To help promote his military campaign against the Spanish, the French emperor Napoleon requested that Gaspare Spontini and two librettists, Etienne de Jouy and Joseph Alphonse d'Esmenard, compose an opera that glorified the conquest of Mexico. The resulting work, Fernand Cortez, ou La conquête du Mexique, premiered at the Paris Opéra on November 28, 1809. The military themes glorify the power and personality of the great Spanish military commander Hernando Cortés. By forcing the audience to think of their own beloved Napoleon as a French counterpart, it was hoped that the subject of the opera would serve as powerful propaganda, and promote Napoleon's campaign against Spain. But the initial run of the opera lasted only 13 performances, after which it was withdrawn from the Opéra's repertoire. Ironically, Spontini revised the drama after Napoleon's fall, adapting it to the new political climate in France with great success. The first version centers around the powerful figure of Cortez and his Aztec lover Amazily. In the revision, equal time is given to Montezuma and his Aztec followers. The opera's main theme is still the military conflict between Spain and Mexico in 1520, and the style of much of the music reflects this, with its martial themes and rhythms. This was Spontini's second French grand opera written for the Paris stage. It followed the brilliant success of his La vestale, and attempted to capture the audience's imagination by presenting a historical romance in an exotic setting. Spontini uses huge double choruses and ensembles, lyrical and romantic melodrama containing scenes of intense pathos and heroism, and military splendor, complete with historical trappings such as live horses and Mexican and Spanish costuming. The revision premiered at the Opéra on May 28, 1817, and was a tremendous popular and critical success.

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