Aztec Empire
From Alternative History
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Contents
Victory over Spain 1519-1612
Cortés allied himself with the long-time enemy, the Confederacy of Tlaxcala, and arrived at the gates of Tenochtitlan on November 8, 1519, guests of the Aztec Empire.
In June, 9, 1520 hostilities broke out, culminating in the massacre in the Main Temple and the death of Montezuma. The Spaniards fled the town on July 1, 1520. An episode later characterized as La Noche Triste. They and their native allies returned in the spring of 1521 to lay siege to Tenochtitlan. However the Aztecs, under the leadership of the new emperor Cuitláhuac, who successfully defeated the Spanish at the battle at the gates of Tenochtitlan in 1521. After the first Aztec Spanish War the Aztecs suffered greatly from Spanish introduced diseases, primarily smallpox. Eventually the Aztecs became immune to the disease, but only after 35% of the population had been wiped out. Despite all the human sacrifices, the priests could not stop the plague. Which led to a series of protests, and in the end, a massacre of all priests by the enraged population. This ended the priests’ power once and for all. Once the Aztecs had shaken off the effects of the plagues, they began an intense period of Modernization, realizing that they needed to modernize if the Spanish ever returned. After the massacres of priests during the plague, the Aztecs heavily reformed their religion, removing human sacrifice and cannibalism from it, so no more religious riots could take place, and the nations of Europe could not use religion as a pretext for invasion. at the same time the Aztecs began learning how to build Spanish weapons and learn Spanish tactics for war. Gunpowder was in short supply though, as was metal, so traders from Britain and France traded weapons for gold. They also taught the Aztecs how to mine and smelt metal, and manufacture metal weapons and amour. Supplied with advanced weapons, the Aztecs went to war with, and defeated, the Confederacy of Tlaxcala. After the war, the Aztecs did not mass murder their prisoners of war, instead sending, them to work at the metal mines. All this was meant not to aggravate the European nations from going to war, a war the Aztecs knew they would lose.
The second Aztec - Spanish war 1612
The Aztecs remained Neutral for 91 years, remodeling their empire on the European nations. Meanwhile the Spanish were failing a disastrous war with England in 1588, and were low on wealth. The defeat by the Aztecs still ate away at them and finally in the early 17th century, the decision was made by the Spanish king Philip III to gather a vast army and destroy the Aztecs once and for all. The fleet of 45 ships left Spain for Cuba in august 1611, and reached Cuba in November 1611. 9000 men, 200 cannon, and 300 horsemen landed at exactly the same spot Cortes landed 91 years earlier. Aztec scouts spotted the army 3 days later and the news spread to Tenochtitlan. The Aztec army quickly mustered their forces to defend the capital. their forces were armed with newly acquired training and weapons. They engaged the Spanish but were only able to do holding actions, and a large majority of the Aztec forces managed to escape. King Philip III told his generals to crush the Aztec forces that escaped the second siege of the Aztec capital in the battle of Tlaxcala. The Aztec army used it's new European tactics to great effect, 'liberating' 67 cannons, 39 horses; and capturing or killing 3700 men. With this defeat it showed Spain that The Aztecs were a force to be reckoned with and Philip III was forced to recall his troops to Spain. The Aztec empire had emerged stronger and now had a new valuable resources: Cannon and Horses.
The enlightenment
This is an event known by the aztec people as the Easternization. It was called like that after the Emperor Anhua Yahualli aprove many reforms for the creation of a cultural exchange, introducing many european books in the universities and making learning French as an obligatory requirment in the aztec nobility. During this perio, the University of Tenochtitlan and the University of Chichen Itza were founded, leading the knowledge acquisition on the continet; surpassing their south neighbors: the Incan Empire
Alliance with the United States 1792
During the Formation of the United States, the Aztecs supported this new nation, since they felt that a strong America would help them keep the European powers in check. Emperor Montezuma V sent a detachment of Aztec cavalry under George Washington's command. The Eagle warriors also helped the US.
In 1792, The Aztec emperor agreed to send an emissary to Washington DC, knowing that the USA would make a powerful ally in the future. Eventually after the Lousiana Purchase of 1803, the USA/Aztec borders were set at the "Jefferson line" (Basically present Day American/Mexico borders OTL, except Baja California is US territory).
When the 1812 war broke out, the Aztecs went to the aid of their allies, eventually culminating in the US annexation of Canada, but the 1861 crisis (over slaves, no less) led to the Aztec empire being a house divided as well. Fortunately, the Aztec Chancellor, Chuautec O'Hara drew up the O'Hara compromise and ended the 1861 crisis.
