WEBVTT 1 00:00:16.879 --> 00:00:23.320 Hello, and welcome to Western Sieve episode two hundred and forty one, Lace 2 00:00:23.519 --> 00:00:30.519 Triste. Last week, Cortes finally got down to business with Montezuma. It 3 00:00:30.600 --> 00:00:36.359 seems his claim of taking the Mexican emperor dead or alive was not a bluff 4 00:00:36.399 --> 00:00:41.840 after all, Risking everything on one throw of the dice, Cortez managed to 5 00:00:41.840 --> 00:00:47.240 take Montezuma captive in his own city. Then, just when everything seemed to 6 00:00:47.240 --> 00:00:52.119 be going according to plan, Navarez showed up with orders to bring Cortes to 7 00:00:52.200 --> 00:00:58.960 heal or bring back his head. Now firmly believing the old adage that fortune 8 00:00:59.000 --> 00:01:04.239 favors the brave, Cortez made straight for his nemesis and crushed him with the 9 00:01:04.439 --> 00:01:11.680 now one eyed Navarez effectively neutralized, Cortes could breathe a sigh of relief. 10 00:01:11.879 --> 00:01:18.840 Said sigh was a short one. Within days, perhaps hours, of crushing 11 00:01:18.920 --> 00:01:23.200 Navares, Cortes received word that there was a crisis back in Technos Declan, 12 00:01:25.599 --> 00:01:30.280 So with another shake of the head, Cortes turned his back to the ocean 13 00:01:30.079 --> 00:01:48.840 and prepared to make the long march back to the Mexica capital. Cortes's initial 14 00:01:48.879 --> 00:01:53.599 departure for the coast caused a lot of anxiety in Technos Declan amongst the Mexica. 15 00:01:55.040 --> 00:01:59.959 Questions were flowing like water. Where had he gone? Was he dead? 16 00:02:00.799 --> 00:02:04.519 Who were these people he had to go and fight? Would he return 17 00:02:06.000 --> 00:02:10.639 quickly? Technosh Declan became a powder keg, and all it needed was a 18 00:02:10.680 --> 00:02:17.919 spark. That spark came during the celebration of the Feast of Towakl. During 19 00:02:19.039 --> 00:02:27.240 earlier generations, this was nothing more than yet another important reign festival. The 20 00:02:27.360 --> 00:02:32.719 climax of the festival was a sacrifice of a young man personifying the god texicapatle 21 00:02:34.919 --> 00:02:38.479 the man in question would have been selected for this role of the year prior 22 00:02:38.919 --> 00:02:45.599 at the end of the last piece of Towakl. Since then he would have 23 00:02:45.680 --> 00:02:51.520 lived almost like a god for a year before his life was brought abruptly to 24 00:02:51.560 --> 00:03:00.599 an end. Now, before Cortez left, Montezuma expressly requested permission to hold 25 00:03:00.680 --> 00:03:10.280 this festival, and Cortez had given it. Then several days before the festival 26 00:03:10.360 --> 00:03:17.680 was set to go, Montezuma again asked for permission. This time he asked 27 00:03:17.680 --> 00:03:27.520 the man Cortez left in charge, Pedro de Alvarado. Alvarado gave him permission 28 00:03:29.240 --> 00:03:38.840 everything was set, and then Alvarado began to have his doubts. During the 29 00:03:38.919 --> 00:03:45.599 last days before the festival, the to Los Gwans began feeding the Europeans all 30 00:03:45.719 --> 00:03:52.000 sorts of horror stories about the festival. This was when the Mexico would turn 31 00:03:52.039 --> 00:03:55.439 on them, they said, this was when they would all be sacrificed. 32 00:03:58.280 --> 00:04:03.719 Now, no doubt there was some justification for this position amongst the clock Scolins. 33 00:04:04.840 --> 00:04:11.680 Their people had been the sacrificial victims for many Mexican festivals for decades. 34 00:04:13.080 --> 00:04:19.720 These fears seemed substantiated when the Mexica suddenly stopped providing the Europeans with food. 35 00:04:21.360 --> 00:04:29.040 Then the girl who did the Europeans washing was found hanged. To top it 36 00:04:29.079 --> 00:04:35.759 off, one conquistador allegedly saw the Mexica preparing pots, pans and axes and 37 00:04:35.920 --> 00:04:43.800 proclaiming loudly how they were going to cook and eat the Europeans. Hence, 38 00:04:44.439 --> 00:04:48.839 the mood and Technostklon on the eve of the fiesta was anxious to the extreme. 39 00:04:51.199 --> 00:04:58.199 Yet I think it's worth noting that there is absolutely no evidence of any 40 00:04:58.240 --> 00:05:05.000 plot to murder the European The fact remains that with Montezuma imprisoned, it was 41 00:05:05.120 --> 00:05:13.199 difficult, if not impossible, to mount any opposition to the European presence without 42 00:05:13.240 --> 00:05:16.879 the emperor to do so. There was no one to take initiative. The 43 00:05:16.879 --> 00:05:25.480 Mexican political system utterly depended on the emperor, so the first few days of 44 00:05:25.480 --> 00:05:32.000 the fiesta passed without incident. Then the date of the sacrifice arrived. Now 45 00:05:32.040 --> 00:05:39.639 this was a different sort of sacrifice because the victim had to appear at least 46 00:05:39.720 --> 00:05:45.959 kind of willing now doubtless, over the years, many young men were plied 47 00:05:46.079 --> 00:05:53.279 with mushrooms and other hallucinogens before being guided to the canoe. The victim was 48 00:05:53.399 --> 00:05:57.839 rowed across the lake to the island which housed the temple. Then they had 49 00:05:57.879 --> 00:06:03.000 to walk willingly up the temple step, turn face the lake, and finally 50 00:06:03.600 --> 00:06:12.319 break a ceremonial flute. The sacrifice followed. Then the new flutes of the 51 00:06:12.399 --> 00:06:15.680 God would be heard all over the city, and that was the cue for 52 00:06:15.759 --> 00:06:21.279 the dancing to begin. Said dancing was to occur in the square before the 53 00:06:21.319 --> 00:06:29.879 Great Temple in fifteen twenty. Historians believe this all occurred on May sixth. 