The Siege of Tenochtitlan: Starvation and Strategy

We revisit the fall of Tenochtitlan, but this time we look past the initial shock of the Spanish arrival to focus on the grueling eight-month siege that truly broke the Aztec Empire. Lucas and Luna explore how Hernán Cortés turned the city’s greatest strength—its lake setting—into a trap, using brigantines and severed causeways to cut off food and water supplies. We examine the role of the Tlaxcalan allies, whose numbers dwarfed the Spanish, and the devastating impact of smallpox on a population already starving in their own capital. This episode details the tactical shifts from open battle to urban warfare, the desperate final stand at Tacuba, and the moment Cuauhtémoc surrendered not just to conquerors, but to starvation. #Tenochtitlan #AztecEmpire #HernanCortes #Cuahutemoc #SiegeOfTenochtitlan #Tlaxcala #LakeTexcoco #Cholula #NocheTriste #Brigantines #Chinampas #Smallpox #Mesoamerica #SpanishConquest #Mexica #Nahuatl #FlorentineCodex #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo