On 18 February 1519, Hernán Cortés embarked on a fateful expedition from Cuba to the Yucatán Peninsula, commanding a fleet of 11 ships and a force of approximately 500 men.
Driven by ambition and the lure of untold riches, he defied orders from the governor of Cuba, Diego Velázquez, who had grown wary of his lieutenant’s growing influence.
This journey would mark the beginning of Spain’s ruthless conquest of the Aztec Empire, as Cortés maneuvered through alliances, warfare, and diplomacy to dismantle one of the most powerful civilizations of the New World.
