Since there was no easy way to get back to Spain, his troops would have to make the best of it under Cortez's orders. It took away any incentive to rebel or mutiny.
Hernan Cortes ordered his men to burn all but one of their ships. Cortes reasoned that by eliminating their only method of retreat, his men had no choice but to fight hard to win against the Aztecs, which they ultimately did (Global Business Today (2010)).
Rape, pillage and burn. He conquered Mexico.
burn the ships!
Yes, to prevent a mutiny.
because they need to go and destroy all the ships before the other people steel it
He literally ordered them to burn their ships.
To prevent any of his henchmen to try a mutiny and return home; by burning his boats he ensured there was no return ticket.
There is no record of such a quotation, but the idea of burning ships seems to have originated with the Greeks in the 4th or 5th century BC. * Hernan Cortes, sailing into Yucatan (Mexico) to conquer the Aztecs in 1519, ordered all but one of his ships scuttled so that none of his force could retreat back to Cuba. (The remaining ship sailed back to Spain with gold, and to bring word of his intentions.) For any of several reasons, the act has been erroneously perpetuated as "burning" the ships.
By conquest , pillage and burn. Both Mexico and Peru were conquered by Hernan Cortes and Francisco Pizarro, respectively. Then, both countries remained as overseas colonies of the Spanish empire for more than 300 years.
crude
burn it
Exuro naues.