54 00:06:30.839 --> 00:06:36.800 When the dancing began, the whole population entered a sort of trance. One 55 00:06:36.959 --> 00:06:46.120 song followed another with everyone assembled quote rising in waves end quote in the words 56 00:06:46.319 --> 00:06:51.639 of one European present. In all probability, there were around four hundred dancers. 57 00:06:54.240 --> 00:07:00.800 Now, certainly the Mexicans would have noticed when Albarado in his and in 58 00:07:00.040 --> 00:07:06.240 full armor bearing swords, arrived at the courtyard, but they did nothing. 59 00:07:08.720 --> 00:07:13.879 After all, they had permission for this festival, so what were they to 60 00:07:13.879 --> 00:07:19.160 be afraid of. Then Alvarado divided his company. Many were European, but 61 00:07:19.720 --> 00:07:27.040 certainly there would have been some Klakskallan allies present as well. Ten Europeans each 62 00:07:27.279 --> 00:07:31.240 were set to guard all four of the exits from the courtyard. Everything was 63 00:07:31.319 --> 00:07:38.600 set now from the outset. In cases not obvious, I want to note 64 00:07:38.879 --> 00:07:46.680 that this was absolutely premeditated. Alvarado left sixty men back with Montezuma and the 65 00:07:46.759 --> 00:07:53.639 nobility present in the temple. Those men had instructions to kill all the nobility 66 00:07:53.680 --> 00:08:00.920 around Montezuma, but leave the emperor alive. Alvarado with the balance of his 67 00:08:01.000 --> 00:08:07.920 men, with a pure intent of murdering all the nobility taking part in the 68 00:08:07.000 --> 00:08:16.160 ceremonial dancing. This was as cold blooded and meticulously planned as anything, sayesare 69 00:08:16.360 --> 00:08:22.279 Borgia ever did. When the gates to the temple were closed, Alvarado gave 70 00:08:22.319 --> 00:08:31.360 the famous order quote let them die as men fell upon the dancers and began 71 00:08:31.439 --> 00:08:37.200 dispatching them with ruthless efficiency. After killing the dancers, the Europeans fell upon 72 00:08:37.240 --> 00:08:43.519 the spectators. None of them had so much as seen steel swords in action 73 00:08:43.559 --> 00:08:50.080 before. None of them were armed. The fighting soon became general in the 74 00:08:50.120 --> 00:08:56.279 streets around the temple. Before long, the war drums from atop the various 75 00:08:56.320 --> 00:09:01.799 temples began to pound. It was a general call to arms. All males 76 00:09:01.799 --> 00:09:07.279 were summoned to the armory. Some Mexican leaders emerged willing and able to launch 77 00:09:07.360 --> 00:09:16.279 a counterattack. Montezuma or no Montezuma. Alvarado had just sparked a full scale 78 00:09:16.360 --> 00:09:24.039 rebellion, and for no reason. So why why did he do it? 79 00:09:24.799 --> 00:09:31.559 Why did he launched this attack? Well, we don't know. We don't 80 00:09:31.600 --> 00:09:35.600 have a precise answer to that question. As I'll get to later. We 81 00:09:35.639 --> 00:09:41.960 know what he told Cortez when Cortez returned, that he thought he was about 82 00:09:41.000 --> 00:09:46.519 to be attacked, and it was sort of a preemptive strike. And that's 83 00:09:46.639 --> 00:09:52.399 probably the only thing that makes any semblance of sense in this situation. Otherwise, 84 00:09:52.960 --> 00:10:00.840 with the Mexica emperor in tow Alvarado had absolutely no reason to risk everything 85 00:10:00.840 --> 00:10:07.320 as Cortez had done. The other question is what did Alvarado know of anything 86 00:10:07.360 --> 00:10:13.480 as to what was going on in the coast. There's some speculation that perhaps 87 00:10:13.519 --> 00:10:20.519 the lack of communication back from Cortez may have led Alvarado to believe that Cortez 88 00:10:20.600 --> 00:10:24.120 had been defeated and the time had come to simply slaughter who he could, 89 00:10:24.360 --> 00:10:28.759 get the gold he could and get out of dodge. But these are all 90 00:10:28.919 --> 00:10:33.879 speculations. We really don't know, because he didn't leave us any sort of 91 00:10:33.960 --> 00:10:41.720 diary as to why Alvarado chose to slaughter all of the Mexica taking part in 92 00:10:41.879 --> 00:10:50.960 a religious festival that he himself had given permission for now. Once Alvarado and 93 00:10:50.080 --> 00:10:56.639 his gore covered compatriots got back to their quarters, they found their counterparts had 94 00:10:56.679 --> 00:11:01.200 done their jobs as well. All the key nobles except Montezuma, lay dead, 95 00:11:03.039 --> 00:11:09.440 their blood dripping from Spanish blades. Alvarado, lightly wounded and covered in 96 00:11:09.480 --> 00:11:13.519 blood, most of it not his, had the temerity to walk up to 97 00:11:13.600 --> 00:11:16.759 Montezuma and say, quote, see what your people have done to me, 98 00:11:18.720 --> 00:11:24.039 Montezuma replied Alvarado, if you had not begun it, my men would not 99 00:11:24.080 --> 00:11:28.559 have done this. You have ruined yourselves and me. Also, he was 100 00:11:28.639 --> 00:11:35.000 right outside. The Mexican warriors pressed against the walls of the palace. Some 101 00:11:35.120 --> 00:11:39.080 tried to climb over the palisade, others attempted to set fire to the wooden 102 00:11:39.080 --> 00:11:46.320 door. The clock's collins showed their loyalty to the Spanish allies by quote, 103 00:11:46.399 --> 00:11:52.120 dampening their own cloaks and placing them over the flames end quote. The Europeans 104 00:11:52.080 --> 00:11:58.279 still had a technological apantage of weaponry, but now the Mexican numbers were just 105 00:11:58.559 --> 00:12:05.200 too great. Despite their best efforts, the cannons and crossbows simply could not 106 00:12:05.320 --> 00:12:13.240 hold back the tidal wave of Mexican warriors. Sensing he needed to do something, 107 00:12:13.960 --> 00:12:20.120 Alvarado strode back to Montezuma. He put a dagger to the Emperor's chest 108 00:12:20.679 --> 00:12:24.639 and demanded that he go to the roof and order his people to stop the 109 00:12:24.639 --> 00:12:31.360 assault. Montezuma did as he was told. From the rooftop, Montezuma shouted 110 00:12:31.399 --> 00:12:35.279 down to the throngs below, beseeching them to stop. In his words, 111 00:12:35.440 --> 00:12:41.120 a senseless attack. At first, the speech seemed to work. The battle 112 00:12:41.240 --> 00:12:46.639 did die down, But for some Mexicans this was the last straw. Their 113 00:12:46.679 --> 00:12:52.240 people had just been killed in cold blood. How could their emperor possibly demand 114 00:12:52.320 --> 00:12:56.759 they stopped trying to seek justice. Many Mexicans were reluctant to stop fighting. 115 00:12:58.799 --> 00:13:03.759 This seemed like their best chance to get rid of the Europeans once and for 116 00:13:03.919 --> 00:13:11.120 all. Some sporadic fighting continued for a few days, but no alternative leader 117 00:13:11.159 --> 00:13:16.080 arose. No one at least who was capable of replacing Montezuma one of his 118 00:13:16.159 --> 00:13:20.720 brothers. No one was willing to do so at this point. That being 119 00:13:20.759 --> 00:13:28.279 said, Montezuma never recovered his authority. After this, Alvarado had effectively cut 120 00:13:28.320 --> 00:13:31.960 off the flower of the Mexican nobility. Sure, but whatever his goal, 121 00:13:31.960 --> 00:13:37.120 approved apyiric victory. To say the least, the feast of Tolochsil was over. 122 00:13:39.360 --> 00:13:43.960 Somewhere the Mexican gods were listening. It was the end of May fifteen 123 00:13:43.039 --> 00:14:01.639 twenty, and the reins began. Cortes hurried back from better cruise to Tenochticlan 124 00:14:01.679 --> 00:14:05.080 as quickly as he was able. Luckily, his force was strengthened somewhat by 125 00:14:05.080 --> 00:14:09.840 the addition of men, horses, and good equipment from Navarez's army. As 126 00:14:09.840 --> 00:14:13.960 he marched, he sent out messages to all his auxiliary captains to bring their 127 00:14:13.960 --> 00:14:20.519 men back to Tlexcala. Men who had been out looking for gold mines rushed 128 00:14:20.559 --> 00:14:26.120 back to aid their captain. Cortez arrived at Tlaxcala weary and exhausted. Several 129 00:14:26.159 --> 00:14:33.080 of his men were close to death from hunger or thirst. Eventually Cortez reached 130 00:14:33.080 --> 00:14:37.360 the Great Lake in the Valley of Mexico. On the way, everyone was 131 00:14:37.399 --> 00:14:43.039 struck by the complete absence of spies or observers. Cortez fully expected to meet 132 00:14:43.039 --> 00:14:46.519 a Mexican army on the road, but there was no sign of it. 133 00:14:48.519 --> 00:14:54.799 Having reached the valley, the expedition stopped for night at Texcoco. There Cortez 134 00:14:54.879 --> 00:15:00.799 got some word from tenosht Clan it wasn't actually bad news. Montezuma sent a 135 00:15:00.840 --> 00:15:05.840 messenger to Cortes begging for his forgiveness. He said the incident grieved him as 136 00:15:05.919 --> 00:15:09.480 much as he believed it must. Cortez, he said he was in no 137 00:15:09.519 --> 00:15:15.799 way responsible, was all Alvarado's fault, which of course was true. Montezuma 138 00:15:15.960 --> 00:15:18.039 hoped that Cortes could return to the city and they could all go on as 139 00:15:18.039 --> 00:15:24.000 before. Of course, that's not possible, because that isn't how life works 140 00:15:24.000 --> 00:15:28.080 in general, But Montezuma was trying his level best to live in a fantasy 141 00:15:28.120 --> 00:15:33.799 realm. At this point. Cortes then took his expedition to the north side 142 00:15:33.840 --> 00:15:37.960 of the lake. He wanted to make sure he used the shortest causeway to 143 00:15:39.080 --> 00:15:43.240 enter the city to limit the chances for shenanigans. On the morning of June 144 00:15:43.279 --> 00:15:48.919 twenty fourth, fifteen twenty, Cortes and his cavalcade rode into the capital. 145 00:15:48.879 --> 00:15:54.799 When they reached the first homes, Cortes found himself greeted by something almost worse 146 00:15:54.240 --> 00:16:03.000 than taunts and jeers, complete silence. The population had hidden itself quote. 