The Spaniards that defeated Montezuma existed at a transitional period of warfare. Muscle powered weapons were slowly giving way to fire-fighting. The Spaniards could continue to fight even when their powder & shot were expended as fire-fighting was a “fair-weather” activity in those days.
Then you have the fact that the Aztecs never saw warhorses or war dogs. Both would have been as terrifying as an Abrams or an LAV, and neither of the latter can live of the land.
Finally we know that the Spainiards made use of native allies. This was the key to their victory. The Marine MEU would have to do the same. I think that would be most difficult as that is a SpecOps function and the Italian city-states mostly remained loyal to Rome during Hannibal’s depredations.
“Finally we know that the Spainiards made use of native allies. This was the key to their victory.”
Proper point made. I agree. War dogs are often forgotten as Spanish weapons of that time, good show.
A point of clarification - It was the horse and LANCE (not sword) that were the Conquistador’s decisive weapons. Lightly armored Spanish footmen armed with swords had a tremendous advantage over the indians, granted, but no force of indians ever withstood a mounted cavalry charge.