The years of prosperity 1800-1900
During this time the Aztec armies clashed with the Spanish yet again in the American/Aztec-Spanish war of 1898. The war ended with Cuba as a free country allied with the Aztecs and US. During this time, Christianity would spread in the Aztec empire, and the modern Empire would become divided between Toyecnemiliztli and Christianity; having each one 50-50% of the population (aprox.).
During this time, the US Government made treaties with the Native American tribes, which ATL are honored, due to keeping good relations with the Aztecs seen as a priority in Washington.
Conflict on the horizon 1920-1941
The Aztec Empire was flourishing in the 19th and early 20th century's, while its southern neighbor, the Incan Empire was weakening. Its empire had always been less stable than the Aztec Empire, but by the start of the 20th century it had lost several of its border states to the Aztecs and the Inca were powerless to stop them. Its economy was in a shambles, the emperor grossly incompetent and the industrial level way behind the times. The elected governments were weak, the emperor still having complete autonomy. In 1917 when it joined the first world war on Germany's side the Incan armies were soundly defeated at the Battle of Chichen Itza in what once was the Mayan empire.
After the war, the Incas were made to pay reparations, which shattered what was left of the national currency. When the great depression hit in 1929 the Incan empire was hit bad and almost collapsed. Unemployment soared, especially in the larger cities, and the political system veered toward extremism. This helped the Fascist Jaguar party gain power. The Jaguar Party was named after the big feline hunter that lived in the jungle, and was modeled on its ferociousness. the jaguar party was headed by a man named Acot Huasac, an ex-air force pilot during the first world war who blamed all the Incans' problems on the Aztecs.
Once the jaguar party came to power and Huasac became chancellor, he wasted no time. New road works were implemented, the silver mines near Quito reopened, and reparations suspended. a new national flag was created, with a pouncing silver jaguar as its emblem.
The Incas created a youth movement called the Jaguar Cubs, designed to indoctrinate them into the Jaguar Party's system. In 1937 the Incas voted Huasac Chancellor for life, and the Emperor became a virtual puppet, and Parliament reduced to a rubber stamp.
The Jaguar Party fostered close ties to their fellow Fascists in Europe and Asia, and signed the Quadite pact with Germany, Italy and Japan.
Huasac reintroduced conscription and increased the army to 600,000 men.
World War II 1938-1947
Although the Incans signed a pact with the other axis nations, the Incans did not go WWII when it broke out in 1939. Soon Germany launched a surprise attack and Poland, Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg and France fell within the first half of 1939 due to the Blitzkrieg tactics. Now only Britain was left to hold the Axis storm. As the Germans and Italians broke though the French lines, the Germans and Spanish signed the Treaty of Santiago, bringing the Spanish into the war. Portugal soon felt threatened by the Spanish and retracted its treaties with Britain. The British looking for aid in their war, sent emissaries to the Aztecs to persuade them and the US to send aid to their struggling war effort. The Aztec not willing to pass up a chance to settle a score with the Spanish soon started sending aid along with limited support from the US. The Germans not to be out done soon began getting support form the Incans such as beef, grain and copper. A cold war soon started between the Aztecs and Incans with large
In the meantime, General Douglas MacArthur was deployed to deal with the Incas. The 3rd US Marine Battalion and the 8th Aztec armored division were at his command. At first, they were thrown back by the Inca Empire, but in 1942, they made a last stand in an old stomping ground, Chichen Itza. The battle lasted for 6 months with Chichen Itza in ruins, but the Incas were defeated, and put on the defensive.
On January 1943, the USA and Aztec Empire finished the Manhattan-Mixco Project;the First atomic bomb. They wasted no time in using it on Quito and Maachu Pichu, killing an est. 500,000 as well as Huasac, and forcing the Incas out of the war. MacArthur dictated peace terms to the acting chancellor, Huana Ata, which included retaining the emperor and a new constitution prohibiting war. But the Inca empire would still be occupied by Aztec and American forces to the present day.
The second part of the XX century (1950-1999)
XXI Century
It is characterized by the Progress Conference, that was a conference given in Tenochtitlan, were the state liders of the US and the Aztecs were invited. Here the President of the US and the Emperor competed much (incluiding their cabinet), so the relations between the empire and U.S. cooled off; making that people though that a war between old allies will start.
