### q6 the smallpox epidemic severely destabilized Mesoamerica > This was compounded by the 1520 smallpox epidemic, which also killed a vast number of people, 1/4, maybe 1/3rd of the population died. But the real cost was its effect on the Empire as a whole. It destabilised it on pretty much every level, throwing the political networks that Mesoamerican nations relied on into utter chaos. One effect was that the anti-Mexica factions within several nations, such as Acolhua and Chalco, were able to gain power and supported the Spanish/Tlaxcalans. Others were left paralysed, unable to send aid to the Mexica. Others still were basically threatened into supporting the Spanish, only to abandon them when the first opportunity arose. Although the reactions were diverse, the essential cost of the epidemic/assassination combination was to remove the Mexica's advantages in manpower and resources, and transfer them to the Tlaxcalans and their Spanish allies. - [View Highlight](https://reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/qjv0j1/historians_rightly_point_out_that_cort%C3%A9s_invasion?__readwiseLocation=0%2F2%2F0%2F4%2F2%2F1%2F0%2F0%2F0%2F1%2F0%2F0%2F0%2F5%2F1%2F0%2F2%2F1%2F0%2F0%2F0%2F3%2F1%2F0%2F3%3A1359%2C0%2F3%2F0%2F4%2F2%2F1%2F0%2F0%2F0%2F1%2F0%2F0%2F0%2F5%2F1%2F0%2F2%2F1%2F0%2F0%2F0%2F3%2F1%2F0%2F3%3A895#:~:text=This%20was%20not%20a%20new%2CTlaxcalans%20and%20their%20Spanish%20allies.) - [[How Cortés' invasion of Mexico was able to be successful#q6 the smallpox epidemic severely destabilized Mesoamerica|View in Vault]]