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00:16This program contains some violent scenes, parental guidance is advised.
00:35In August 1519, the Spanish adventurer Hernán Cortés prepared to lead his men into the unexplored territories of Central America,
00:44modern-day Mexico.
00:48Lured on by rumors of immense treasure, he and his small band of a few hundred conquistadors had come to
00:56conquer an entire continent, for King, for Country, and for the Holy Catholic Church.
01:27Amen.
01:29Amen.
01:34For what we are about to receive, may the Lord make us truly grateful.
01:48Now, come on, boy.
01:51You see, worse than this, I promise you.
01:54None of us wanted this to happen, did we?
01:59But we are an army, and no army can tolerate disasters.
02:06Velazquez, will you come with us?
02:12What do you think?
02:16Good man.
02:18Release them!
02:25A signal Lopez.
02:28Tell them to sink those ships.
02:40All right, man.
02:43Adia.
02:48Well, gentlemen, no turning back now.
02:59There was now no possibility of returning home.
03:01This is the story of how Cortes and his tiny army took on an entire empire, the Aztecs.
03:12It is one of the greatest but darkest epics in history.
03:17A clash of civilizations that would end in catastrophe and destruction.
03:22I many years ago, one of thebled
03:52than 30 years after Columbus discovered the New World. Explorers from Europe
03:57traveling along its coast began to hear reports of a fabulous city somewhere
04:02deep inside the mysterious continent. There were tales of huge pyramids, of
04:11streets built on water and of an emperor whose palaces were filled with gold. He
04:18ruled a brutal tribe called the Aztecs, who had enslaved millions of people and
04:23believed in human sacrifice.
04:28The Emperor's name was Montezuma.
04:35He ate his prisoners and offered their hearts to the Sun.
04:46One month after sinking his ships at Vera Cruz, Cortes was leading the first ever expedition
04:53to find that emperor and his city, Tenochtitlán.
05:08Four months later, by the time he neared the city, Cortes had won over the Tlaxcala, a rival
05:15tribe to the Aztecs. His few hundred men had been joined by a thousand Indian warriors.
05:23Amongst them was a woman, known to the Spanish as Dona Marina, who acted as a translator.
05:30Look, there it is, Tenochtitlán.
05:39Incredible. Have you ever seen anything like it?
05:45Tenochtitlán contained over 200,000 people. It was bigger than any city in Europe.
05:54So, Velázquez, glad you lived long enough to see this? Was it worth it?
06:00If there's so much gold down there, as they say, Don Cortes, it'll be worth it.
06:08Listen to me. This is not Tlaxcala. This'll be much harder. The Aztecs are real warriors, ruthless. Believe me, I
06:17know. I was once their slave.
06:28It's very big. There must be millions of them down there. We wouldn't have a hope in a battle. No.
06:37We go down and talk to them.
06:39Talk to them. As ambassadors from Spain. Didn't you hear what I said?
07:16You hear what I said?
07:17Eyes front. Make them think you've seen it all before. Don't let them think you're impressed.
07:40Montezuma. Montezuma is coming. The Emperor is coming to meet us.
07:46To explain how Cortes could have taken on so vast an empire, Montezuma has often been portrayed as a superstitious
07:53primitive who believed Cortes to be a god.
07:57In fact, he presided over an advanced civilization that had writing, education, and organized religion.
08:04He ruled over millions of people.
08:10Try not to catch his eye. No one is supposed to look at him.
08:13No one is supposed to look at him.
08:21No one is supposed to look at him.
08:27No one is supposed to look at him.
08:27No one is supposed to look at him.
08:32Are you Montezuma?
08:35Lord, he asks if you are Montezuma.
08:40Yes. I am Montezuma.
08:44Yes, he is Montezuma.
08:47Of course.
08:48Who is this man? What does he want?
08:50What does he say?
08:51He asks why you've come here.
08:53I come as an ambassador of his most Catholic majesty, King Charles.
08:59He wishes to forge a friendship between our great empire and yours.
09:05He sends this gift as a token of his friendship.
09:32You are welcome as the ambassador of your great king.
09:37We have prepared quarters for you in one of our palaces.
09:40Ask for whatever you need.
09:43You will be obeyed.
09:45I have ordered it.
09:59Keep your poxy flowers.
10:02You are just being friendly, Alvarado.
10:09I told you we would be all right.
10:13Montezuma isn't being friendly.
10:15He is showing you how powerful he is.
10:17You should have killed him while you had the chance.
