Why was Cortés able to defeat the Aztec Empire with only 600 soldiers?

A) He was aided by an alliance with Montezuma's non-Aztec peoples.
B) The Aztec leader,Montezuma,died right before Cortés's invasion.
C) Cortés's soldiers' swords were stone-bladed,which was superior to the Aztecs' steel-bladed swords.
D) Cortés tricked the Aztecs into leaving their empire undefended.
E) The Aztecs had already been defeated by Pizzaro.

Cortés

Hernán Cortés, a Spanish Conquistador known for leading an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire in the early 16th century.

Aztec Empire

A Mesoamerican empire that thrived in central Mexico in the 14th to 16th centuries, known for its complex social structure, achievements in mathematics and astronomy, and the capital city of Tenochtitlan.

Montezuma

The ninth Aztec emperor of Mexico, noted for his inability to effectively deal with the Spanish conquest led by Cortés.