Why “Aztec” is being discussed
The most recent Hacker News stories and comments contributing to this topic's mentions.
Where are you getting the "go berserk" part? All of what I've read about the Aztec military is that it was highly hierarchical and organized, having special noble (pipiltin) off…
by babilal · Oct 1, 2026
Not sure why the downvotes? The number was really that high and this is the basic reason the Aztecs were defeated: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018…
by justinator · Oct 1, 2026
I am not sure I am entirely convinced by how you make your point but I think I agree. Here is how I would make the case for it: The Spaniards had armor and combat formation. Hav…
by cassepipe · Oct 1, 2026
I read Bernal Diaz's book about the conquest of Mexico and in it he says that formations of Aztec warriors would break when a conquistador would charge into formations on an arm…
by georgeecollins · Oct 1, 2026
I think it's hard to overstate just how categorical a difference in organizational and social doctrine the Spanish were away from the Aztecs. Everything from tactics to logistic…
by cucumber3732842 · Oct 1, 2026
Small Spanish forces could defeat much larger Aztec forces, particularly in open terrain where cavalry, steel weapons, and armor were effective. Alliances played a role, but bet…
by shin_lao · Oct 1, 2026
Interest
Proportion of Hacker News items mentioning "aztec" over time.
Mentions
Total number of Hacker News items mentioning "aztec" over time.
The Aztecs were a Mesoamerican civilization that flourished in central Mexico from about 1300 to 1521. The Aztec people included different ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those who spoke Nahuatl. Aztec culture was organized into city-states (altepetl), some of which joined to form alliances, political confederations, or empires. The Aztec Empire was a confederation of three city-states established in 1427: Tenochtitlan, Tetzcoco, and Tlacopan. Although the term Aztecs is often narrowly restricted to the Mexica of Tenochtitlan, it is also broadly used to refer to Nahua polities or peoples of central Mexico in the pre-Hispanic era, as well as the Spanish colonial era (1521–1821). Read more on Wikipedia