10:20We are here to convert them, not to kill them.
10:26For Jesus Christ, our Lord.
10:31Amen.
11:02Montezuma is waiting for us.
11:15On a clear day from up here you can see the whole city.
11:18Over there, on the other side of the lake, do you see?
11:21The city of our allies, Texcoco.
11:25And on this side, Tacuba.
11:30It's that one enormous spider's web.
11:33And where the fly is caught right in the middle.
11:36Just take a look at all those bridges and causeways.
11:38All they have to do is pull one of them up.
11:46This is where we should build our church.
11:48Up here?
11:49Tell him.
11:51I can't tell him that.
11:52What does he say?
11:54He says how beautiful it is here, Lord.
11:57Then come and see inside.
12:10It stinks.
12:15What is it?
12:16What do you think it is?
12:19It's blood.
12:21It's human blood.
12:22Oh, no.
12:25It's disgusting.
12:28How can you believe in something so vile?
12:30Don't provoke it.
12:32It's barbaric.
12:34We need to purify this place.
12:35Please.
12:36You need God.
12:39The one true God.
12:41I was wrong to let you come up here.
12:43Your religion is an abomination.
12:46This is sacrilege.
13:02Good.
13:07This will have to do until we build our church.
13:13Their gods need blood.
13:15Montezuma himself gives blood every day.
13:18That was probably the most offensive thing you could have done.
13:21Offensive?
13:22What do you call human sacrifice?
13:26Next time, it'll be us up there.
13:29Think about that.
13:40Give me the hammer.
13:46What's he up to now?
13:51What is it?
13:53Get the pickaxes.
13:55Quickly.
14:06You've got the knife.
14:16You've got the knife.
14:17Get the knife.
14:19It's a knife.
14:29That's enough.
14:41Well, this is what we came for.
14:44Then let's get out of here.
14:46Before it's too late.
14:47While we still can.
14:50You don't get it, do you?
14:53This is a sign.
14:55We're being rewarded for doing God's work.
14:57We're not going anywhere.
15:21You must come with us.
15:24I must do what?
15:26You must come with us back to our quarters.
15:30You do not order the Emperor to do anything.
15:32Wait, Quatimok.
15:34Why? Why must I?
15:36If you do not, my men will kill you.
15:41God!
15:41Your Emperor will die!
15:44Kill him now, we've nothing to lose.
15:46You see?
15:47Kill them!
15:48He'll die!
15:48Kill them now!
15:49Stop!
15:50Go with them, Lord.
15:52Or they will kill you.
16:05Capturing Montezuma was Cortes' masterstroke.
16:09Because the Emperor held supreme power, if Cortes controlled him, he controlled much of the empire.
16:20So for months, Cortes held Montezuma prisoner, forcing him to issue orders handing over gold to the Spaniards and banning
16:29human sacrifice.
16:30Oh, God!
16:34Oh, sweetest Christ.
16:38For St. James and our holy Catholic faith.
16:48Don't forget, one-fifth of all that goes to the King.
16:56God!
17:03For St. James and our holy Catholic faith.
17:08In the name of the Lord, O Lord, O Lord, O Lord, O Lord, O Lord, O Lord, O Lord,
17:17O Lord, O Lord, O Lord, O Lord, O Lord, O Lord.
17:22Let me attack them. Now.
17:24Now. Think how many people would die.
17:27Yes, but we could wipe them out. It wouldn't take a moment.
17:30It would be a bloodbath.
17:32They are desecrating our temples. What are you afraid of?
17:36They will leave soon enough.
17:38They will never leave. Why should they?
17:40Remember, Kodemukha, I'm still emperor.
17:45They will leave.
17:49This was brought to me from the ghost.
17:57Our friend Cortez is not all he claims to be.
18:07Ted.
18:17My people call you the son of the sun because of your golden hair.
18:23But the sun does not cheat us.
18:28Are you accusing me of cheating?
18:30I think I am the winner.
18:32I'm not Don Cortez.
18:34What do you mean?
18:35What do you think I mean?
18:41Who are you?
18:42We know who we are.
18:44Yes.
18:45Cheats and liars.
18:46What?
18:47You lied to me.
18:49Don't know what?
18:50Wait.
18:52We lied to you.
18:53You're king.
18:56Your great king, for whom you say you are an ambassador,
18:59has sent an army to arrest you.
19:09You are nothing more than common criminals.
19:20This was Cortez's secret.
19:23He had no official authority from the king of Spain.
