Event: 168 Spaniards attacked the Inca Empire, resulting in the massacre of 7,000 Inca and the control of the empire with no Spanish casualties.
Key Questions:
Why was the balance of power so uneven between the Old World and New?
Why did Europeans conquer much of the globe?
Professor Jared Diamond's Theory
Focus: Understanding the roots of power through geography.
Thesis: Geographic factors, including land shape, crops, and animals, significantly influenced the success of different cultures.
Inquiry into how geography explains the events of 1532 and European conquests.
The Conquistadors
A group of Spanish conquistadors, led by Francisco Pizarro, were not professional soldiers but adventurers seeking gold.
They were the first Europeans to travel into the Andes and encounter the Inca Empire.
Inca Empire Overview
By the 1530s, the Inca Empire stretched 2,500 miles along the Andes.
Spain had just recently unified as a state after 700 years of Islamic Moor occupation.
Francisco Pizarro
Background: Grew up in Trujillo, Spain, where he worked as a swineherd.
Notable for his conquest of the Inca Empire.
Agricultural Advantages
Farming development: Farming began in the Fertile Crescent, influencing productivity.
European agriculture benefitted from livestock (horses, oxen) which increased productivity.
Inca agriculture relied on manual labor without large domestic animals, limiting productivity.
Military Technology
European advantages: Horses and steel weapons, such as swords and guns.
Horses were seen as god-like by the Incas, creating fear.
Spanish military tactics included surprise attacks and psychological intimidation.
The Meeting in Cajamarca
Pizarro's men encountered Ataxalpa, the Inca emperor, who underestimated the Spanish threat.
Ataxalpa invited the Spaniards to meet without armed soldiers, believing it would showcase his dominance.
Pizarro's men used their advanced weaponry and tactics to gain the upper hand despite being outnumbered.
The Role of Disease
Smallpox decimated Native American populations post-European contact, creating a demographic advantage for the Spaniards.
The lack of domestic animals in the New World meant fewer diseases evolved among Native Americans.
Capture and Aftermath
Ataxalpa was captured and later executed after promising gold for his freedom.
The conquest led to the colonization of Peru and significant wealth for Spain from gold and silver.
Conclusion
The conquest of the Incas was facilitated not by individual bravery or intelligence but rather by geographic advantage and the historical context of guns, germs, and steel.
The dynamics of power shifted as European nations expanded their empires globally.