147 00:16:03.320 --> 00:16:07.159 The Mexico decided thereafter that they would not be seen, but would hide. 148 00:16:07.759 --> 00:16:12.320 They would speak no more, but only spy out of entrances, openings in 149 00:16:12.440 --> 00:16:21.720 walls and holes with which they had pierced the walls. Now Alvarado and his 150 00:16:21.759 --> 00:16:26.559 men, well, they were ecstatic to see Cortez. They had nearly starved 151 00:16:26.600 --> 00:16:30.679 and were in no position to resist a new attack. Cortes then looked at 152 00:16:30.679 --> 00:16:34.679 Alvarado, who had some serious explaining to do. Alvarado told him that, 153 00:16:36.080 --> 00:16:38.679 yes, he had attacked the Mexico during the festival, but he had no 154 00:16:38.799 --> 00:16:45.360 choice. You see, according to him, the Mexico were furious that Cortes, 155 00:16:45.559 --> 00:16:48.279 just before he left the city, had put up an image of the 156 00:16:48.360 --> 00:16:52.720 Virgin Mary in the Great Temple. Alvarado found out that the Mexican nobles were 157 00:16:52.720 --> 00:16:56.759 planning on tearing down the idol and then murdering the Europeans within the city. 158 00:16:56.879 --> 00:17:03.799 Alvarado, therefore had launched a premium of attack. Now all this was a 159 00:17:03.840 --> 00:17:07.319 lie, but Alvarado was doing the best he could to save his own skin. 160 00:17:07.640 --> 00:17:11.119 Whether Cortez believed him or not, we cannot say, but he did 161 00:17:11.119 --> 00:17:18.279 tell Alvarado that the attack had been a mistake. Regardless, Montezuma also greeted 162 00:17:18.319 --> 00:17:25.039 Cortez upon his return. Certainly, Montezuma hoped that Cortez could set the situation 163 00:17:25.119 --> 00:17:30.160 right, but Cortez refused to see him. Cortes might have been angry with 164 00:17:30.279 --> 00:17:33.599 him, but certainly the real source of his anger was the fact that his 165 00:17:33.759 --> 00:17:41.119 well laid plans were ruined. Cortez had hoped to pacify Tenoshti Klan from within 166 00:17:41.880 --> 00:17:45.400 and hand over a new crown jewel to Charles the Fifth without firing a shot. 167 00:17:47.359 --> 00:17:52.119 Now that could not be and Cortes knew it. Sure he had new 168 00:17:52.119 --> 00:17:56.559 men and weapons from Nevadez, but the reality was his situation was worse than 169 00:17:56.599 --> 00:18:03.000 it had been in June of fifteen nineteen. Cortes realized he had to take 170 00:18:03.039 --> 00:18:07.920 this one step at a time. First things first, he had to get 171 00:18:07.960 --> 00:18:12.480 access to food, which meant he needed the markets opened up through Marina. 172 00:18:14.039 --> 00:18:18.440 Cortes demanded that Montezuma order the markets reopened. Montezuma said he could not. 173 00:18:19.440 --> 00:18:22.880 He said the best thing to be done was to send one of the lords 174 00:18:23.039 --> 00:18:30.279 still with him to open the markets. Desperate, Cortes agreed and told Montezuma 175 00:18:30.440 --> 00:18:40.079 to pick someone. Montezuma picked Clicklauac, his brother. Cortes agreed. Whether 176 00:18:40.119 --> 00:18:44.440 there were some tacit understanding between Montezuma and Cliklauac, we may never know, 177 00:18:45.400 --> 00:18:49.079 but the moment Cliklouac was out of the palace and beyond Cortes's reach, he 178 00:18:49.160 --> 00:18:56.519 began organizing a resistance to the Europeans. Whether or not he was elected Emperor 179 00:18:56.599 --> 00:19:03.640 right now in his brother's stead is something historians still argue about, but regardless, 180 00:19:03.279 --> 00:19:11.559 Clipklawak was now the face of the resistance. The very day that clip 181 00:19:11.599 --> 00:19:17.240 Klawac was free, the twenty fifth of June, a European soldier was ordered 182 00:19:17.240 --> 00:19:21.880 to escort certain Indian prisoners to the coast, but the Mexica fell on this 183 00:19:21.880 --> 00:19:27.039 little expedition, seized all of the Indians and wounded Europeans. Had he not, 184 00:19:27.119 --> 00:19:30.519 in fact, just abandoned the Indians, he probably would have been captured 185 00:19:30.519 --> 00:19:34.720 and sacrificed. But he was able to escape. That very same day, 186 00:19:34.759 --> 00:19:40.960 Cortes sent another messenger trying to reach Vera Cruz, but after half an hour 187 00:19:41.480 --> 00:19:45.200 the messenger returned. He had not gotten through. He had been attacked, 188 00:19:45.720 --> 00:19:51.359 beaten, and wounded all the Mexicans in the city. He said, we're 189 00:19:51.400 --> 00:19:56.640 preparing for war. Cortes's earliest nightmare on his first visit to Tenoshti Klan, 190 00:19:57.039 --> 00:20:03.920 was being realized he was surrounded. Cortes next sent out one of his best 191 00:20:04.039 --> 00:20:10.680 lieutenants with a force of some three hundred men and a few horses. Their 192 00:20:10.759 --> 00:20:15.759 job was to try to calm down the situation without fighting. This man hadn't 193 00:20:15.799 --> 00:20:22.039 got far along the street leading to the causeway before he too was attacked by 194 00:20:22.119 --> 00:20:27.039 Mexicans throwing stones from the rooftops. Four five Europeans were killed, and nearly 195 00:20:27.079 --> 00:20:33.119 all the rest, including the lieutenant, were hurt. Mexica followed him all 196 00:20:33.160 --> 00:20:37.559 the way back to the palace, where Cortes was holed up, hurling stones 197 00:20:37.839 --> 00:20:42.880 and shooting arrows. They again set fire to the building, and the smoke 198 00:20:42.960 --> 00:20:48.640 and heat presented a serious difficulty until the earth or parts of the roof and 199 00:20:48.680 --> 00:20:52.720 the walls were thrown on the flames. At the same time a breach in 200 00:20:52.759 --> 00:20:57.079 the wall was made. The Mexica could have entered this had not been for 201 00:20:57.079 --> 00:21:03.599 the crossbowmen and the arquebuss posted there. Those who later talked to one of 202 00:21:03.640 --> 00:21:10.400 the Mendicant Friars along with testified to the effectiveness of the crossbowmen. Quote they 203 00:21:10.440 --> 00:21:15.559 sighted well along the iron bolts, which seemed to fly, whirling and humming. 