Who was hernandp cortez and how did he help bring about the end of the Aztec civilization?

Hernán Cortés was a Spanish conquistador who led an expedition that resulted in the fall of the Aztec Empire in the early 16th century. Arriving in Mexico in 1519, he formed alliances with various indigenous groups who were discontented with Aztec rule, which helped him gather support against the Aztecs. His forces captured Tenochtitlán, the Aztec capital, in 1521, exploiting superior weaponry and tactics, as well as the spread of diseases like smallpox that devastated the indigenous population. Cortés's conquest marked a significant turning point in the colonization of the Americas and the decline of indigenous civilizations.