Aztec Empire Wars And Turning Points

What we verified before publishing

Fact-check status: passed

The following claims were verified through Perplexity Sonar before the questions were finalised. The host can reference any of them during play:

• The Aztec Triple Alliance was formed in 1428 between Tenochtitlan, Texcoco, and Tlacopan after defeating the Tepanec Empire.
• The Tepanec War marked the birth of the Aztec empire by destroying the city of Azcapotzalco and establishing coalition dominance.
• Flower Wars were pre-arranged ritual battles fought specifically to collect prisoners for sacrifice to the gods rather than for territory.
• Native accounts state Tlacaelel instigated Flower Wars to appease the gods during a massive drought in the Basin of Mexico from 1450 to 1454.
• The Flower Wars were primarily waged between the Aztec Empire and their arch-enemy, the city of Tlaxcala.
• In 1479, Aztec leader Axayacatl launched a major invasion of the Purépecha Empire with 32,000 soldiers but lost over 90% of his army.
• The Purépecha Empire secured a resounding victory against the Aztecs in 1479 by killing or capturing over 90% of Axayacatl's invading army.
• On August 13, 1521, the Spanish and their indigenous allies defeated the Aztec leader Cuauhtémoc, causing the fall of Tenochtitlan.
• The Battle of Tenochtitlan lasted 93 days from May 22 to August 13, 1521, ending the Aztec Empire.
• A devastating smallpox outbreak combined with superior Spanish weaponry enabled the conquest of Tenochtitlan in 1521.
• In 1418, the city of Texcoco was temporarily conquered by Mexica and Tepanec forces prior to the formation of the Triple Alliance.
• The Aztec leader Huexotzinca fought in one of several Flower Wars that exemplified the military culture of fighting for dominance and sacrificial captives.