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 Posted: Fri Mar 10, 2006 3:42 pm
Post subject: Who burnt his own ships during a battle? |
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| I recently came across a discussion at work of a General who sailed to a land and after getting there burnt his own ships so his men could not retreat. They were to fight for life or death.Who was this man? What part of History is this from? I am dying to learn more. thanks |
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Posted: Sat Mar 11, 2006 5:43 pm
Post subject: Re: Who burnt his own ships during a battle? |
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It sounds like you are referring to Hernando Cortes, the Spanish conquistador who conquered the Aztec Empire in the 1520s and added Mexico to the Spanish Empire. Cortes was a young adventurer from an impoverished family that claimed aristocratic blood who sailed for the Indies looking for wealth and power. He arrived in Hispaniola, now the Dominican Republic, in 1504. He joined the expedition to conquer Cuba from which he received a gift of land and Indian slaves called a repartimiento.
He was a very ambitious, colorful, and rambunctious character. At times he was close to the Spanish governor, Valazquez, but at other times he was a focus for rebellious elements among the Spanish settlers and in serious trouble with the top officials. In 1518 he was, for a while, in the good graces of the governor and got himself appointed Captain General of an expedition to the Mexican coast, where natives had been found wearing gold jewelry.
He managed to assemble a force of 11 ships, about 600 soldiers, sailors, adventures, and 16 horses, but he did this by overstepping his authority and making extravagant promises. By the time he was ready to sail, he was once again in trouble with Valazquez, who decided to replace him as commander of the expedition. Cortes quickly left Cuba with his ships and men while orders were being prepared for his arrest.
After landing on the eastern coast of Mexico, he realized that in front of him was a massive and very wealthy native empire. Behind him in Cuba was an angry governor, disgrace, and possible imprisonment. What to do? The fiction writers cannot make up stories this good. Cortes decided that he would march inland with his Spaniards and conquer the Aztec Empire, which had a million or more inhabitants and a reputation for cruelty and human sacrifice.
He did not expect any help, so there was little point in maintaining a base on the coast. He would need every single man that he had, and many of them were not nearly as gung ho as he was. He decided that the best way to enforce absolute unity under his command and make sure that no one could desert or stay behind was to burn his ships, which he did. After that no one had any other choice. They would conquer together or die together. There was no other option.
Incredible as it seems Cortes won his gambol and conquered the Aztecs. Many of their subject people were ripe for revolt. He rallied over 100,000 native allies. The Spanish steel swords and steel armor, along with a few guns and a few horses allowed them to pose as invincible, supernatural beings. It was a very long and extensive campaign that I can hardly begin to describe. At his hour of greatest need, when everything seemed lost, a second Spanish expedition arrived with reinforcements of about a thousand men and more horses and guns. To learn more about it, you can google Hernando Cortes or read one of the many large and fascinating books about the conquest of Mexico.
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Posted: Mon Mar 13, 2006 3:45 pm
Post subject: Re: Who burnt his own ships during a battle? |
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Thank you so much. Not only was that more information then I possibly could of found on my own after hours of web surfing, but it was well put together and made me realize how much History excites me. so Thank you David
Chris |
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Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2006 3:57 pm
Post subject: Re: Who burnt his own ships during a battle? |
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| in Chinese history a general named xiang yu around 200 BCE did the exactly same thing |
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