### q5 betray-befriend was a common Spanish strategy in the 1500s > This was not a new tactic for the Spanish by the way. They had developed this befriend-betray strategy during their conquest of the Canary Islands and practiced it in the Caribbean. There, it had undermined the cohesion of indigenous polities, and it had a similar effect in Central Mexico. The Tlaxcalans could never have done this. They understood the concept of course, and may have directed the similar Cholula massacre. However, the Mexica were wary of them, and would have never allowed them enough access under arms to actually carry it out in Tenochtitlan. The Spanish had no such negative history with the Mexica, and so were able to get much closer. - [[How Cortés' invasion of Mexico was able to be successful#q5 betray-befriend was a common Spanish strategy in the 1500s|View in Vault]]