Hernán Cortés, a Spanish explorer and conquistador, played a pivotal role in the conquest of the Aztec Empire. In 1519, he arrived in Mexico with a small force and established alliances with indigenous groups opposed to Aztec rule. Despite setbacks and fierce resistance, Cortés's cunning and military prowess allowed him to penetrate the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan, in 1521. Through a combination of diplomacy and brute force, he ultimately defeated the Aztec emperor Cuauhtémoc, leading to the collapse of the Aztec Empire and the establishment of Spanish rule in Mexico. Cortés's conquest had a profound impact on the indigenous civilizations of Central America, as well as on Spain's global influence.
