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Hernán Cortés was a Spanish adventurer and conquistador, (in)famous because of his leading role in the conquest of the Aztec empire.
Cortés was born in 1485 CE in Medellín, the son of an infantry captain. He has been described as a pale sickly child in his youth. His parents sent him to the University of Salamanca to learn law, however he quit after two years. The remainder of his youth was restless, kindled by stories of the New World. He wanted to take part in a military campaign to Naples, but missed it because of an injury. In 1504 CE, fit again, he sailed for Hispaniola.
Initially he established himself as a colonist, working as a notary. He participated in the conquest of the island and established a reputation as a capable administrator, a good leader and a tough fighter, though also greedy. For his work, he received a large estate as a reward. This was a step up to the colonization of Cuba, where his rank rose steadily, eventually reaching alcalde (mayor) of the capital.
From the Spanish island expeditions were launched to mainland America. In 1518 CE the governor of Cuba, Diego Velázquez, decided to reinforce the first expeditions by sending another one. He put Cortés in command but later, growing distrustful, changed his mind. Cortés would have none of that and simply set sail just before Velázquez could sack him. He picked up extra troops in Trinidad and in 1519 CE landed in Yucatan with 11 small ships, 553 soldiers, 110 sailors, 16 horses and some cannons. There he acquired the services of one Malinche, who served as his very valuable interpreter and also his mistress. He boldly took over Veracruz in the name of the Spanish king and scuttled his ships to cut off any hope of retreat for his hesitant men.
Cortés and about half of his his band marched on Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec empire. The Totonacs and Nahuas allied with them, but the Otomis and Tlaxcalans fought them. The Spanish and their allies were victorious every time, for a large part because Cortés picked his enemies carefully. The Tlaxcalans, arch-enemies of the Aztecs, switched to his side once they recognized that he could be a valuable ally. At Cholula he massacred thousands of nobles, possibly to strike fear into the hearts of the others. Cortés kept on focusing on the Aztecs, continuing to send messengers with peace offers, which were ignored. Eventually Moctezuma, the Aztec tlatoani, received the Spanish-Indian army into this capital, to study them. Cortés was struck with awe at the splendor of the city, though it seems to have been as much avarice as veneration.
He saw himself surrounded by an overwhelming force of Aztecs, but shrewdly invited Moctezuma for a visit, then took him prisoner. Before he could capitalize on this success, he first had to fight his countrymen, as Velázquez had sent another expedition under Narváez. Though outnumbered 3:1, he defeated the newcomers. This accomplished, he enlisted the survivors, picked up their horses and supplies and rushed back to Tenochtitlan. Pedro de Alvaro, the lieutenant who he had left in charge of the city, had foolishly butchered many high-ranking nobles in his absence. The Aztecs rose in revolt. Even Moctezuma could not calm them; he was killed by his own people. The Spanish fought for several days, then had to flee the city and later, despite again being vastly outnumbered, cut their way out in the Battle of Otumba. At Tlaxcala the decimated army was reinforced by both Spanish from Cuba and especially Tlaxcalan Indians, who negotiated several privileges. Cortés boldly regrouped, expanded his expeditionary force to a full sized army and marched back. The Aztecs in the meanwhile were suffering from an epidemic of smallpox. When Cortés arrived, he built some ships to dominate Lake Texcoco, besieged Tenochtitlan for 11 weeks, killed the new tlatoani and renamed the capital to Mexico City. After just two years of war, this was the end of the Aztec empire.
Although Cortés had disobeyed Velázquez' orders, king Charles recognized his achievements and made him governor of New Spain. But he prudently appointed four assistants too, which was not to Cortés' liking. Over the years, several other Spaniards interfered with the course set by him, including Velázquez. All vied for power and the position of Cortés was weakened, especially during two years that he wasted on a disastrous expedition into what is now Honduras. In 1528 CE he traveled back to Spain to plead his cause with the king, who made him marquess of the Oaxaca valley, the wealthiest region of New Spain. Yet he was not reinstated as governor; he had been promoted out of his office.
Cortés returned to his estates in 1530 CE. He was confronted by accusations of murdering his wife, though neither convicted nor cleared of these. There was new strife with other Spanish officials. Cortés partially withdrew from politics and directed his attention to his estates and the exploration of the northwest of Mexico.
In 1541 CE he again returned to Spain, where the locals neglected him completely. His last action was participation an expedition against the pirates of the Barbary Coast, where he nearly drowned. In 1547 CE, embittered and heavily in debt, he planned to return to America, but died from pleurisy before he got underway.