# Cuitláhuac: The Aztec Emperor Who Defeated Cortés

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-conquistadors-exploration-greed-and-destruction-fexingo-history-7864470/cuitl-huac-the-aztec-emperor-who-defeated-cort-s-2
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-conquistadors-exploration-greed-and-destruction-fexingo-history-7864470/cuitl-huac-the-aztec-emperor-who-defeated-cort-s-2.md
Podcast: [The Conquistadors: Exploration, Greed, and Destruction — Fexingo History](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-conquistadors-exploration-greed-and-destruction-fexingo-history-7864470)
Published: 2026-06-18T02:16:20+00:00
Episode link: https://audio.fexingo.com/history/the-conquistadors/episode-0102.mp3
Audio file: https://audio.fexingo.com/history/the-conquistadors/episode-0102.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-conquistadors-exploration-greed-and-destruction-fexingo-history-7864470/episodes/cuitl-huac-the-aztec-emperor-who-defeated-cort-s-2
Duration seconds: 303

## Resource

Before Cuauhtémoc's final stand, another Mexica ruler briefly held the fate of Tenochtitlan in his hands. Cuitláhuac, the 10th Huey Tlatoani, ruled for just 80 days in 1520—but in that time he organized the military campaign that drove the Spanish from the city on the Noche Triste. This episode explores Cuitláhuac's life, his role as lord of Iztapalapa, his leadership in the Toxcatl massacre, and his sudden death from smallpox that changed the course of the conquest. We examine the Nahuatl sources that record his actions and the mystery of his burial. What if Cuitláhuac had lived? #Cuitláhuac #HueyTlatoani #Iztapalapa #ToxcatlMassacre #NocheTriste #Smallpox #Tenochtitlan #Cortés #Mexica #Aztec #Mesoamerica #FlorentineCodex #BernalDíaz #Conquistadors #History #FexingoHistory #IndigenousResistance #1520 Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

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