Which European explorer destroyed the Aztec cvilization?

Hernán Cortés was the European explorer who destroyed the Aztec civilization. In 1519, he led an expedition to Mexico, where he encountered the Aztecs and their emperor, Moctezuma II. Cortés formed alliances with local tribes discontented with Aztec rule and ultimately captured Tenochtitlán in 1521, leading to the fall of the Aztec Empire. His actions were marked by violence, deceit, and the spread of diseases that decimated the indigenous population.