The spread of diseases by the Europeans had a significant impact on the Spanish conquest of the Aztec empire. Indigenous Americans, including the Aztec forces, had not been exposed to diseases brought by the Europeans before and therefore had no immunity to these new illnesses. As a result, the disease outbreaks greatly weakened the Aztec forces, making them more vulnerable in their fight against the Spaniards.
The introduction of diseases, such as smallpox, measles, and typhus, caused a devastating impact on the Aztec population. It is estimated that these diseases, along with other factors like violence and famine, led to the deaths of a significant portion of the Aztec population. This weakened the overall strength of the Aztec empire and its ability to resist the Spanish conquest.
However, it is important to note that the diseases also affected the Spanish forces. While the European invaders had some level of immunity to these diseases, their troops were not completely unaffected. Disease outbreaks among the Spaniards also took a toll on their numbers and slowed down their progress in battles.
Due to the weakened state of the Aztec forces, some indigenous groups, such as the Totonac and Tlaxcalans, decided to ally with the Aztecs and join forces against the Spaniards. The common enemy and the shared threat of diseases led to these alliances, as the indigenous groups saw an opportunity to resist the Europeans together. This further complicated the Spanish conquest, as they had to face not only the weakened Aztec forces but also the additional support from other indigenous communities.
In conclusion, the introduction of diseases by the Europeans had a significant impact on the Spanish conquest of the Aztec empire. The diseases greatly weakened the Aztec forces, making them more vulnerable to the Spaniards and leading to alliances with other indigenous groups. Additionally, the diseases also affected the Spanish forces, slowing down their progress in battles.
How did the introduction of diseases by the Europeans affect the Spanish conquest of the Aztec?After Aztec forces were weakened by disease, they joined with the Totonac and Tlaxcalans to fight against the Spaniards.After Aztec forces were weakened by disease, they joined with the Totonac and Tlaxcalans to fight against the Spaniards.The spread of disease slowed the progression of battles between the Spaniards and the Aztec.The spread of disease slowed the progression of battles between the Spaniards and the Aztec.Indigenous Americans had not been exposed to the diseases before and their immune systems could not tolerate the illnesses, benefiting the Spanish forces.Indigenous Americans had not been exposed to the diseases before and their immune systems could not tolerate the illnesses, benefiting the Spanish forces.Although diseases weakened forces on both sides considerably, deaths from illness were few.
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