Aztec Military Organization

Timeline

1. c. 1350–1410Tenochtitlan and surrounding calpulli · Valley of MexicoEach calpulli community customarily provided infantry and supplies to the ruler; ordinary warriors fought with obsidian-edged clubs (macuahuitl) and atlatl darts, with military training closely intertwined with religious ritual.
2. 1411–1420Battlefields of the Valley of Mexico · Valley of MexicoIn this period Mexica military pressure on the lake-side city-states intensified, warrior promotion and capture systems became standardized, selection criteria for elite units such as eagle and jaguar warriors were gradually established around this period, and the influence of the military aristocracy rose.
3. 1428–1519Territory of the Aztec Empire · MexicoAfter the founding of the Triple Alliance, military organization integrated the forces of Texcoco and Tlacopan, forming a regular system of campaigns against vassal city-states; tribute collection and military mobilization supported each other, and imperial military power reached its peak.
4. 1519–1521Tenochtitlan · Valley of MexicoSpanish firearms, steel weapons and a smallpox epidemic devastated the Aztec army, vassal city-states defected, and the traditional military organization disintegrated after the fall of Tenochtitlan.