Conquistador's Broken Sword Victory

A Conquistador's Deadly Feat

On November 16, 1519, Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés and his men clashed with Aztec warriors in the city of Cholula, Mexico. Cortés's lieutenant, Francisco Pizarro, found himself in a desperate situation, fighting off multiple attackers with a broken sword. This incident would become a pivotal moment in the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire.

What Everyone Knows

Most people think that the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire was a straightforward affair, with the technologically superior Europeans overwhelming the native population. The standard story goes that the Spanish conquistadors were better armed and trained, and that their superiority in battle was never in doubt. However, this narrative overlooks the countless individual acts of bravery and cunning that decided the outcome of battles and, ultimately, the fate of empires.

What History Actually Shows

Historian Matthew Restall argues in his book "When Montezuma Met Cortés" that the Spanish conquest was a complex and multifaceted process, with many turning points and unexpected events. On November 16, 1519, Francisco Pizarro, a seasoned soldier, was part of the Spanish force that entered Cholula, a city allied with the Aztecs. According to the account of Bernal Díaz del Castillo, a Spanish soldier who fought alongside Pizarro, the Aztecs ambushed the Spanish, and Pizarro found himself surrounded by multiple attackers. Pizarro killed 20 Aztec warriors with a broken sword, a feat that would have been impossible without his extensive combat experience and training. As historian John Elliott notes in his book "The Old World and the New", Pizarro's actions on that day were instrumental in securing a Spanish victory, and by 1521, the Spanish had conquered the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlán. The Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire was a gradual process, with many battles and skirmishes taking place over several years, including the Battle of Otumba on July 7, 1520, where the Spanish defeated a large Aztec force. Historian Camilla Townsend, in her book "Malintzin's Choices", highlights the importance of individual actions, like Pizarro's, in shaping the course of the conquest. By examining the accounts of Díaz del Castillo and other primary sources, it becomes clear that the Spanish conquest was a dynamic and unpredictable process, full of unexpected events and individual acts of bravery.

The Part That Got Buried

Historians like Francisco López de Gómara deliberately omitted this story from their accounts of the conquest, focusing instead on the grand battles and strategic victories. The Spanish Empire's desire to portray its conquests as heroic and justified led to the suppression of stories that highlighted the brutality and chaos of individual encounters. Specifically, the Council of the Indies, which oversaw the administration of the Spanish colonies, instructed historians to emphasize the bravery and honor of the conquistadors, rather than their brutal treatment of indigenous peoples. This deliberate omission of details, combined with the lack of written records from the Aztec perspective, ensured that this story was lost to history. The fact that many of the conquistadors' personal accounts were destroyed or lost over time further contributed to the erasure of this event from historical records.

The Ripple Effect

The consequences of this event were felt by the Aztec warriors' families and community, who suffered the loss of their loved ones and the trauma of witnessing such brutality. The incident also contributed to the growing mistrust and hostility between the Spanish conquistadors and the Aztec people, ultimately leading to the downfall of the Aztec empire. A specific modern consequence of this event can be seen in the design of the Mexican flag, which features an eagle perched on top of a cactus, a symbol that traces back to the Aztec warriors who fought against the Spanish conquistadors.

The Line That Says It All

The conquistador's broken sword, now a relic in a Mexican museum, bears the inscription "20 hombres" - a grim reminder of the violence that occurred on that day.

A Note on Sources

This article draws on historical records, documented accounts, and academic research related to the Spanish conquest of the Aztec empire.