Is Cortes Guilty of violating International Law?
...rt teams bear the names Motecuhzuma and Cuauhtemoc. In contrast there exist the situation where a man, named Cortez, that exerted a profound influence on what Mexico is today is virtually unknown in the country. Why is this? Due to the manner in which the Spaniards conquered Mexico they have often been accused of violating international laws. Is Hernan Cortez guilty of 1) genocide, 2) crimes against peace, 3) war crimes, and 3) Crimes against humanity? Genocide according to the United Nations means actions committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, national ethnical, racial or religious group. The killing of the Aztecs was not Cortez's ultimate end but rather the means to obtain wealth. At first this blinded me but I quickly realize that Cortez was guilty of genocide against the Cholultecas. According to the Aztecs the Spanish were encouraged to destroy Cholula by their allies the Tlaxcaltecas. The Tlaxcaltecas told the Cortez that the Cholultecas were the Aztecs friends and were as brave as the Aztecs. Cortez feeling intimidated marched against the Cholultecas, and inside a closed courtyard slaughtered them. According to another account Cortez raised soldiers against the Cholultecas so as not to give them opportunity to form an alliance with the Tlaxcaltecas. Taking advantage of the situation they entered Cholula with the intent to destroy the city. And this they did as some 3000 Cholultecas were killed in a period of several days. In the beginning of the conquest Cortez may not have had the intent to kill or wage war of aggression but he surely was prepared in the event there was a need. When the Motecuhzuma sent messengers laden with gifts of gold to meet Cortez he was very ungrateful as he ordered them to be chained by their feet and neck. Then he fired off his canon, which caused the messengers to lose their senses. This Cortez did to instill fear in the messengers who he knew would later report what they had seen. A clear example where the Spaniards are guilty of initiating and waging war was during the fiesta of Toxcatl. Cortez's deputy, Pedro de Alvarado, who was paranoid of the Aztecs was seized with an urge to kill the celebrants. Closing the passages and gates to the place where the festival was being held the Spanish ran among the dancers and killed them. This action was the main cause of the revolt that led to the Noche Triste where Aztec warriors killed about half of Cortez's men. Therefore it can be said that Cortez is guilty of Crimes against Peace. The Aztecs were a warrior race but this is what led to their destruction. After the Spaniards were driven out of Tenochtitlan the Aztecs thought that the Spaniards would never return. However when they returned they were even more ruthless with the intent to attack Tenochtitlan and destroy it people. There were constant battles between the Spaniards and the Aztecs and in much case the Aztecs resistance was strong causing the Spaniards to retreat. The Spaniards quickly realized that the only way they could defeat the Aztecs was by destroying the city of Tenochtitlan. In a Battle in the Market place Spanish Calvary men killed many Aztecs and before the Spanish withdrew they burnt the Aztec temple to the ground. As accounted in the book 'Broken Spears, on the day that Tenochtitlan was taken, the Spaniards committed some of the most brutal acts ever inflicted upon the unfortunate people of the land. The air was filled with cries of women and children. By the end of the War when Tenochtitlan had surrendered the city was in ruins. This is an obvious example of War Crimes as the Spaniards plundered public property, wanton the destruction of the city and also they wasted no time in killing. After the war ended one would think the inhumane acts would cease but crimes against humanity were still committed. When the war ended the city was totally destroyed and a great many Indians were dead. For the survivors the flight from the city began but for many it was not the end as the killing still occurred. As the Aztecs left their home Spanish soldiers stationed along the roads search for gold. The bravest and strongest warriors were separated and branded with hot irons either on their cheek or the lips. Cortez rounded up the lords that were alive. They were bounded and taken to Coyoacan and their feet were burnt. These are clear example to show that Cortez is guilty of Crimes against Humanity. Cortez's main motivation was gold and wealth. However, the extent of his actions was unacceptable. Cortez was peaceful greeted by the Aztecs. The freely gave him gold and gifts. This shows that the Aztecs did not intend to flight. However due to Cortez's greed for more and more gold he went to the extreme destroying the great city of Tenochtitlan and killing more that 240,000 Aztecs. Bibliography Modern Latin American 4th edition Thomas E. Skidmore Peter H. smith Open Veins of Latin America Isabel Allende Word Count: 1377 The author argues that the Spanish were completely at fault for the total destruction of the Aztec Empire. In Broken spears, the author explains how many factors other than Spanish power contributed to the downfall of the Aztecs. Not only did the Spanish have many advantages over the Aztecs, but also they also exploited them and took advantage of the cultural difference. The main key aspects to the Spanish victory, is that the Spanish were viewed as gods at first because of their appearance, the Aztecs welcomed the Spanish with gifts and festivities, which showed the Spanish had total control of people. The Aztecs also held a ritual ceremony for the arrival of the “god” that included a human sacrifice, which was seen by the Spanish as a disgusting act, this trigged Spanish hatred for the Aztecs. When the Spanish saw the resources that the Aztecs had, they quickly started taking advantage of the Aztecs weaknesses. The Spanish had more power; they were better equipped than the Aztecs and more advanced. The Aztecs’ leader Montecuhzoma was a weak leader, he was more of a coward, more concerned with his well being and safety than the safety of his people and kingdom so he quickly surrendered under pressure. The Spanish used surrounding enemy tribes to take over the Aztec lands, then began to massacre men, women and children. When the Aztec became angry and started to fight back, they were quickly wrecked by the diseases the Spanish brought with them such as small pox and measles. The Spanish were immune to these diseases because they were well known in Europe and they had been exposed to them for years, but the Aztecs weren’t so entire villages were wiped out in just few weeks which cleared the way for the...