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futility of resistance because of the superiority of the Aztec troops. Taking advantage of their numerical superiority would not accomplish this. The enemy would merely adopt its traditional defense-in-depth strategy, and the war would devolve into one of conquest. It was the Aztecs' lack of initial success in this type of struggle that had prompted the flower war in the first place. Consequently, to show off individual ability, the xochiyaoyotl was fought with equal numbers of warriors on each side, and it could be conducted with far fewer warriors than a war of conquest.
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A second purpose underlying flower wars was attrition. Those forces actually engaged in combat were equal, but the numerically inferior side normally suffered more because its losses represented a greater percentage of its overall forces. Similarly, since combatants were relieved periodically, the numerically superior side could withdraw soldiers more frequently and give them longer rests. Thus the larger opponent enjoyed advantages that were telling in the long run: a xochiyaoyotl ultimately resulted in a weakened opponent. |
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A third purpose of flower wars was to allow continued hostilities against a determined opponent at a low level of intensity. Few troops were required, yet a successful flower war contained the threat and permitted the Aztecs to carry out simultaneous wars and expansion elsewhere. |
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But propaganda was perhaps the most significant purpose of flower wars. Even if the Aztecs did not subdue their opponents outright in a war of conquest, engaging them in a xochiyaoyotl permitted a continued show of force and resolve as a warning to other city-states. Flower wars kept their opponents on the defensive (they were inevitably fought in the enemy's territory), and a significant show of could lead to some realignment of the enemy's allies. |
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If the enemy did not yield to Aztec pressure in a flower war, the conflict became increasingly mortal. This was especially likely after encirclement was complete and the xochiyaoyotl had sapped the opponent's best manpower. As the superior force the Aztecs controlled the nature of the conflict, changing it as it suited their purposes. |
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In short, flower wars were an efficient means of continuing a conflict that was too costly to conclude immediately. They allowed the Aztecs to encircle and undercut their opponents, to chip away at enemy territory and cut off allied support, to use their numerical superiority to reduce the strength of their opponents, and to continue |
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