204 00:21:15.119 --> 00:21:19.359 Great was their whirling, Not purposeless did the arrow fly, and the 205 00:21:19.480 --> 00:21:26.079 arrows, too were well aimed end quote. More than eighty of Cortes's men 206 00:21:26.279 --> 00:21:33.920 were wounded. These battles lasted several days. The only variation being that, 207 00:21:33.960 --> 00:21:37.920 the Europeans started going out every dawn in order to try and secure the nearby 208 00:21:37.960 --> 00:21:42.480 houses, but this did very little, since when they returned at night to 209 00:21:42.519 --> 00:21:47.559 the palace, usually with many people wounded or one or two maybe dead, 210 00:21:48.359 --> 00:21:56.440 the Mexica would simply recover the buildings. The conquistadors began to feel besieged by 211 00:21:56.480 --> 00:22:02.720 water. Unfortunately, drinking water was short, since the Spaniards had nothing to 212 00:22:02.799 --> 00:22:07.440 drink except what they obtained from the fetid and salty improvised well which they had 213 00:22:07.519 --> 00:22:12.839 dug in the main patio. Stones were constantly thrown into the European quarters from 214 00:22:12.880 --> 00:22:18.519 nearby roofs. The conquisators in fact had to walk along the edges of the 215 00:22:18.599 --> 00:22:25.240 courtyard to avoid being struck. Possession of cannon no longer made much of a 216 00:22:25.279 --> 00:22:30.680 difference, even though every cannon shot probably killed ten or even twenty Mexicans, 217 00:22:32.359 --> 00:22:40.160 the gaps were just immediately filled. Superior technology simply did not count for much 218 00:22:40.759 --> 00:22:48.160 in the street hand to hand fighting. The Mexica also used psychological warfare, 219 00:22:48.960 --> 00:22:52.640 using a variety of tricks. Each night, the Europeans would look out their 220 00:22:52.640 --> 00:23:00.960 windows to see any number of terrifying things from human heads, jumping to decapitated 221 00:23:00.039 --> 00:23:07.960 corpses groaning and rolling around to burst out. Cortez first conceived of a sort 222 00:23:08.000 --> 00:23:14.880 of medieval tank. It was a square, wooden machine which would shelter twenty 223 00:23:14.880 --> 00:23:21.079 five men, including some crossbowmen. The idea was not to try to escape 224 00:23:21.200 --> 00:23:26.119 the city, but to find a way for men to move freely up and 225 00:23:26.200 --> 00:23:30.880 down the streets to get food. But before these fine contraptions were put into 226 00:23:32.000 --> 00:23:41.720 use, something disastrous happened. Cortes went to Montezuma and again he asked him 227 00:23:41.119 --> 00:23:48.039 to go out and try to calm his people down. At first Montezuma refused, 228 00:23:48.039 --> 00:23:56.680 but Cortes pressed the issue and ultimately Montezuma agreed. Opinions differ about what 229 00:23:56.880 --> 00:24:07.759 happened next. According to most accepted reports, one of Cortez's lieutenants took Montezuma 230 00:24:07.000 --> 00:24:14.720 to the roof. They are two Europeans, maybe others tried to guard the 231 00:24:14.759 --> 00:24:22.279 emperor from the onslaught of stones by holding shields over him. Montezuma then either 232 00:24:22.400 --> 00:24:26.759 planned to make or maybe made some kind of appeal to the Mexican citizens. 233 00:24:29.119 --> 00:24:33.759 According to some observators, there was a moment of silence among the Mexica at 234 00:24:33.799 --> 00:24:38.359 the sight of Montezuma. As he called down to his friends and cousins, 235 00:24:40.680 --> 00:24:45.599 he probably tried to say again that he had come to live with the conquistadors 236 00:24:45.640 --> 00:24:49.759 on his own initiative, and that he could return to his own palace whenever 237 00:24:49.839 --> 00:24:59.880 he wished. There was therefore no reason for war the Europeans. He even 238 00:25:00.039 --> 00:25:07.119 told the crowd had promised to leave the city now. Some sources say that 239 00:25:07.160 --> 00:25:15.200 the Mexicans down below made a rather lewed and spirited reply. For example, 240 00:25:15.640 --> 00:25:21.240 one say, quote, what is that which is being said by that scoundrel 241 00:25:21.240 --> 00:25:26.720 of a Montezuma, horror of the Spaniards? Does he think he can call 242 00:25:26.799 --> 00:25:30.720 to us with his woman like soul to fight for the empire which he has 243 00:25:30.759 --> 00:25:36.599 abandoned out of fright? We do not want to obey him, because already 244 00:25:37.319 --> 00:25:41.440 is no longer our monarch, and indeed we must give him the punishment which 245 00:25:41.480 --> 00:25:48.440 we give to a wicked man end quote. And so Montezuma's attempt at a 246 00:25:48.480 --> 00:25:52.559 speech was met with a shower of stones from his people, both below and 247 00:25:52.640 --> 00:26:00.279 unopposing rooftops. The emperor was struck several times and ultimately fell to his knees. 248 00:26:00.079 --> 00:26:03.480 Cortes's men quickly picked him up and ushered him inside, but the damage 249 00:26:03.519 --> 00:26:08.480 was done. The next day, Cortes attempted to use his tank like machines 250 00:26:08.519 --> 00:26:11.799 to break out of the palace, but it didn't work. The hail of 251 00:26:11.880 --> 00:26:18.880 stones the conquistador's face was too great. Cortes and his entourage spent the rest 252 00:26:18.880 --> 00:26:23.640 of the day hauling the cannons and other munitions back to the base. Frostrated, 253 00:26:23.920 --> 00:26:27.480 Cortes sallied forth that evening and set fire to a number of local houses. 