Mar 17, 1999
1 . Article form (7%)
2 . Tenochtitlan case study (10%)
3. Macia, mozambique case study (13%)
4. A comparison of Tenochtitlan and Mozambique circumstances (15%)
5. Summary of the gun dust arguments in Stearns (35%)
6. Discussion and evaluate of gun powder fights in the lumination of the Tenochtitlan and Macia, mozambique case studies (20%)
Before wars had been fought to get land, riches, and fame. Two this sort of examples of this are the fight of Tenochtitlan and Mozambique. These are two battles that disprove the gun powdered superiority theory. Certain countries look to get an advantage, with some such things as weapons, canons, and steel shield. Some countries look to gain an advantage through superior numbers. Several Military leaders simply believed they were superior to all their adversaries. Such as the case in Tenochtitlan.
The purpose for the invasion of Mexico is usually not clear yet , has explained above it is usually for electrical power, land, or perhaps money. In such a case Cortes wanted gold that he hoped he could take from a primitive people. In April 1521Cortes acquired reached Tenochtitlan. This would mark the beginning of the battle between the Spanish plus the Aztec. Prior to the Spanish arrived in Mexico, a sickness pennyless out. This epidemic was small pox. Small pox decimated villages. Small pox caused imperfections on persons faces, this caused all their bodies to be stiff, and made some people struggling to move. And when things were in this condition, the Spaniards came (Sources, 70 L. ). 12 Spanish vessels had come, traveling the coast and looking for locations to terrain. The Spanish managed to get two boats in. It is noted that these motorboats came in fighting. There were fatalities on both equally sides, and on both equally sides captives were taken. (Sources, 70 T. ). It really is recorded that at the first sight in the Spaniards the natives ran. With the village emptied the Spaniards had taken as they happy. As the Spaniards continuing they came to a place where fortress was well fortified. This presented no barrier as they employed their canons to boost down the wall. and the last time finally the wall membrane went to the earth once and for all (sources, 70 T. ) Once inside, the Tzilacatzin plus some other a warrior went out to manage the onset Spaniards. These kinds of warriors utilized nothing more than rocks repeal the oncoming Spanish. This sent the Spaniards retreating. Many of these warriors hid in the thick brush, and as the Spaniards came through the warriors wait them. The Spaniards got come with nitroglycerine nitroc and weapons and when ambushed these firearms did not support. The selection is usually not certain but I actually dont consider the Aztec had weapons of all kinds. Then this individual went and threw a Spaniard down, knocking him to the floor (Sources 71 L. ). The captives were taken up Yacacolca and sacrificed. The spanish language first and everything other second. The mind were hung on skull racks facing the East. The Aztec won this kind of battle but it would be unsuccsefflull.
The second example is the battle in Mozambique. This is like the previously defined battle for the reason that the natives seemed fearful at first, and retaliated to win the battle. The Portuguese found its way to the waterways of Cuama in the year 1593. Dom Pedro de Sousa led them. This struggle was a retaliation of an before battle when the Zimba experienced killed among the Portuguese priests. Dom Pedro de Sousa obtained details about his adversary and quickly raised plenty. 200 Costa da prata and truck Kaffirs (sources, 65 L. ) This individual also required various items of artillery, which he wished to use for the walls. When this failed he was identified to enter by simply assault. He previously part of the trench filled, by which several of his soldiers were wounded by the arrows becoming shot from above. The natives also applied boiling fat and water, which they put on the attackers and scalded them. Additionally they used straightener hooks, that they would stick through the holes of the wall and pick up anyone who came up too close and injured them mortally. Following this encounter the captain ordered his men to camp and so they may rest and tend to the wounded. The captain recently had an idea that will put his men by using an equal ground with the natives. He would build wickerwork casings that his men can stand upon in use their guns resistant to the Zimba. With this strategy nearly ready to go, several of his males claimed to obtain received words from their wives relating a hazard at home. The residents of Sena went to the captain and begged him to abandon the siege of the Zimba and attend to what was of higher importance (Sources 65r). The captain assuming these letters to be true forgotten the duress. At nightfall the Zimba fell upon the camp and wiped out some guys who were even now there. Such as the case in point above the local people were successful.
There were a few similarities in these two challenges. The obvious likeness is that the natives won in both cases. The next similarity is that the victor did not need the use of guns nor pièce. It seems the gunpowder had not been a deciding factor in the outcome of both of these challenges. In the two battles the deciding element was the strategy used by both equally sides leaders. Inside the Tenochtitlan struggle the residents lay concealed the brush and waited to ambush the oncoming Spaniards, and could win with no use of nitroglycerine nitroc. In the struggle Mozambique the natives remained in their fortress and devoid of the use of nitroglycerine nitroc held back the mighty Portuguese. The greatest difference between both of these battles is that in the fight of Mozambique the Portuguese must have grown tired or possibly fearful of fighting the natives. This really is evident due to alleged words they received from their girlfriends or wives. In the challenge of Tenochtitlan the men could have been ambushed and so quickly they did not have time for you to develop fear of the natives and their weaponry.
These two battles present interesting situations where the technologically advanced people lost to a more ancient culture. Stearns adequately discusses how countries became globe powers throughout the use an adaptation of gunpowder. In fact , that goes so far as to say that the only reason nations applying gunpowder dropped, is because of weak central governments. The China had great success with gunpowder and also other countries viewing this success wanted to replicate it. As a result, they appointed specialists to replicate and perhaps improve upon the present guns. In numerous areas, the new military technology contributed decisively to broader social and political changes. (Stearns, 119r). In these cases pièce were utilized to reduce adversary castles to nothing more than scrap rock. This kind of brought about an important change in protection systems. The resulting systems were frequently expensive, but resulted in a core of recent highway proper officers. As stated earlier several countries droped because of fragile central governments. In an effort to prevent this japan banned guns. They sensed the public having firearms would promote revolts. In the end pyschological data reports that countries that modified to using guns had been more successful and maintained electricity longer. In each of the Muslim Empires, decline was the two relative to and hastened by the rise of European rivals, who turned out more good at taking advantage of the power potential proposed by the gun powder wave. (Stearns, 120r).
So the issue remains why did two primitive countries defeat major nations in two distinct battles? Each of our book would have us believe that any nation holding gunpowder technology can be superior to a rustic that does not own that technology. These two fights clearly present that more switches into a airline flight than just technology. In the challenge of Tenochtitlan the egotistical Spanish marched right into their particular death snare. In the struggle Mozambique a number of factors played: 1 . Poor leadership 2 . Poor technique. The captain let his men gets so straight down after their very own first defeat that they did not want to go to come back. Also, it absolutely was very poor technique to attack a fortress where soldiers were looking down on you. The captain a new better strategy but at that time it was past too far his males were afraid fighting again. These two challenges go to show that our experts have above estimated gunpowder. It is a application, but not the deciding factor.