George Smith's Arguments Against The Aztecs

Smith's argument is that the Cortez were able to defeat the Aztecs not because of the Spanish's superior technology or the Aztecs' belief that the Spanish were gods, but because of the Aztecs' existing tension with their neighbors due to their imperialism as well as the genocidal actions that the Spanish deployed to control the Aztecs. In the first few sections of the essay, Smith disproved the traditional idea that religion played a big role in the Aztec's conquest. He stated that there were many records of omens that the Aztecs received that supposedly prophesied their downfall. However, he then argues that there is a very distinct possibility that these omens and prophesies are simply propaganda from the Spanish. Many of the "omens", such …show more content…
I do agree that the alliance the Spanish made because of Aztec imperialism is crucial to their success. It makes sense that much of the history at that time were changed by the Spanish in for their benefit. By portraying Montezuma as helpless and the Spanish as "chosen by the gods", they could convince the local that they had the right to rule. However, I do not believe that the Spanish's cruel action is what allowed them to stay in control. Smith stated that by doing random slaughters, the Spanish can gain more allies and support because those who fear them would join them in order to stay on their good side. This argument seemed a little problematic. If the locals knew that the Spanish were heartless murderers, why would they decide join them and allow them to become even more powerful? It would be more logical of the native tribes ally themselves together and eliminate the Spanish instead. Overall, I find Smith's debunking of traditional explanations convincing but the part about genocides leading to control harder to believe. Even if that is a factor, there's got to be something else that kept the locals from