19:26In fact, he'd stolen some of his ships and supplies from the governor of Cuba,
19:31who had now sent almost a thousand men to arrest him.
19:37If they captured him, he'd hang.
19:52Leaving Alvarado and a hundred men in charge of Montezuma,
19:56Cortez led his small troop of Spaniards back over the mountains towards the coast.
20:01Heavily outnumbered by the army from Cuba,
20:03Cortez's men had one advantage.
20:06They were used to fighting in the harsh conditions.
20:08you're finally a trial and a half justετεys.
20:09Not a thing to tell me what he did so said
20:10but they used to take us
20:25It doesn't have to hassle him.
20:26Come on.
20:32We'll see ya.
20:34How have you started?
20:46Give them back the swords.
20:53You'll never get away with this.
20:54You'll hang.
20:55Who are you?
20:57Via Fania.
20:59Well, Via Fania.
21:02Why don't you come and take a look at what we've conquered for the king?
21:06For the king?
21:07Yes.
21:08For the king.
21:12You're the same as us.
21:14You want the same things we do.
21:17Join us and be an outlaw.
21:20Never.
21:22Look at this.
21:24It's pure gold.
21:26We've found a city full of it.
21:28It's like a dream come true.
21:30When we get back to Spain, we'll be so rich we'll be treated like heroes.
21:35Not outlaws.
21:36You must be mad.
21:38It's true.
21:39Look.
21:41Come on.
21:42Be a Fania.
21:43You've been a loyal servant to the governor all your life.
21:47Where's it got you?
21:49Come with us.
21:53I'll join you.
21:55I will, too.
21:56Me, too.
21:57And me.
21:58Roblin, Cortez.
21:59Roblin, Cortez.
22:00Idiots.
22:01Roblin, Cortez.
22:05Cortez returned to Tenochtitlan with a thousand new recruits.
22:11But he did not get the reception he expected.
22:16Where is everybody?
22:19Where is everybody?
22:35Don't hold your back.
22:37What the hell happened?
22:38This bastard set his people on us.
22:40Thousands of them.
22:42Look what they've done to me.
22:43If you hadn't started it, nothing would have happened.
22:47You massacred hundreds of unarmed men.
22:49They were going to kill us.
22:50They were celebrating a festival.
22:52It was just a ceremony.
22:54Right, where they rip your hearts out!
22:55They were unarmed, you fools!
22:58Couldn't you see?
22:59They were unarmed.
23:04Stand to.
23:06Everyone.
23:20Get Mogazuma!
23:22Bring him up here!
23:23Pastry him somehow!
23:31Your people will die in their thousands.
23:35Your people, not the Spaniards.
23:38Stop them and you'll save their lives.
23:42They will not listen to me anymore.
23:55Where the hell is he?
23:57You swore.
23:59When you were made emperor, you swore to be the mother of your people.
24:03To carry them on your shoulders.
24:05To be the mirror in which they could see themselves.
24:13Come on!
24:14Come on!
24:15Come on!
24:28Speak with me.
24:28You must stop this now!
24:32Go back to your homes!
24:34No!
24:35Kill them!
24:36Kill them!
24:38Others will take their place!
24:40We will kill them!
24:43These people can be our allies!
24:46You are a traitor!
25:09He's dead.
25:14What the hell do we do now?
25:17This is all your fault.
25:18My fault?
25:19Well, it wasn't anybody else's.
25:20You haven't been so stupid.
25:22Listen to me, boy.
25:23You want some of this?
25:24Go ahead!
25:25We're going to die anyway!
25:27Do you know what they do?
25:28They skin you.
25:29They rip your skin off and then they eat you, you fool!
25:32Stop it!
25:34Take your energy!
25:37We have to find a way out of this.
26:01They're taking up the bridges.
26:04Now we're really trapped.
26:06Then we'll have to build our own bridges as we go.
26:09What are you talking about?
26:11There are at least eight bridges on the shortest causeway alone.
26:14We'd never do it.
26:16We wouldn't stand a chance.
26:17It would be our only chance.
26:20It would be our only chance.
26:20No.
26:21Sandoval's right.
26:23Don't you think...
26:23Alvarado, no.
26:25We would be sitting ducks.
26:31We'll have to build a bridge here and carry it with us.
26:34Lopez?
26:37If we can find enough timber, there's some bloody big gaps.
26:48This way.
27:07That's the king's share.
27:10Whatever happens, that's got to get through.