254 00:26:29.279 --> 00:26:33.240 The Mexica, as a rule, didn't fight at night, and Cortes 255 00:26:33.319 --> 00:26:37.480 knew this, so in the evenings he could attack with relative impunity. The 256 00:26:37.559 --> 00:26:42.960 next day, Cortes planned to attack the Temple of Yopico. The Mexica had 257 00:26:44.000 --> 00:26:48.480 been using the temple as a veritable fortress. Its height made it a convenient 258 00:26:48.480 --> 00:26:53.319 place from which to fling stones down upon the Europeans. The Europeans set out 259 00:26:53.599 --> 00:27:00.240 for this monument with their siege engines now repaired. Cortez and his reports that 260 00:27:00.279 --> 00:27:03.200 he only had a handful of men, but he probably had at least forty. 261 00:27:04.559 --> 00:27:10.079 Along the way, they fought numerous short engagements with the Mexica throwing stones 262 00:27:10.359 --> 00:27:15.119 from the top stories of nearby houses. The Europeans nevertheless reached the foot of 263 00:27:15.119 --> 00:27:19.319 the pyramid, by which time their siege engines had been batrickally destroyed, though 264 00:27:19.319 --> 00:27:22.200 the Conquista doors were able to get as far as they did, most likely 265 00:27:22.240 --> 00:27:29.319 because of them. Cortes then ordered the temple surrounded and stormed. There followed 266 00:27:29.319 --> 00:27:33.839 a prolonged battle on the steps. The crossbowmen, the arquebussers, and then 267 00:27:33.839 --> 00:27:37.599 the infantry, with their swords, generally were able to move up. There 268 00:27:37.640 --> 00:27:41.759 were a lot of Mexican warriors there, some with long pikes with points as 269 00:27:41.759 --> 00:27:47.519 sharp but Cortes as those of any lances back in Europe. He and his 270 00:27:47.599 --> 00:27:51.319 men, at some cost in men killed and wounded, made their way upwards. 271 00:27:51.920 --> 00:27:55.599 There were several setbacks. Cortes, from his own account, at least 272 00:27:55.920 --> 00:28:00.400 fought ceaselessly, even though a wound from the previous day had prevented him using 273 00:28:00.400 --> 00:28:03.960 his left hand. It seems that he actually narrowly escaped on two occasions, 274 00:28:04.000 --> 00:28:08.880 being thrown from the top of the pyramid by several Mexican warriors. At the 275 00:28:08.880 --> 00:28:12.920 top of the temple, the Conquistadors first threw down the Mexican idols. They 276 00:28:12.920 --> 00:28:17.720 then also took two high priests prisoner in the hopes that they might be able 277 00:28:17.759 --> 00:28:21.839 to use them as negotiators to bring an end to the conflict. At this 278 00:28:21.880 --> 00:28:25.799 point, there seems to have been several discussions about the possibility of peace between 279 00:28:25.799 --> 00:28:32.680 the Mexicans and Europeans. These fell apart after the Mexican envoys reminded Cortez that 280 00:28:32.880 --> 00:28:38.400 even if the Mexica lost twenty five thousand people for every one conquistador, he 281 00:28:38.440 --> 00:28:45.799 would still run out of men first, so the fighting continued. On the 282 00:28:45.839 --> 00:28:51.359 morning of June thirtieth, fifteen twenty, Montezuma, former emperor of Old Mexico, 283 00:28:52.079 --> 00:28:57.319 died. There's an old story that Montezuma insisted he'd be baptized before he 284 00:28:57.400 --> 00:29:04.559 passed. This is certainly false. Cortes never mentions it, and had Montezuma 285 00:29:04.880 --> 00:29:11.680 made such protestations, it is inconceivable that Cortes would not have brought them up. 286 00:29:12.240 --> 00:29:18.720 There's probably much more to the rumor that Cortez had Montezuma killed. This 287 00:29:18.759 --> 00:29:26.680 one might be true, though I cannot confirm it. The reality was Montezuma 288 00:29:26.720 --> 00:29:32.160 had clearly lost any usefulness to Cortez by keeping him alive. All Cortez was 289 00:29:32.200 --> 00:29:37.359 doing was requiring himself to spend precious manpower guarding him in his close relatives. 290 00:29:37.400 --> 00:29:42.440 Given that Cortes had all the nobles whom had been with Montezuma put to death 291 00:29:42.480 --> 00:29:49.160 at this time, there's a strong possibility Montezuma did not die from his wounds. 292 00:29:49.839 --> 00:29:55.119 Frankly, there's more than probable that Cortez sort of helped him along. 293 00:29:56.160 --> 00:30:03.160 Montezuma was a tragic figure early in his life. He's sort of the quintessential 294 00:30:03.200 --> 00:30:07.359 of Mexican emperor, an inflexible man who made a virtue out of being inflexible. 295 00:30:08.400 --> 00:30:15.519 He lost power by just really an unprecedented and unforeseeable act is kidnapping in 296 00:30:15.559 --> 00:30:22.799 November fifteen nineteen. There's no way that he could have realized at the time 297 00:30:22.160 --> 00:30:29.839 the implications going with Cortez and the other Spaniards had, but that converted him 298 00:30:29.880 --> 00:30:34.359 into a passive instrument, and as often happens in these circumstances, he seems 299 00:30:34.400 --> 00:30:41.240 to have become enamored of his captors, especially Cortez. This affection made him 300 00:30:41.319 --> 00:30:48.279 seem as a coward to his own people. Whether Montezuma actually believed Cortez was 301 00:30:48.319 --> 00:30:52.359 a god is something that will probably never know. What we can say was 302 00:30:52.400 --> 00:30:57.880 that even for the people that he came from, he was exceptionally