EMPIRE.

A massacre of Aztec leaders prompted a revolt in Tenochtitlán (depicted at bottom), forcing Cortés into a costly withdrawal on June 30, 1520, recorded by the Spanish as La Noche Triste ("The Night of Sorrows"). Features For the sick, half-starved inhabitants of Tenochtitlán, island capital of the beleaguered Aztec empire, the new year of 1521 offered only severe hardship and continued bloodshed. On November 8, with 2,000 Tlaxcalan warriors, porters, guides and cooks added to the Spanish ranks (the Totonacs had returned home), Cortés boldly marched into Tenochtitlán, where Montezuma extended the Spaniards a diplomatic if wary welcome. Hernán Cortés Charles V Xicotencatl the Elder Montezuma II Despite the Spaniards' advantages in arms and armor, Cortés small landing force was no match for superior Aztec forces. [Extracted from the article]