27:13If it doesn't, we're dead.
27:16And all for the king.
27:18Yes, Villafania.
27:20For the king and God.
27:23You'd better remember her.
27:25And pray.
27:30Right, man.
27:32The rest is yours.
27:48We'll be back.
28:05We'll be back, Jane.
28:13Let's go.
28:13Cheshulah! Cheshulah!
28:19Cheshulah!
28:23Cheshulah!
28:24Cheshulah!
28:25Cheshulah!
28:25Come on, man!
28:27Come on! Come on!
28:28No way to bridge!
28:36Come on, hurry up!
28:41Cheshulah!
28:42Cheshulah!
28:43Quickly now! Come on!
28:46Come on, hurry up!
28:51Lopez, go!
28:53The kings go! Help me!
28:56Go!
28:57Come on!
28:58Come on!
29:05Lopez, the kings go!
29:10We're putting up the dark bridge!
29:18Come on!
29:21Come on!
29:23Come on!
29:26Come on!
29:29Come on!
29:29Malasia!
29:31Malasia!
29:32Help me!
29:39Help me!
29:41Help me!
30:20Cortez lost over three-quarters of his men that night.
30:23Many of them drowned, dragged under by the gold they had stolen.
30:27It would later become known as the Night of Tears.
30:34It was the canoes.
30:37It was a hand bin for the canoes.
30:39The canoes, the canoes.
30:40It wasn't the canoes.
30:42We should never have been there in the first place.
30:46Anybody could have seen that.
30:48Anybody who was a soldier.
30:53They may have to come off.
30:57Hold him while I try to bandage these up.
31:05Hey, I'm not.
31:07Where's the king's gold?
31:08It's gold.
31:10Lost.
31:12All of it?
31:13Nothing.
31:13We were trapped on the wrong side of the causeway.
31:16No gold.
31:18They thought they'd got me, but I used a lance to vault across.
31:21Bloody liar.
31:23He swam like the rest of us.
31:26Alvarado, there's no gold.
31:29Don't you get it?
31:30Don't you understand?
31:31Don't you understand?
31:31That's it.
31:33That's it.
31:36We're finished.
31:38We've got nothing to give the king.
31:51Cortes did the only thing he could, and retreated.
31:54He led his defeated army the 60 miles back to Tlaxcala, home of his main Indian allies.
32:02I found a city full of gold, like a dream come true.
32:09Some dream.
32:12We'll be so rich, we'll be heroes.
32:15Oh.
32:17Shefania.
32:18What?
32:19Shut your mouth.
32:32We'll have to go back.
32:34What?
32:35That's insane.
32:36You saw what happened.
32:38What's the alternative?
32:40Go back home.
32:41And hang.
32:43No.
32:44We have to go back to Tenochchistland.
32:48There aren't enough of us, are there?
32:49Well, there's still plenty of Indians.
32:53Well, this time, we're going after more than gold.
32:58This time, we're going after the biggest prize King Charles has ever had.
33:05We're going to give him the greatest city on earth.
33:09The city's impregnable, you know it is.
33:12How do we get across that lake?
33:14It's straight down through the causeway.
33:16Oh, yeah.
33:17Yes.
33:18That'll work very well, won't it?
33:19Just like it did the last time.
33:22No.
33:23You build a navy.
33:25What?
33:26A navy?
33:28You mean canoes?
33:29No.
33:30I mean proper sailing ships with cannon, so that we can smash through the Aztec loons.
33:38It's more than 60 miles across those mountains.
33:41How do we get them there?
33:45We'll carry them.
33:50Leaving Lopez behind to build 12 ships, Cortes once again crossed over the mountains to Tenochtitlan.
33:57This time, he brought an army of some 10,000 men, his ranks swollen by Indians, who had either been
34:04cajoled or terrified into joining him.
34:08Cortes had started a civil war in the Aztec lands.
34:14He's going to get us all killed, you know.
34:18We have to stop him.
34:28Meanwhile, the Aztec war machine was mobilizing.
34:32Cuauhtémoc had succeeded as emperor.
34:35Unlike Montezuma, he had no qualms about fighting to the death.
34:40Even the channel under the bridge, so deep that they can't cross.
34:44They're not gods.
34:45They're men, like us.
34:47They can die.
34:49We will stop them here.
34:50Or at the next bridge, or the bridge after that.
34:53But we will stop them.
35:01There are almost 300 of us now.
35:04Rojas is with us.
35:05Verdugo is with us.
