2. Disease played a huge part in the fall of the Aztec empire. After Cortes landed in Mexico, another Spanish army came and attacked them. In this new group was an African being held as a slave, who had smallpox, a very contagious disease. One of Cortes' men contracted the disease. When they returned, the Aztec army quickly overwhelmed the Spanish, killing many and causing the rest to retreat. The soldier was killed, and, likely when his body was looted, an Aztec caught the disease. Quickly, smallpox spread among the population. The people had no resistance and no idea how to treat it. In many cases, everyone in a house died. With no time to bury so many people, houses were simply demolished over the bodies. During the siege of Tenochtitlan in 1520, the population was not only low on food but dying of smallpox. 25% of the empire is said to have been lost to the disease alone. But more importantly, the Aztec chain of command was in ruins. The emperor, Cuitláhuac, died of smallpox, along with many of the leaders of the army, this led to the Spanish having an upper hand to the Aztec. With these new found diseases the Aztecs lost many leaders and soldiers which contributed to the fall of the Aztecs and the Spanish’s success. 2. Disease played a huge part in the fall of the Aztec empire. After Cortes landed in Mexico, another Spanish army came and attacked them. In this new group was an African being held as a slave, who had smallpox, a very contagious disease. One of Cortes' men contracted the disease. When they returned, the Aztec army quickly overwhelmed the Spanish, killing many and causing the rest to retreat. The soldier was killed, and, likely when his body was looted, an Aztec caught the disease. Quickly, smallpox spread among the population. The people had no resistance and no idea how to treat it. In many cases, everyone in a house died. With no time to bury so many people, houses were simply demolished over the bodies. During the siege of Tenochtitlan in 1520, the population was not only low on food but dying of smallpox. 25% of the empire is said to have been lost to the disease alone. But more importantly, the Aztec chain of command was in ruins. The emperor, Cuitláhuac, died of smallpox, along with many of the leaders of the army, this led to the Spanish having an upper hand to the Aztec. With these new found diseases the Aztecs lost many leaders and soldiers which contributed to the fall of the Aztecs and the Spanish’s success. 2. Disease played a huge part in the fall of the Aztec empire. After Cortes landed in Mexico, another Spanish army came and attacked them. In this new group was an African being held as a slave, who had smallpox, a very contagious disease. One of Cortes' men contracted the disease. When they returned, the Aztec army quickly overwhelmed the Spanish, killing many and causing the rest to retreat. The soldier was killed, and, likely when his body was looted, an Aztec caught the disease. Quickly, smallpox spread among the population. The people had no resistance and no idea how to treat it. In many cases, everyone in a house died. With no time to bury so many people, houses were simply demolished over the bodies. During the siege of Tenochtitlan in 1520, the population was not only low on food but dying of smallpox. 25% of the empire is said to have been lost to the disease alone. But more importantly, the Aztec chain of command was in ruins. The emperor, Cuitláhuac, died of smallpox, along with many of the leaders of the army, this led to the Spanish having an upper hand to the Aztec. With these new found diseases the Aztecs lost many leaders and soldiers which contributed to the fall of the Aztecs and the Spanish’s success. 2. Disease played a huge part in the fall of the Aztec empire. After Cortes