Tracks the brutal two-year Spanish campaign that ended with the fall of the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan, and the killing of Montezuma II. Key factors in the Spanish victory are addressed, including Cortes' charisma, the aid of Cortes' native interpreter/mistress, the power of steel weapons and armor, and Montezuma's belief that Cortes was a returning god, destined to reclaim the throne.