35:06Now, gentlemen, ask yourselves.
35:08Do you really want to die for one man's wild ambition?
35:26Well, well.
35:29All your old cronies from Cuba.
35:32Huh?
35:33Are you fine, yeah?
35:34What do you want me to do?
35:37To kill me?
35:38Yes, you lunatic.
35:43Well, what are you going to do?
35:45Kill us?
35:47You'll have no one left.
35:50Yes.
35:52Why don't you do that?
35:56Kill us all.
35:59No, my friend.
36:01No, my friend.
36:01Not all.
36:02No, my friend.
36:07Amen.
36:26Well here they are all the mutineers
36:40We'll never know who was involved now
36:43Apart from Don Antonio de Villafana, of course
36:52But whoever was involved had better be with me
36:57From now on
37:08Martin Lopez had built the ships in just 15 weeks
37:12They had felled whole forests of oak to do it
37:16Some 50 feet long and big enough to hold a cannon and 30 men
37:21They were carried in pieces over the mountains by 8,000 Indians
37:35What took you so long?
37:37Oh, we had some extra wood
37:39It's all built another boat
37:43Good man, Lopez
37:44Good man
37:47We advance up the causeways
37:50Supported by the ships
37:52Alvarado from the west, Sandoval from the south
37:55And what about the northern causeway?
37:57We leave that open
37:58Why?
38:00They'll be able to bring in reinforcements and supplies
38:02If we don't leave them on escape routes, they'll have to fight to the death
38:06Isn't that what we want?
38:07No
38:08We are Christians, not savages
38:13I won't see this city destroyed in the name of God
38:32It out of God
38:34Let's go!
38:35Let's go!
38:40Let's go!
39:09Come on!
39:16Come on!
40:00Come on!
40:12Come on!
40:15Come on!
40:40Come on!
40:45Come on!
40:45Come on!
40:47Come on!
40:59Come on!
41:02Come on!
41:31Come on!
42:00Come on!
42:03Come on!
42:20Come on!
42:49Come on!
42:59Come on!
43:03Come on!
43:04Come on!
43:10Come on!
43:15Come on!
43:18Come on!
43:27Come on!
43:29Come on!
43:30Come on!
43:44Let me go! No! No!
43:47Let me go! No!
43:53Stop it! Stop it!
44:00You must demolish the city.
44:02Pull all the houses down, fill in the canals, and flatten it.
44:05Then they won't be able to fight.
44:08God help us.
44:26You can't do it here.
44:34You can't do it.
44:41I'm sorry.
44:41You can't do it.
44:52It'll soon be over.
44:53Happy now?
44:56All I ever wanted was to free my people from the Aztecs.
45:00No matter what the cost.
45:02No matter what.
45:05But it was beautiful.
45:08You think a slave is worried about beauty?
45:11At least I'm honest about what I'm doing.
45:15I didn't just come here grubbing for gold.
45:18What?
45:20What do you mean?
45:22Look!
45:23It's Alvarado!
45:40What?
45:43What?
45:59Come on.
46:22Leave them! Leave them!
46:26Stop it! Stop it!
46:30Stop it!
46:35They are alone!
46:44Stop it!
46:46Stop it!
46:49Stop it!
46:51Stop it!
46:56Stop it!
47:14I've done everything I can to defend my people.
47:33You should kill me now.
47:37No, we are a Christian people.
47:41We came here to bring peace and word of God.
47:48You did this for God.
47:59On the 13th of August, 1521, after eight solid months of fighting and the slaughter of almost
48:07a quarter of a million people, Tenochtitlan finally fell to the conquistadors, but they
48:16found almost no gold.
48:19Cortes had Cuauhtémoc tortured to make him reveal where it was hidden, but it was never
48:23found.
48:27Dona Marina had a son by Cortes, but later married another Spaniard.
48:33Most of the Spaniards remained in the New World, bitter at how little they'd made from the
48:39conquest.
48:41Cortes himself became hugely wealthy, rewarded by a grateful king, but his name is now a
48:48symbol of how one civilization can eradicate another.
48:52Within a century, 90% of the Aztec population had been wiped out by European guns, germs and
49:02steel.
49:04Today, Tenochtitlan is the site of one of the biggest cities in the world, Mexico City.
49:11There is no public statue there of Cortes.
49:16It was all so beautiful before.
49:21But it was not yours.
49:24And now it is.
49:40You can't.
49:46You can't.
49:53You can't.
50:02You can't.
50:03You