religious and 303 00:30:59.000 --> 00:31:03.160 superstitious, so it's possible. In fact, he certainly seems, at least 304 00:31:03.160 --> 00:31:07.160 for a time, to have toyed with the idea of identifying Cortes with this 305 00:31:07.240 --> 00:31:12.519 lost lord who vanished to the east, probably Quexicoatal. In terms of his 306 00:31:12.640 --> 00:31:18.279 submission, he probably did make some kind of concession, most likely as an 307 00:31:18.279 --> 00:31:22.440 act of temporary appeasement to Cortes's demand for him and his lords to accept the 308 00:31:22.480 --> 00:31:27.559 supreme authority of Charles the Fifth. Not that he had any idea who that 309 00:31:27.759 --> 00:31:33.440 was no doubt. He also believed what he had given away under Durest could 310 00:31:33.440 --> 00:31:38.279 just be gone back on the moment that the occasion demanded in March fifteen twenty, 311 00:31:38.480 --> 00:31:42.480 at the time when he requested Cortes leave the country some of his courage 312 00:31:42.480 --> 00:31:48.920 should come back. In the end, after Alvarado's massacre, he could see 313 00:31:48.960 --> 00:31:53.400 that no further negotiation was possible for him. It was rejected by his own 314 00:31:53.400 --> 00:31:56.880 people, and he had to resign himself to being no more than a puppet 315 00:31:57.000 --> 00:32:02.279 for the invaders. It was a sad way for a once proud man to 316 00:32:02.440 --> 00:32:09.279 end his life. There was now a growing feeling amongst the Europeans that by 317 00:32:09.279 --> 00:32:14.240 hook or by crook, they had to get out of Technoshti Klan. They 318 00:32:14.279 --> 00:32:19.000 had very little gunpowder left, plus, of the nearly one thousand plus Glands 319 00:32:19.000 --> 00:32:22.279 who had gone with Cortes to the capital, less than one hundred remained. 320 00:32:22.680 --> 00:32:30.880 Cortez decided to leave the very night Montezuma died June thirtieth. Several captains had 321 00:32:30.920 --> 00:32:34.720 already floated the idea, but they should escape by night, given the Mexican 322 00:32:34.720 --> 00:32:37.880 refusal to fight in the dark. The thing that held the Conquistador's back, 323 00:32:38.039 --> 00:32:42.160 at least at first, was the treasure. How are they going to get 324 00:32:42.160 --> 00:32:45.960 the treasure out? In the end, they decided to place the King's fifth 325 00:32:45.960 --> 00:32:50.480 on a mare, while everyone else was allowed to take whatever they could and 326 00:32:50.519 --> 00:32:54.720 whatever they wanted. The smelter of the expedition later told officials that the Europeans 327 00:32:55.000 --> 00:33:00.960 took one thirty four thousand pesos worth of gold. Cortes later said he took 328 00:33:01.160 --> 00:33:07.559 seventy five thousand of his own. The Conquistador's retreat began quietly at midnight on 329 00:33:07.599 --> 00:33:12.319 the first of July fifteen twenty in a mist or light rain, with no 330 00:33:12.359 --> 00:33:16.200 one speaking. One captain carried a portable wooden bridge made of beams and planks, 331 00:33:16.680 --> 00:33:21.880 which was placed over the causeway to allow them to exit. It was 332 00:33:21.960 --> 00:33:24.160 laid across the first gaps in the causeway on the edge of the city. 333 00:33:25.079 --> 00:33:30.160 Most of the exhibition had crossed the first four bridges, all those within the 334 00:33:30.200 --> 00:33:34.000 confines of the city, and were about to begin to cross the lake when 335 00:33:34.000 --> 00:33:37.960 a woman going out to get water saw them. This woman allegedly called out, 336 00:33:38.039 --> 00:33:42.880 quote, Mexica, come quickly, our enemies are leaving now that it 337 00:33:42.960 --> 00:33:46.160 is night. They're running away as fugitives. In reply, a few minutes 338 00:33:46.240 --> 00:33:50.319 later, a man, probably a priest, shouted from a nearby temple, 339 00:33:50.519 --> 00:33:53.359 quote, Mexican chiefs, your enemies are leaving. Run to your canoes of 340 00:33:53.400 --> 00:33:59.400 war and quote. None of the Mexicans seemed to have thought the conquistadors would 341 00:33:59.400 --> 00:34:02.079 try to leave by night, But now the drum of war on the top 342 00:34:02.079 --> 00:34:07.239 of the Great Pyramid was sounded. The male population of Technoshtkon, roused from 343 00:34:07.239 --> 00:34:12.760 sleep, ran to take their canoes to the main waterway. Quote. The 344 00:34:12.840 --> 00:34:17.000 canoes of war sped like arrows, the paddlers paddling fast and placing themselves in 345 00:34:17.119 --> 00:34:22.840 order. Quote. They fired so many arrows it was as if, according 346 00:34:22.840 --> 00:34:27.320 to one conquisador quote, a lobster had reached its breeding ground end quote. 347 00:34:28.280 --> 00:34:32.519 The Mexica were organized against the Europeans in the confusion of a night attack, 348 00:34:32.679 --> 00:34:37.280 and perhaps in their anger, they seemed to have ignored the ancient tactic of 349 00:34:37.320 --> 00:34:39.800 seeking to capture, not kill. This time they were out for blood. 350 00:34:42.159 --> 00:34:46.280 All the sources indicate that though some Europeans were captured, many Europeans were simply 351 00:34:46.320 --> 00:34:50.880 killed in the fighting, usually by being hit on the back of the head, 352 00:34:51.440 --> 00:34:55.960 the same way interestingly that criminals were killed in Mexican society. Despite these 353 00:34:57.000 --> 00:35:00.159 attacks, the vanguard of the European column, as well as Cortes and his 354 00:35:00.239 --> 00:35:05.679 companions in the second section of the retreat, managed to reach the mainland. 