receiving it, the conquistador decided to return to Mexico.

By the will of circumstances, Cortez reached only Seville, where he fell ill with dysentery and died on December 2, 1547, at the age of 62 (shortly before his death, he settled in the town of Castilleja de la Cuesta).

Initially, his resting place was the family crypt of the Dukes of Medina Sidonia, but after 15 years his remains were transported to Mexico and buried in a Franciscan monastery in Texcoco near the grave of his mother. But this place did not become his last refuge, in 1629 the remains of the Marquis were transported to Mexico City and buried with great pomp in a Franciscan church, later they were subject to several more reburials, but ultimately ended up in the crypt of the Dukes of Terranuova-Monteleone, descendants of the great-granddaughter the great conquistador.

The Spanish fleet was equipped by the governor of Cuba, Diego Velazquez. At the head of the expedition, he put Hernan Cortez, the "prominent hidalgo" of Extremadura, a dandy and a moth. "He had little money, but a lot of debts." He recruited a detachment of 508 men, took with him several cannons and 16 horses; he pinned great hopes on them, since the Mexicans had never seen these "terrible" animals and did not know any livestock at all.

On February 10, 1519, Anton Alaminos took nine ships of Cortes to the "golden country". On the island of Cozumel, where there was a temple revered by the Mayan people, Cortez acted as the apostle of Christianity. By his order, pagan idols were defeated, the temple was turned into a Christian temple. The first battle with the Indians took place on the southern coast of Campeche Bay, in the Tabasco country. Breaking down their resistance, Cortez sent three detachments inland. Faced with a large military force, they retreated with great damage. Cortez sent his entire army against the advancing.

The Indians fought with great courage and were not even afraid of guns. Then Cortez struck from the rear with his small cavalry detachment. "The Indians had never seen horses, and it seemed to them that the horse and the rider were one creature, powerful and merciless." From Tabasco, the flotilla passed to the island of San Juan de Ulua. On April 21, the Spaniards landed on the coast of the mainland and, to provide rear, built the city of Veracruz. Montezuma, the supreme leader of the Aztecs, tried to bribe the Spaniards to abandon the campaign against his capital. But the more he gave the conquistadors of gold and jewelry, the more they strove to take possession of Tenochtitlan. Montezuma acted indecisively: he ordered the leaders subject to him to resist the Spaniards with weapons in their hands, and if they failed, he did not help them, even renounced them. Finally he agreed to let the Spaniards into Tenochtitlan. The Spaniards settled in a huge building. Searching the room, they found a walled-up door. Cortez ordered to open it and found a secret room with a rich treasure of precious stones and gold. But the Spaniards saw that they were locked up and surrounded by enemies in a huge city, and decided to take Montezuma himself as a hostage. Montezuma, on the other hand, was temporarily imprisoned in chains. From that time on, Cortez began to arbitrarily dispose of the whole country on his behalf. He forced the leaders of the Aztecs to swear allegiance to the Spanish king, and then demanded that they, as vassals, pay tribute in gold. Dissensions began among the conquerors over the division of the loot. At this time, almost all of Mexico revolted (1520). In five days, about 900 Spaniards and 1300 of their Indian allies were killed, drowned, killed and taken prisoner, and then sacrificed.

The Spaniards were rescued by the Tlaxcalians, who were afraid of the Aztecs' revenge. They gave the conquerors the opportunity to recover from the defeat, they allocated several thousand soldiers to help them. Relying on them, Cortez made punitive expeditions against the Indians.

Having replenished the detachment with people and equipment, Cortes with 10 thousand friendly Indians in 1521 began a new systematic offensive against Tenochtitlan. He ordered the construction of large flat-bottomed ships in order to take possession of the lake, surround and starve out the capital of the Aztecs. He forbade the surrounding tribes to send part of the harvest in the form of tribute and provided them with assistance when the Aztec troops came for tribute. He allowed the Tlaxcalis to plunder the Aztec villages. Mexico was conquered. The victors seized all the treasures collected by the Aztecs in the cities and forced indigenous population work in the newly organized Spanish estates. Some were enslaved, but the rest of the enslaved Indians actually became slaves. Hundreds of thousands killed or died from exhaustion, and infectious diseases brought in by the conquistadors - this is the terrible result of the Spanish conquest of the country.

