FIRST+DRAFT

Aztec Military Arriving from their homeland in the north, the Aztecs were one of the youngest civilizations in the Valley of Mexico. Their youth as an empire did not prevent the Aztecs from becoming one of the strongest and perhaps the most feared military powers in Mesoamerica.
 * Introduction: **

Aztec warriors had a vast array of weapons available with which to wage wars. Some were used for distance and others for hand-to-hand combat, all required skill and training to utilize.
 * Weapons/Armor: **

The bow and arrow (tlahuitolli and yaomime) and the slingshot (tematlatl) were the long distance weapons. The soldiers using these weapons generally did not need additional training, since they were also used for non-militaristic purposes such as hunting. The range for the bow was approximately 450 feet. Swords (macuahuitl) and short spears (tepoztopilli) were the close range weapons used by soldiers who had received specialized training since their use was limited to warfare. The macuahuitl was a wooden sword that utilized a stone or obsidian blade. The tepoztopilli, also called the thrusting spear, was helpful in close quarters and was probably not thrown.

In order to gain distance and power while throwing a spear, the soldier would use an atlatl. The atlatl had a shorter range than a bow, but maintained devastating power at short range; enough to enable the spear to penetrate the cotton armor of an opposing soldier. The atlatl would have been carved out of wood and elaborately decorated. Aztec warriors wore extremely elaborate costumes that would distinguish rank and/or military order. For example, the Jaguar (ocelomeh) and Eagle (quauntin) warriors would wear costumes resembling their respective animals. Members of the Aztec elite and other high ranking members of the army would wear costumes that were brightly colored. Veteran members of the army would wear armor, generally made out of cotton, under their costumes and might carry a shield. Novices did not wear any armor.

A man’s status as a warrior in Aztec society was that of respect and elevated rank. At birth, it was not uncommon for a boy’s umbilical cord to be dried and buried on a battlefield signifying the profession the boy might one day attain. All children in Aztec society were given an education. The difference for males born to a commoner and one born into an elite family is the amount of specific military training they may receive before entering the army.
 * The Aztec Warrior: **

Any man was eligible to join the army. Men of a lower social class could easily rise to a position of prestige due to his prowess on the battlefield. Novice fighters were not considered to be fully part of the Aztec army until they captured their first prisoner. Some scholars suggest that a man’s rank in the army was determined by the number of people he captured rather than killed.

The Aztecs were incredibly organized when making decisions about waging war. They carefully chose city-states and parts of empires that would be worth the effort and risk of war. Small towns were not overrun unless they had particular importance to a campaign. If those towns were desired at a later time, the Aztecs would use force if intimidation was ineffective.
 * Battle Strategy: **

Traveling on a campaign was another logistical problem. Aztecs did not have the use of animals such as horses to aid in moving an army and its supplies. The army’s mobility was limited to walking while weighed down with supplies and weapons carried by soldiers and servants. Trade roads were most often used to transport the immense army. These roads were small, only allowing about two soldiers to walk abreast. Due to the nature of the roads, it was impossible to hide the fearsome army. In an effort to mask the size of the oncoming force and expedite the travel time, several routes were taken.

Another factor that determined when to campaign was the weather. Since many members and servants in the army were farmers, campaigns were not held during months important to agriculture. The rainy months of the summer made travel across the landscape nearly impossible. The ideal months for campaigning were in the dry season; generally between December and April.

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">On the battlefield, the same level of organization and strategy employed in the planning of campaigns is found in the choreography of the battle. Archers and slingers would initiate the fight. Although arrows and slingshots could reach incredible distances, to preserve ammunition and improve accuracy the archers hold their fire until the opposing armies stood at fairly close range. Following the barrage of projectiles, came the first of the soldiers.

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">These warriors would be some of the fiercest and most experienced out of the entire army. A few spears would be thrown by this group, but as the armies came together, the atlatl made that tactic impractical. Instead, swords and small thrusting spears would become the weapon of choice. After the first line, came units of veteran soldiers. Novice soldiers were the last to enter the battle. A few veteran soldiers would lead the neophytes in an effort to allow them to gain practical battle experience while keeping them from the main fighting.

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">When conquering a nation or city-state, the Aztecs typically did not destroy the city. The economic benefits of a particular city or region could not be exploited if the area was demolished. However, in many cases, the temples of rival deities would be burned. Doing this served a couple of important purposes. The destruction of the temple is a way to assert Aztec superiority, quelling any resistance. The more practical aspect is that the temple was a heavily fortified building that stored weapons and other supplies for war.

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Similar to most other wars for conquest, many soldiers were killed, certain non combatants would be killed to ensure cooperation, lands would be seized and the conquered state would be added to the Aztec’s numerous tributary states. While some of the seized property may have been given to nobles and commoners of the Aztec empire, most was left in the possession of the conquered nation. For the most part, the Aztecs uses a hegemonic approach to governing their tributaries. Rather than stationing nobles and army units in the cities, they were left to police themselves. This could potentially be detrimental to the empire if the city thought that the control of the Aztec king was waning. For this reason, the king was chosen based on military ability.

