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Tlaxcala Alliance with Spain

Type Event Region North America Time 1520–1521

Around 1521, the Tlaxcala city-state formally allied with the Spanish conquest forces against the Aztec Empire, providing tens of thousands of warrio…

Timeline

  1. 1519–1520Tlaxcala frontier · MexicoAfter Cortés's forces entered Tlaxcala territory, they fought for several months; though the Tlaxcala resisted stubbornly, they ultimately recognized that the Spanish and the Aztecs were both enemies that could be turned to advantage.
  2. 1520–1521Tlaxcala city · Tlaxcala StateThe two sides concluded a military alliance: Tlaxcala promised to provide warriors and provisions, while Spain pledged to help overthrow Aztec hegemony. The alliance was fully consolidated before the 1521 siege.
  3. 1521Tenochtitlan · MexicoEstimates suggest that between 20,000 and 100,000 Tlaxcala warriors participated in the siege, undertaking the main land assault and post-battle mopping-up operations; the alliance faced its ultimate test in combat.

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