After the fall of Mexico City, Cortez sent troops in all directions to expand the borders of New Spain, and he himself conquered the indigenous region of the Aztecs - the Panuco River basin. Upon his return to Mexico, Cortez proceeded to research activities by equipping seven expeditions. Cortez, who led the fourth (1535 - 1536), discovered the Western Sierra Madre mountains and 500 km of the mainland coast of the Gulf of California. The fifth (1537 - 1538) traced this coast to the north for another 500 km. The sixth (1536-1539), under the command of Grihalva, performed the first crossing almost along the equator. The seventh leader (1539 - 1540) Francisco Oulda completed the discovery of the eastern seacoast of the Gulf of California.

Hernan Cortez is the Spanish conqueror of Mexico.

Biography of Cortez

Hernan Cortez was born in 1485 in the Kingdom of Castile (now part of Spain), in the city of Medellin. He came from a fairly well-known, but not rich family of nobles.

The parents wanted their only son to become a lawyer and sent the boy to study law at the University of Salamanca when he was fourteen. However, he himself was not enthusiastic about this prospect and dropped out when he was sixteen years old.

The news of the amazing discoveries Christopher Columbus made in the New World captivated his imagination. Hernan dreamed of travel, fame and wealth.

Cortez's Travels

Cortez sailed to New World in 1504. First, he arrived on the island of Hispaniola, in the city of Santo Domingo. Using his knowledge of jurisprudence, he found a job as a notary and over the next five years earned himself an excellent reputation.

In 1511, Cortez joined Diego Velazquez's expedition to Cuba. The journey was a success: Velazquez became the governor of Cuba, and Cortez, who showed himself well, became the mayor of Santiago.

Conquest of Mexico

In 1518, Cortez led an expedition to explore the mainland of Mexico. It was just the adventure he had dreamed of for years. Literally at the last minute before sailing, Velazquez, with whom relations were getting worse, forbade Cortez to go. But he ignored the direct order.

Cortez the conqueror photo

Cortez and his men landed on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico in April 1519. The ambitious Spaniard demanded a meeting with the Aztec emperor Montezuma II. However, he was refused. Then Cortez decided to get to the capital of Tenochtitlan on his own and, having assembled his team, went to the very heart of the Aztec empire. His army consisted of 500 infantrymen, 100 sailors and 200 slaves.

On the way, he found out that some of the tribes inhabiting these lands did not really like their ruler, and made an alliance with them. However, not everyone was happy with the newcomers. In the city of Cholula, a major religious center of the Aztec empire, Cortés learned that they were planning to kill him in his sleep. For this, he executed three thousand local nobles, priests and soldiers. Part of the second largest city of the Aztecs, the city burned down.

When Hernán Cortez arrived in Tenochtitlan on November 8, 1519, he was greeted by the Aztec Emperor Montezuma II. Although he did not trust Cortez, he gave him and his people rich gifts. But they did not satisfy the Spaniards' greed. Cortez took Montezuma hostage in his own city. After a while, the city rebelled against the invaders, the emperor was killed, and Cortez had to temporarily flee the city.

Hernan Cortez taking Mexico photo

This event, which took place on June 30, 1520, went down in history as the "night of sorrow." But soon Cortez returned to Tenochtitlan with a large army, besieged and conquered the capital of the Aztec empire. After the conquest of the Aztecs, Cortez renamed Tenochtitlan Mexico City. This city became the capital of New Spain, and Cortez became its governor.

Thanks to the efforts of ill-wishers, after a while Cortez fell out of favor with the King of Spain and was removed from power. He was forced to return to his homeland to justify himself. Cortez was awarded by the emperor and returned to New Spain in 1530 to continue his power struggle.

But he never became governor again, and his research and military achievements were no longer thundered all over the world. On December 2, 1547, while in Spain, Cortez died of pleurisy. His body was transferred to Mexico several years later.

Hernan Cortez is the second cousin of Francisco Pizarro, who conquered the Inca empire in Peru.

• In his will, Cortez donated large sums of money to the missionary school and convent in Coyoacan.
• After revealing intrigues against Velasquez, in which he participated, Velasquez forced him to marry his sister-in-law. Cortez did not want to, because at that time he lived with an Indian concubine who gave birth to his daughter.
• In addition, Cortés had a son from the translator Malinche (dona Marina) and from the Aztec princesses, including the daughter of Montezuma. All of them were recognized as his rightful heirs.

Early biography

Expedition to Mexico

Map of the campaign 1519-1521

The idea of ​​conquering Mexico belonged to Velazquez, he was also the main sponsor of the campaign. In 1518, Cortes was appointed commander, but after another quarrel, the governor of Cuba canceled this order. Cortes, nevertheless, possessing great eloquence, hired a crew and soldiers, and sailed from Santiago de Cuba on November 18, 1518.The expedition was poorly supplied with food, so the conquistadors left Cuba on February 10, 1519.The expedition had 11 ships (one of them commanded Lieutenant Alvarado, deputy of Cortez).

Cortez's army consisted of 518 infantrymen, 16 horsemen (several of whom shared one horse, like Alvarado), 13 arquebusiers, 32 crossbowmen, 110 sailors and 200 slaves - Cuban Indians and Negroes, as servants and porters. The equipment included 32 horses, 10 cannons and 4 falconets. Among the officers of Cortez's detachment, the future conquerors of Central America stood out: Alonso Hernandez Portocarero (he originally went to Malinche), Alonso Davila, Francisco de Montejo, Francisco de Salcedo, Juan Velázquez de Leon (relative of the Cuban governor), Cristobal de Olid, Gonzalo de Sandro de Alvarado. Many of them were experienced soldiers who fought in Italy and the Antilles.

The main helmsman was Anton de Alaminos (a member of the third expedition of Columbus and the expedition of Ponce de Leon, Francisco de Cordoba and Juan de Grijalva).

The expedition set off on a well-known route to the coast of Yucatan. The first contact with the high civilization of America took place on about. Cozumel, where at that time was the Mayan principality of Ekab, the center of worship of the goddess of fertility Ish-Chel. The Spaniards tried to destroy the sanctuary, horrified by the rite of sacrifice. At first, an Indian youth-slave served as a translator, from whom information was received about Jeronimo de Aguillara, a Spanish priest who was captured by the Maya, and who studied their language. He became the chief translator of the expedition. In March 1519, Cortes formally annexed Yucatan to the Spanish possessions (in fact, this happened only in 1535). Further, the expedition went along the coast, on March 14, the mouth of the Tabasco River was reached. The Spaniards attacked the Indian settlement, but did not find gold. In Tabasco, on March 19, Cortes received gifts from local rulers: a lot of gold, and 20 women, among whom was Malinche, who became the official translator and concubine of Cortes. She was immediately baptized, the Spaniards called her "dona Marina".

In Tabasco, the Spaniards learned about the great country Meshico, lying further to the west, inland, so the name "Mexico" appeared. In July 1519, the Cortez expedition landed on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, the port of Veracruz was founded, 70 km north of the modern city. By this act, Cortez transferred himself into direct subordination to the king. In order not to provoke a riot, Cortez ordered the burning of the ships. Leaving the garrison, Cortez moved inland. His first allies were the Totonac people, in whose capital, Sempoalu, Cortes entered. At a meeting of 30 leaders of the people, war was declared against the Aztecs. Most of Cortez's army was now the allied Totonac tribes. An agreement was concluded with the Totonacs, according to the terms of which, after the conquest of Mexico, the Totonacs received independence. This agreement was never followed.

On August 16, 1519, the Spaniards set out for Tenochtitlan. Cortez had 500 infantrymen, 16 horsemen and about 13 thousand Totonac warriors. The conquistadors found a strong ally in Tlaxcale, an independent mountainous principality waging a war with the Aztec Confederation. As a sign of union, the leader of Tlaxcala gave Cortes his daughter Shikotencatl, whom the conqueror donated to Alvarado. Under the name of Luis de Tlaxcala, she accompanied Alvarado on all campaigns. Cortez's army was replenished with approximately 3,000 Tlaxcalans.

The Cholula Massacre. Indian image

In October 1519, Cortez's army reached Cholula, the second largest city-state in Central Mexico and the sacred center of the indigenous religion. For unclear reasons, Cortez staged a massacre of the local population in the city, and partially burned the city. Later, in his letters, Cortez explained this act as retribution for a possible trap set by the Indians.

On their way to the capital of the Aztecs, the Spaniards discovered the Popocatepetl volcano (Nahuatl "The Hill that Smokes"). Officer of Cortez - Diego de Ordaz decided to conquer the top of the volcano with two squires. Later, King Charles V allowed the inclusion of the image of the volcano in the coat of arms of Ordas.