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Ross Hassig asserts in his essay Aztec Warfare: Imperial Expansion and Political Control “many of the religious explanations were ex post facto rationalizations for warfare—ideological overlays to justify actions they were determined to take.” Political and economic desires have long been motivations for pursuing warfare. Along with many empires, the Aztecs definitely had imperialistic reasons for waging war with their neighbors. This imperialistic war might have arisen by the power differences between the societies as well as the need for the Aztec Empire to expand (Hassig). As the Aztec empire increased in size and complexity, the amount of warfare perpetrated by the Aztecs also increased.
 * <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Motivations: **

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">One economic possibility is the growing need for food that a small empire was not able to meet. Tenochtitlan was established on an island in Lake Texcoco. It is a good place from a military standpoint to build a city. The surrounding water makes attacks on Tenochtitlan difficult for prospective invaders and it is an incredibly defensible position for the Aztecs. The problem arises when the empire begins to grow. Agricultural adaptations were created to better exploit the unusual environment. When the number of people in the empire grows, so does the demand for food. To gain access to larger swatches of land, the Aztecs turned to war and conquest. Many of the areas that were seized in war were situated in a valley floor; an area generally with a large amount of prime agricultural land.

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">There were also aspects of religion that motivated warfare. In the Aztec religion, the people believed that they owed a blood debt to the gods, which could be repaid through human sacrifice. Another belief was that the gods were nourished by the blood of human sacrifices. Huitzilopochtli was their god of the sun and warfare, and was a primary god in the Aztec beliefs. Wars provided a convenient environment to capture potential sacrifices for the numerous ceremonies to appease the gods.

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">One such ceremony was Tlacaxipeualiztli, The Feast of the Flaying of Men. This was a month long ceremony in which warfare was reestablished as an integral part of Aztec life. During the festival, there were many mock battles, depictions of the gods on the Templo mayor, human sacrifices and public displays of hearts, heads and skins. Warriors played an important role in the ritual, many participating in the battles and providing other ceremonial aid.

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">A “flowery war’s” primary purpose was not to conquer the opposing side, but was rather used as a way to provide military training and practice. Two states would agree to conduct the Flowery Wars (xochiyaoyotl), sending their warriors to conduct battles. In the early fights, there were few intentional injuries or deaths and any captives were returned at the war’s completion.
 * <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">The Flowery War: **

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Over time, what used to be a training exercise was used as a means to provide sacrifices to the gods. Chimalpahin Quauthtlehuanitzin wrote of the flowery wars. He describes the agreed upon battles between the Mexica of Tenochtitlán and the Chalca of Chalco Atenco. During this time, the nobles of both states were returned and only some of the commoners were killed. After a time, the flowery war turned into an “angry war” where an increased number of people were injured or killed and captives were taken to be sacrificed rather than being returned to their family.

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Over time, the ritual battles called, xochiyaoyotl, became ingrained in Aztec culture and neighboring communities The Aztecs believed that their gods were nourished on the blood of human sacrifices, so the captives were taken to be sacrificed to Huitzilopochtli, the Aztec god of war and the sun. Captives went willingly to the temple to be sacrificed because it was viewed as honorable.

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Another possible purpose of the Flowery wars was a way for the Aztecs to conquer rival empires with minimal loss. By fighting an outright war, the Aztecs may still have come away from a victory severely weakened. A flower war allowed the Aztecs to showcase their military prowess without suffering devastating losses. In some cases, the rival would simply submit. In others, the Aztecs would slowly begin to acquire pieces of the rival nation to add to their tributaries.

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">The Aztecs were a fierce empire that stressed military power in their culture. Warriors were some of the most important members of Aztec society, and any king had to be a strong warrior in order to keep the empire from crumbling or erupting due to rebellion. Overall, the Aztecs were unique in several aspects of warfare, from what weapons they used to their military orders to how they chose which areas to conquer. Aztec warfare was highly organized and perpetrated with careful considerations that often left them as the victors.
 * <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Conclusion: **


 * <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Works Cited: **

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Aztec-History.com. Aztec History. <http://www.aztec-history.com/index.html> c. 2006-2010

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Carrasco, David. Give me Some Skin: The Charisma of the Aztec Warrior. Vol. 35, No. 1, Mesoamerican Religions <http://www.jstor.org/stable/1063008>

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Hassig, Ross. Aztec Warfare: Imperial Expansion and Political Control. C. 1988. University of Oklahoma Press

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Hassig, Ross. War and Society in Ancient Mesoamerica. c. 1992 University of California Press

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Hicks, Frederic. “Flowery War” in Aztec History. [|American Ethnologist] Vol. 6, No. 1. February 1979. < []>

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Isaac, Barry L. Aztec Warfare: Goals and Battlefield Comportment. [|Ethnology]Vol. 22, No. 2. April 1983. < []>

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Isaac, Barry L. Aztec “Flowery War”: A Geopolitical Explanation. [|Journal of Anthropological Research] Vol. 39, No. 4. 1983 <[]>