3. The Spanish Conquest of the Aztec Empire (1519-21)
In 1519, Hernán Cortés led Spanish forces into the Aztec Empire, culminating in the fall of Tenochtitlán in 1521. The conquest resulted in the destruction of the Aztec capital and the collapse of their civilization. This cultural devastation mirrored the later fall of the Inca Empire, where Spanish forces similarly dismantled a sophisticated society, leading to the loss of indigenous cultures and the imposition of European norms. The Spanish conquests in both regions had profound and lasting impacts on the Americas (via history.com).