In January 1521, the siege of Tenochtitlan began, cut off from food supplies and sources fresh water... At the same time, the allied Aztecs were subordinated to the city-states of the Valley of Mexico. During this period, Cortez uncovered the plot of Villafana, who was forced to hang himself. In August 1521, the storming of the city began. On August 13, after the capture of the last Tlatoani - Cuautemoca, the Aztec state fell. Until 1524, Cortez ruled Mexico solely.

Ruler of mexico

In the letters of Cortez and the biography written from his words by Gomara, there are numerous complaints about the injustice of the king and the entourage, which allegedly underestimated Cortez. In fact, Cortez during this period desired sole power, and severely spoiled relations with his companions.

In 1524, Cortes was awarded the rank of captain-general of the newly formed colony New Spain of the Sea-Ocean. Along with the decree, four royal officials (Royal Audience) arrived, called upon to arrange the administrative system and limit the ambitions of Cortez. During this period, Cortes supervised extensive construction: on the ruins of Tenochtitlan was built new town Mexico City, which became the main center of Spanish possessions in the New World. There was a lot of church construction: according to rumors transmitted by Gomara, Cortes vowed to build 365 temples on the ruins of the pagan pyramids so that they could be used all year round. Cortez began to send his officers to the conquest of other peoples and states of Central America: for example, Alvarado was sent by him to Guatemala. Cortez started the production of cane sugar in Mexico and began to import African blacks to work on plantations.

In 1523, the king sent Juan de Garay to conquer northern Mexico without informing Cortez of this. As a result of a fierce struggle with Velazquez, Garay and Bishop Fonseca, Cortez won, but decided to leave Mexico City, going on an expedition to conquer Honduras (1524-1526). There also took place a war with Cristobal de Olid, who was sent by the Cuban governor Velazquez to conquer this country. Due to the constant danger of war and conspiracies that arise in the environment of his inner circle, Cortez showed increasing cruelty. He ordered in 1525 to torture and execute Cuautemoc, the last ruler of the Aztecs, and also intended to make a trip to Cuba and deal with Velazquez (he died in 1524). Such ill-considered decisions prompted King Charles V to remove Cortez from office.

The king at that time was in Germany, busy with the war between Protestants and Catholics. Spain was ruled by Archbishop Adrian. It was to him that Juan Ponce de Leon II (the son of the discoverer of Florida) turned to him, denouncing the crimes of Cortez, and calling for his execution. The opposition grew, in 1527 Cortes was forced to leave the post of governor, and in 1528 he went to Spain to report on his activities.

California map of the 17th century. The territory is depicted as an island

Visit to Spain and return to Mexico

Cortes in 1528 appeared before the king's court and brilliantly justified himself. The main arguments of his opponents were based on the fact that he sent much less gold and silver from Mexico than was required when paying the royal five. The king honored Cortés with an audience and granted him membership in the knightly order of Santiago de Compostela. In 1529 Cortes and his descendants were granted the title of Marquis of Oaxaca, which existed until 1811. Cortes was granted the right to keep 23,000 vassals in Oaxaca, but he was not reinstated in the governor's office, and was not given any other in exchange.

In the absence of Cortés, a serious political crisis occurred in Mexico: the members of the Audiencia shared power, and the commander-in-chief, Nuño de Guzman, ravaged the Indians. In 1528, an Indian delegation arrived in Spain with complaints about the colonists, and Cortez sided with them! In 1530, Cortez was appointed military governor of Mexico, he had to share power with Don Antonio de Mendoza, who was appointed civil governor. Soon, Cortez was again brought to trial, charged with conspiracy to seize power and murder his first wife. The materials of the court were classified and have not been preserved, so it is not known what verdict was passed. Until 1541, Cortes lived on his estate in Cuernavaca (48 km south of Mexico City). In 1536 he embarked on an expedition to California, hoping to increase the possession of the Spanish crown, and also to find a passage from Atlantic Ocean to Quiet (which he never found in Honduras). This campaign, despite the high costs, did not bring him wealth and power.

