Episode
The Longest Siege: Tlatelolco's Last Stand, 1521
- Published
- Jun 6, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 602
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Summary
When Cortés laid siege to Tenochtitlan in 1521, the final stand happened not in the central island city but in its twin, Tlatelolco. This episode focuses on the last 93 days of the Aztec empire, from the cutting of the Chapultepec aqueduct to the final desperate resistance in Tlatelolco's marketplace. Lucas and Luna explore the tactical decisions of Cuauhtémoc, the role of Tlaxcalan allies in the canal warfare, and the devastating impact of smallpox on the defenders. They also discuss the controversial figure of Xicotencatl the Younger, who led Tlaxcalan forces but was later executed by Cortés. The episode draws on the Florentine Codex and the Lienzo de Tlaxcala to reconstruct the battle from both Spanish and indigenous perspectives, ending with Cortés's ambiguous victory and the sack of the city. #Tlatelolco #Tenochtitlan #Cuauhtémoc #Cortés #Tlaxcala #Xicotencatl #smallpox #Chapultepec #FlorentineCodex #LienzodeTlaxcala #Aztecs #Mesoamerica #Conquistadors #SiegeWarfare #1521 #FexingoHistory #History #MilitaryHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo