: Alejandro Toulet
: The Conquest of the Aztec Empire A Chronicle of the Collision of Two Worlds (long non-ilustrated version)
: BookBaby
: 9781617928505
: 1
: CHF 2.30
:
: Geschichte
: English
: 114
: DRM
: PC/MAC/eReader/Tablet
: ePUB
How did 500 Spaniards, led by Hernan Cortes, manage to travel thousands of miles to an unknown land, and then conquer the most powerful empire of the Americas? How were these foreigners able to defeat an army of hundreds of thousands of warriors who were defending their home and way of life? Cortes studied law, came to the New World in search of fortune, became a womanizer, and was selected to lead the third Spanish expedition into Mexico. At this same time, Emperor Moctezuma II had become the most powerful, revered and feared ruler of his time. Living a lavish and excessive lifestyle; he was considered to be more than a man, but rather a living god. How was it that their lives became so intertwined that this meeting forever changed the history of the world? How did their beliefs, fears, convictions, errors and heroic feats forge the birth of a new country, and culture? 'The Conquest of the Aztec Empire; A Chronicle of the Collision of Two Worlds' explains the incentives that prompted Cortes, as an outlaw, to illegally flee Cuba to Mexico. It goes through the mystical beliefs that guided the decisions of both Cortes and of Moctezuma, the way they communicated, became friends, learned from each other, and finally turned on each other. It will discuss how Cortes was able to conquer the Aztecs even after he had fled Mexico City and lost the vast majority of his troops. It further explains the amazing deeds upon which Cortes embarked after the conquest: his continual exploration of the new continent, his trial of residence, his continued attempts to gain the favor of Charles V, his eventual lonely death and bequest. 'The Conquest of the Aztec Empire; A Chronicle of the Collision of Two Worlds' brings history to life, and makes the names we've all heard human if not heroic.

Chapter I.  The Construction of Spain

The Crown of Castile.  Controversy between two heiresses

To understand the conquest of Mexico, it is necessary to understand the historical context in which Spain existed at that time.  The Iberian Peninsula in the fifteenth century was a very difficult setting.  It was rife with civil wars between the supporters of two heiresses to the throne of Castile, and in addition there was persecution toward the Moors, Jews, Marranos and Moriscos throughout the territory. The Moors were all those who followed the religion of Islam in Spain.  Those who were at one time followers of Islam, but had later adopted and been baptized in the Catholic faith were called Moriscos.  Jews who had converted to Catholicism were called Marranos in order to identify and differentiate them from Jews.

The Catholic Kings of Spain were in search primarily of territory and the formation and consolidation of a single kingdom.  In the fifteenth century, the Iberian Peninsula was divided into three large Christian sections and one Muslim section.  The Christian regions were Portugal to the west, Castile in the center, and Aragon to the east. Granada which lies in the south of the peninsula was under Moorish control. Moorish control and occupation had existed in the Iberian Peninsula ever since the eighth century. The Christian Monarchies began a reconquest of the Spanish territory as of the eleventh century.  It is not until the thirteenth century that Christians begin to win over lands held by the Moors who find themselves forced to abandon their holdings in the three northern kingdoms as they are persecuted by the Christians. They eventually are relegated to the south, to the kingdom of Granada.

The kingdom of Castile had been under the reign of King Henry IV (known as the Impotent) since 1454.  Historically, King Henry IV is of vital importance to the ascension of Queen Isabel to the throne of Castile. King Henry was the only child born of the union between King Juan II of Castile and Maria of Aragon. At the death of King Juan II, King Henry IV ascended to the throne at the age of thirty. When he became king, Henry IV was married to Blanca of Navarre; however this marriage had not resulted in any offspring that would continue the ruling line of King Henry IV. The lack of offspring worried the king’s counselors and advisors who were concerned by the uncertainty of an heir to the throne. The advisors, motivated by the need of such a birth, advised the king to marry a woman who could give him a child, thus assuring an heir to the throne. The woman chosen for this marriage was Juana of Portugal, the sister of King Alfonso V. 

In spite of this, Juana of Portugal gave birth in 1462 to a baby girl who was named Juana like her mother, but whose nickname would be“Beltraneja”. This nickname was given to her due to the fact that it was a well known secret among the nobles of Castile that the biological father of the child was Beltrán de la Cueva, an intimate friend of King Henry IV.  Due to the rumors and comments about the birth of an illegitimate child to the wife of the king, Henry IV decided to recognize Juana as the true heir to the throne of Castile.  The derision and lack of acceptance of the recognition of the illegitimate child as the heir apparent to the throne caused a revolt on July 5, 1465.  During this altercation, a portion of the nobility of Castile burned King Henry IV in effigy, and placed Alfonso (his half brother) on the throne. Alfonso was the offspring of the second marriage of King Juan II and Isabel of Portugal, who also had a daughter Isabel in 1451, two years prior to the birth of Alfonso.{1}

Forced under pressure by the nobility to name a new heir to throne who was of royal blood, Henry IV chose Alfonso as his successor and completely disregarded Juana the“Beltaneja”.  Alfonso was a sickly young man, and died at the age of 15 on July 5, 1468 in Cardeñosa.  He never had the opportunity to sit on the throne. Before Henry IV had the opportunity to again name“Beltaneja” as the heir to the throne, the supporters of Isabel, (sister of Alfonso and half sister of Henry IV) convinced him that he should recognize her as