Sources and Literature

Primary sources

• Cortez, Hernan, "Letters (excerpts)"
• Hernán Cortés, Letters- available as Letters from Mexico translated by Anthony Pagden (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1986.) ISBN 0300090943
• Francisco López de Gómara, Hispania Victrix; First and Second Parts of the General History of the Indies, with the whole discovery and notable things that have happened since they were acquired until the year 1551, with the conquest of Mexico and New Spain Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1966.
• Bernal Díaz del Castillo, The Conquest of New Spain- available as The Discovery and Conquest of Mexico: 1517-1521 ISBN 030681319X
• The Broken Spears: The Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico. - Expanded and updated edition. - Boston: Beacon Press, 1992 .-- ISBN ISBN 0-807-05501-8
• History of the Conquest of Mexico, with a Preliminary View of Ancient Mexican Civilization, and the Life of the Conqueror, Hernando Cortes By William H. Prescott
• Last Will and Testament of Hernán Cortés

Secondary sources

• Conquest: Cortés, Montezuma, and the Fall of Old Mexico by Hugh Thomas (1993) ISBN 0671511041
• Cortés and the Downfall of the Aztec Empire by Jon Manchip White (1971) ISBN 0786702710
• History of the Conquest of Mexico. by William H. Prescott ISBN 0375758038
• The rain god cries over mexico by László Passuth
• Seven Myths of the Spanish Conquest by Matthew Restall, Oxford University Press (2003) ISBN 0195160770
• The conquest of america by Tzvetan Todorov (1996) ISBN 0061320951
• Hernando Cortés by Fisher, M. & Richardson K.
• Hernando Cortés Crossroads Resource Online.
• Hernando Cortés by Jacobs, W.J., New York, N.Y.: Franklin Watts, Inc. 1974.
• The World's Greatest Explorers: Hernando Cortés... Chicago, by Stein, R.C., Illinois: Chicago Press Inc. 1991.
• Myth and Reality: The Legacy of Spain in America by Jesus J. Chao. Culture / Society Opinion. February 12, 1992. The Institute of Hispanic Culture of Houston
• LeonPortilla, Miguel, ed., The Broken Spears: The Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico... Boston: Beacon Press, 1962.

In Spanish

• La Ruta de Hernán... Fernando Benítez ().
• Hernán Cortés. Inventor de México... Juan Miralles Ostos ().
• Hernán Cortés... Salvador de Madariaga.
• Hernán Cortés... José Luis Martínez. Edición del Fondo de Cultura Económica y UNAM. (1990)
• Cortés... Christian Duverger ().
• Hernán Cortés: el conquistador de lo imposible... Bartolomé Bennassar ().
• El dios de la lluvia llora sobre México... László Passuth. () ISBN 84-217-1968-8
• Pasajes de la historia II: tiempo de héroes... Juan Antonio Cebrián () (Su vida se encuentra en el pasaje nº7, Hernán Cortés, símbolo de una conquista, páginas de 181 a 211).
• Compostela de Indias, su origen y fundación... Salvador Gutiérrez Contreras (1949).
• Hernán Cortés. Mentalidad y propósitos... Demetrio Ramos. ISBN 84-321-2787-6
• Hernán Cortés. crónica de un imposible... José Luís Olaizola ().

Links

• Cortez's letter to Emperor Charles V, written at Segura de la Frontera on October 30, 1520
• Persons in the history of Ancient Mesoamerica (including E. Cortes)
• Zenon Kosidovsky"How Cortez Conquered the Aztec Country"

Participation in wars: Military expedition to Mexico. Hike to Honduras. Algerian expedition.
Participation in battles: Capture of Tenochtitlan. Battle of Otumba

(Hernán Cortés) Conqueror of Mexico

Cortes came from a poor noble family in the city of Medollina. He studied law in Salamanca and achieved an education rare among the then conquistadors.

In 1504 he went to the West Indies, where he became secretary to the governor of Cuba Velazquez.

When his boss, who twice tried to settle in Mexico, equipped a new expedition there, Cortez was put at the head of it and began preparations with such zeal that Velazquez, out of suspicion, took his assignment back. However, Cortez did not obey and on February 18, 1519, left Havana with eleven small ships. On board the ships were about six hundred and seventy people - Spanish soldiers and Indians. In addition, Cortés had fourteen field guns at his disposal.

Cortes rounded the eastern end of the Yucatan, sailed along the northern coast, entered the mouth of the Tabasco River and took the city of the same name located there.

After that, the Indians announced their readiness to submit to the Spanish king, paid tribute and brought twenty slaves. One of them, Marina, became the mistress and faithful companion of the conqueror, rendering him significant services as a translator.

Cortes continued his expedition in the northwest direction and on April 21, 1519 landed on the site of the city of Veracruz, which he later founded. The natives greeted him cordially. Montezuma, the ruler of Mexico, sent him rich gifts with which he wanted to get him removed, but it was this wealth that prompted Cortez to stay.