355 00:35:06.519 --> 00:35:09.360 Paul had to swim across the last two channels which had been opened up in 356 00:35:09.400 --> 00:35:15.639 the causeway. The entire causeway at that point was under attack by too many 357 00:35:15.639 --> 00:35:21.000 canoes to count. All the bridges were up, all the escape planks were 358 00:35:21.000 --> 00:35:24.559 broken, half the European force was floundering in the water. It was a 359 00:35:24.559 --> 00:35:30.840 complete disaster. The cannon, many of the horses, and nearly all the 360 00:35:30.840 --> 00:35:36.199 gold was lost. The mayor bearing the royal fifth disappeared, never to be 361 00:35:36.239 --> 00:35:42.119 seen again. The main disaster occurred at a point called the Toltec Canal quote 362 00:35:42.400 --> 00:35:45.760 the bridge of the massacre end quote as it was later described by a Franciscan, 363 00:35:46.960 --> 00:35:52.079 this was the second cut in the causeway after leaving the city. The 364 00:35:52.159 --> 00:35:57.159 only way at the moment to get over was to actually staunch the causeway with 365 00:35:57.199 --> 00:36:01.679 the bodies of the dead, which were able to fill the The Europeans there 366 00:36:01.800 --> 00:36:07.000 quote horses, some women dropped there. The canal was completely filled with them, 367 00:36:07.039 --> 00:36:13.199 and those who came last crossed over only on men, only on bodies 368 00:36:13.480 --> 00:36:22.199 quote horse and circumstances like this, things like horses, crossbows, cannons were 369 00:36:22.320 --> 00:36:30.199 useless. In classic just desserts fashion, those who carried most heavy gold items 370 00:36:30.480 --> 00:36:35.719 were the first to drown. Those who went in cotton armor only by and 371 00:36:35.800 --> 00:36:43.000 large survived. Hence those who died were killed more by their greed than anything 372 00:36:43.000 --> 00:36:49.559 else. Cortes and most of his captains fought bravely, but pointlessly. At 373 00:36:49.559 --> 00:36:53.079 one point, Cortes fell into the water, and Mexica swarmed, each desperate 374 00:36:53.280 --> 00:36:59.360 to get the main prize for sacrifice, but Cortez was saved by one of 375 00:36:59.360 --> 00:37:04.960 whose lieutenant. At the last moment, in the darkness and confusion, Alvarado 376 00:37:05.000 --> 00:37:09.079 completely lost control over the vanguard. When Cortez finally saw him again, he 377 00:37:09.119 --> 00:37:15.519 asked Alvarado, where are the people with whom I left you? Alvarado replied, 378 00:37:15.039 --> 00:37:20.039 signor all of them are here, and if some are not, forget 379 00:37:20.079 --> 00:37:25.760 them. His fellow rearguard commander Velasquez de Leon, was never seen again. 380 00:37:28.480 --> 00:37:32.400 Some of those in the rearguard did manage to reach land, but several decided 381 00:37:32.440 --> 00:37:36.960 they wouldn't be able to make it, so they turned around and retreated to 382 00:37:36.960 --> 00:37:42.199 their old quarters. There they held out for a day or two before capitulating. 383 00:37:43.400 --> 00:37:46.559 About two hundred and seventy Europeans hadn't even been told they were supposed to 384 00:37:46.559 --> 00:37:51.960 evacuate, and they never left their quarters in the first place. They too, 385 00:37:51.960 --> 00:37:57.800 capitulated, All were sacrificed. Total numbers lost vary depending on who you 386 00:37:57.880 --> 00:38:02.280 ask. The most reliable estimate is around six hundred Europeans, about half the 387 00:38:02.280 --> 00:38:10.039 total expedition. Cortez was crushed. Forever after that night would be referred to 388 00:38:10.079 --> 00:38:17.079 in Spanish lore as la Noche triste, or the Knight of sadness across the 389 00:38:17.119 --> 00:38:22.039 Atlantic. No one knew about the disaster. They would not for months. 390 00:38:23.599 --> 00:38:30.199 There the scene was a bit different At that very moment. Midsummer fifteen twenty 391 00:38:30.679 --> 00:38:37.039 a magnificent tapestry depicting the wheel of Fortune in a series of honors was begin 392 00:38:37.159 --> 00:38:43.679 woven in Brussels to commemorate the forthcoming coronation of Emperor Charles the fifth. The 393 00:38:43.760 --> 00:38:49.159 goddess Fortune Eyes, blindfolded, rides across the heavens on a charger, scattering 394 00:38:49.239 --> 00:38:52.800 roses with her right hand and throwing stones with her left. Below her is 395 00:38:52.800 --> 00:38:57.760 her famous wheel, propelled by a servant above or the attributes of empire crown, 396 00:38:57.880 --> 00:39:02.360 sword, scepter to her. That is. Among the fortunate are Julius 397 00:39:02.360 --> 00:39:07.000 Caesar, the popular hero of the day, being depicted rowing to shore. 398 00:39:07.360 --> 00:39:15.800 He is dressed oddly and maybe ironically, as Cortez would have been dressed when 399 00:39:15.880 --> 00:39:22.000 he is praying. If you enjoyed the episode, there's a lot more content 400 00:39:22.440 --> 00:39:25.320 on the website. Got the link in the show notes also links below to 401 00:39:25.440 --> 00:39:30.840 teaching materials, as well as add free versions of the show and a link 402 00:39:30.880 --> 00:39:36.039 to Western Sieve two point zero, the reboot that's really starting to take off 403 00:39:36.119 --> 00:39:40.760 now. If you're interested, check those out otherwise. Next week, Cortez 404 00:39:40.840 --> 00:40:05.159 tries to pick up the pieces