Battle of Otumba

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The Battle of Otumba was a pivotal 1520 engagement in central Mexico where Hernán Cortés’s outnumbered Spanish and allied Indigenous forces defeated a large Aztec army, helping to secure the eventual fall of the Aztec Empire.

Aliases (1)

Statements (47)
Predicate Object
instanceOf battle
military engagement
alsoKnownAs Batalla de Otumba
approximateStrengthAztecSide tens of thousands of warriors
approximateStrengthSpanishSide several hundred Spanish soldiers
thousands of Indigenous allies
belligerent Aztec Empire
Indigenous allies of the Spanish
Spanish forces
chronology fought shortly after the Spanish escape from Tenochtitlan
combatant Aztec warriors
Hernán Cortés’s expeditionary force
Tlaxcalan warriors allied with Spain
commander Aztec noble and military leaders
Cuitláhuac
Hernán Cortés
conflict Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire
countryAtTime Aztec Empire
date 1520-07-14
followedBy Spanish retreat to Tlaxcala
historicalEra Age of Discovery
early 16th century
impact boosted morale of Spanish and their Indigenous allies
weakened Aztec military position in central Mexico
involvedEntity Aztec Empire
Spanish Empire
Tlaxcala
location Otumba, central Mexico
Valley of Mexico
notableEvent killing of key Aztec leaders during the battle
notableTactic Spanish cavalry charges against Aztec formations
opponentWeaponUsed obsidian-bladed macuahuitl
spears and atlatls
partOf Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire
precededBy La Noche Triste
relatedEvent Fall of Tenochtitlan (1521)
relatedPlace Tenochtitlan
Tlaxcala
result Spanish and allied Indigenous victory
significance allowed Cortés to preserve his army after retreat from Tenochtitlan
helped secure the eventual fall of the Aztec Empire
pivotal engagement in the Spanish conquest of central Mexico
theater Mesoamerican mainland
weaponUsed Spanish cavalry
crossbows and firearms
steel swords and lances
year 1520

Referenced by (3)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
Battle of Otumba ("Batalla de Otumba")
alsoKnownAs
La Noche Triste
followedBy
Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire
hasPart

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