In the future, Cortes took advantage of the enmity between the Mexican vassal state of Tlaxcala and the dominant tribe of the Aztecs.

Having destroyed and burned their ships, Cortes set out on a campaign on August 16, 1519. The five hundred soldiers available to Cortez were joined by another four hundred soldiers. Katsika Sempoagli.

The inhabitants of Tlaxcala at first fiercely attacked the Spaniards, but were driven back, and about six hundred of them joined the army of Cortez. When the inhabitants of Cholulu drew up a plan for a treasonous attack on Cortez's detachment, he arranged a bloody execution of them, and this made such an impression that all the cities on the way to Mexico City surrendered to him without resistance.

Montezuma received Cortez on November 8, 1519, in front of the gates of his capital and ordered to provide the Spaniards with a palace, which Cortez immediately fortified with his cannons.

Soon one of the generals of Montezuma, on his orders, attacked a Spanish coastal settlement. Then Cortez took over Montezuma and kept him in custody in a Spanish camp. The captive ruler, whom Cortez treated cruelly and humiliatingly, formally continued to rule, but in fact Cortez became the ruler. Finally, he brought the unfortunate monarch to such an extent that he agreed to recognize the supreme power of Spain and pay an annual tribute. The Spaniards captured huge booty in Mexico.

Meanwhile Velazquez, having learned about the successes of his former secretary, sent eighteen ships and a detachment of eight hundred people under the command of Panfilo Narvaes and for the capture of Cortez with his officers and the final conquest of New Spain.

Upon learning of this, Cortez, leaving part of his detachment in Mexico City, spoke with the rest on May 29, 1520 against Narvaesa... Having defeated his detachment, he took most of him prisoner, and they entered his service.

During his absence, a rebellion broke out in Mexico City, and Cortez immediately moved there. Here he is, one
however, he was besieged by the Mexicans and was forced to kill Montezuma and leave the city on the night of July 1 to 2, 1520. The retreat cost Cortés too high a price: he lost more than half of the Spaniards, all his guns and guns, horses and carts and all the treasures.

However, Cortez's misfortunes did not end there. On the way, the remnants of his detachment stumbled upon a Mexican army. Cortez himself was wounded in the battle. The situation was saved only knight salamanca, who, having rushed to the center of the enemies, took possession of their state banner, which played a significant role in the defeat of the Mexicans.

On July 8, Cortez's detachment arrived in Tlaxcala, where there were already new Spanish detachments, once again sent against him by Velazquez and the governor of Jamaica. But, like the first time, they became part of the army of Cortez.

By the end of December, Cortez had already prepared for a new campaign and on December 28 again set out for Mexico City. After the murder Montezuma the Mexican throne was taken by his nephew Cuautemok, a young man with outstanding talents.

Occupying the second largest city of Mexico Tescuno, Cortez made it, due to its convenient location, his main base, and while brigantines were being built on a nearby lake, he began to conquer other cities in Mexico. During this time, from Haiti, he received reinforcements of two hundred people, and many Indians also came to him.

April 28, 1521 Cortez led from several directions storming of Mexico City... However, the first attack was repulsed. Forty Spaniards were captured by the Mexicans and sacrificed by a local deity.

Only after the destruction of three quarters of the city by artillery, the three detachments of the Spaniards on July 27, 1521 united in the main square of the city. Cuautemok was taken prisoner, and the rest of the city surrendered in the middle.

By presenting Kuautemoku and the Katsiks of the cities of Tescuko and Takuba, charged with conspiracy, Cortes ordered to torture and hang them.

Despite all the intrigues of the party Velazquez at royal court Cortez was approved Charles V in the rank of chief commander and governor of New Spain... He restored peace and order in the state and began to actively spread Christianity.

In 1524 he undertook hike to Honduras in search of a way to the Great Ocean.

Meanwhile, accusations of Cortés' abuse of power and a desire for independence continued. To justify himself, Cortez went to Spain in 1526, where he was received Charles V with the greatest honor and awarded the title Marquis Valle de Oaxaca.

In 1530, Cortes returned to Mexico City, endowed, however, with only the highest military power, since the king did not want to justify his willfulness. Soon arrived in Mexico as Viceroy Antonio de Mendoza, which Cortez regarded as a great insult to himself.

In 1536, Cortez discovered California and returned to Spain four years later.

In 1541 he took part in Algerian expedition, but soon found himself in disgrace again and died. Cortez's remains were buried in Mexico, but disappeared in 1823.