Description
Tsouras is a defense analyst retired from the US Army, and a military historian who has previously published a book on warlords of ancient Central America. Here he profiles the military career of Motecuhzoma, the last of the Aztec emperors before the Spanish arrived: he was absolute master of the Aztec world, an accomplished warrior and general who added to the endless string of Mexica conquests, and was responsible for the wealth and efflorescence of a cosmopolitan civilization like none seen before in the Americas. Distributed in the US by Books International. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
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Places Aztec civilization and history in the context of world history Montezuma (ca. 1466–1520), who had been educated as a priest and had served well as a military commander, ascended to the Aztec throne in about 1502 on the basis of his military record and reputation for piety. As Peter G. Tsouras demonstrates, almost immediately Montezuma transformed himself from a man of good judgment to a pitiless autocrat. He killed indiscriminately at home and waged wars of conquest against his neighbors, adding territory in contemporary Honduras and Nicaragua to his empire. In 1519, Hernán Cortés arrived in Mexico at the head of a Spanish expedition. Montezuma believed the invaders to be gods fulfilling the prophecy that the god Quetzalcoatl would return. He failed to resist and cautiously offered gifts. As a result, Cortés and the conquistadors marched on the capital and seized Montezuma. The monarch fell, surrendering his power, wealth, and even the sovereignty of his people, almost gladly. He became a puppet of the Spaniards and finally allied himself in battle against his own people. When the emperor’s brother at last led an uprising, the ungrateful Spaniards killed Montezuma.Against the backdrop of ancient Mexico’s rich cultural heritage, Tsouras captures the tragedy that befell Mexico during Montezuma’s reign.
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