Aztec–Tarascan War

Timeline

1. 1461–1467Tarascan–Aztec border zone · MichoacánIn the late reign of Moctezuma I, the Aztec alliance pushed west to the eastern edge of the Tarascan kingdom, where periodic raids and retaliatory campaigns occurred between vassals and frontier city-states on both sides, but neither broke the balance of power.
2. 1463–1469Tzintzuntzan (Tarascan capital) · MichoacánThe Tarascan kingdom consolidated its western defenses with copper-armed troops, strong fortifications, and flexible cavalry tactics, effectively checking further Aztec westward expansion and becoming the only major power in Mesoamerica to resist Aztec expansion over the long term.
3. 1469–1470Tenochtitlan · Valley of MexicoAfter acceding, Axayacatl openly declared his intention to conquer the Tarascans and strengthened military buildup in the west; relations between the two sides deteriorated sharply in the late 1460s, foreshadowing larger-scale conflict to come.