Battle of Otumba

Battle of Otumba
Part of the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire

Seventeenth century depiction of the battle
Date July 7, 1520 (Julian calendar date)
Location The plain of Otumba, modern-day Mexico
Result Decisive Spanish and Tlaxcalan victory[1]
Belligerents
Spain
Tlaxcala		 Aztec Empire
Commanders and leaders
Hernán Cortés †Cuitlahuac[2]
Strength
Unknown, probably less than 5.000, though significantly inferior in numbers to the Aztecs[1] ~40.000-20.000
Casualties and losses
Less than 73 Spanish deaths unknown but high; ~11.000-13.000 up to over 20.000

Contents

Background

Around the end of March 1519, Hernán Cortés landed with a Spanish conquistador force at Potonchán on the coast of modern-day Mexico.[3] Cortés had been commissioned by Governor Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar of Spanish-controlled Cuba to lead an expedition in the area,[4] which was dominated by the Aztec Empire.[5] Through violence, Cortés was able to secure the allegiance of the Totonacs and the Tlaxcaltec during his advance on the Empire's main settlement, Tenochtitlan.[6] In November, a Spanish force entered the city, and was greeted by its ruler, Moctezuma II.[7] Initially, the conquistadors were treated well by the Aztecs whilst they stayed in the city,[8] but increasing tension by the end of June 1520 led to the forced expulsion of the Spanish and Tlaxcaltec from Tenochtitlan in an event called La Noche Triste (The Sad Night.) [9] Cortés then started a retreat to Tlaxcala, during which his force was harassed by Aztec skirmishers, and the Aztec leadership resolved to eliminate them as they withdrew.[9]

Battle

After being beleaguered on the causeway leading out of the city, Spanish forces arrived at the plain of Otumba Valley (Otompan), where they were met by an Aztec army intent on their destruction. However, despite the fact that they had already seen horses, seeing Spanish knights in full regalia proved to have shock value, as they had never seen such in open battlefield. Another decisive element was Cortes' decision to directly attack an Aztec general as soon as he recognized the commander and killed him. Despite the poor condition and heavy losses of the Spanish army and the overwhelming number of Aztec warriors, the Spanish prevailed and were able to reach Tlaxcalan to regroup.[10] 20 000 Aztecs were killed. While the town lends its name to this battle, it really occurred in a place called Temalacatitlán.

Footnotes

  1. ^ a b Ancient life in Mexico and Central America. Biblo & Tannen Publishers. 1968. pp. 312. ISBN 9780819602053. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=2vvXsV7Xz2AC&pg=PA312&lpg=PA312&dq=%22Battle+of+Otumba%22&source=bl&ots=EG1t5Y4uT_&sig=_A6C9wBQS7GsX0M5JCSBy3kIfa0&hl=en&ei=AuRQSq6wIqG5jAez3cCqBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6. 
  2. ^ "The Conquest of Mexico: The Battle of Otumba". The Library of Congress. http://www.loc.gov/shop/index.php?action=cCatalog.showItem&cid=58&scid=449&iid=3874&PHPSESSID=f0e52d2e977bbdb790fb311ea7bd8d77. Retrieved 2009-07-06. 
  3. ^ The Spanish Invasion of Mexico 1519–1521. pp. 31. 
  4. ^ The Spanish Invasion of Mexico 1519–1521. pp. 12. 
  5. ^ The Spanish Invasion of Mexico 1519–1521. pp. 13. 
  6. ^ The Spanish Invasion of Mexico 1519–1521. pp. 35. 
  7. ^ The Spanish Invasion of Mexico 1519–1521. pp. 44. 
  8. ^ The Spanish Invasion of Mexico 1519–1521. pp. 45. 
  9. ^ a b The Spanish Invasion of Mexico 1519–1521. pp. 53. 
  10. ^ Gruzinski, Serge. The Aztecs: Rise and Fall of an Empire. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1987.

Sources