### q3 the invasion of Mesoamerica depended on diplomacy and assassination > The Spanish had earlier military successes of smaller scales, which were a factor of convincing the native leaders (and Montezuma himself) of their usefulness. The diplomatic approach of Cortes was basically to claim Charles V was the emperor of the whole world, and more Spaniards would be coming. My sources don't reveal if the Mexica actually believed them, but it was an easy decision for the local noble to swear loyalty to this powerful but distant monarch in return for a powerful ally against the immediate rival. It can't be also underestimated how much he, and Pizarro in a similar fashion, won by striking directly against the person of ultimate power in the region, capturing and assassinating them, and ensuring the collapse of the power structure. - [[How Cortés' invasion of Mexico was able to be successful#q3 the invasion of Mesoamerica depended on diplomacy and assassination|View in Vault]]