How did a band of a hundred Spaniards singlehandedly bring a 60,000-strong empire to its knees? There is no precedent in history where such a small army conquered an empire against overwhelming, physical odds. Not even the 300 Spartans could come close to this feat.
Was it by the hand of god, as they wrote in their testimonies? What made the Conquistadors accomplish such an impossible feat?
>>452973
guns, germs, and steel :^)
Tribes outside of the Aztec empire helped out.
The natives thought that the Spaniards were angels or messengers of the Gods, so they didn't fight back too much. Also the Spaniards had much more advanced technology and their germs wiped out most of the population there.
My history teacher in 11th grade told me that the aztecs practiced capturing-then-sacrificing warfare while the spanish just fought to kill. Also the spanish were aided by other tribes I think
Well for one the Inca army Pizarro fought was carrying musical instruments, not weapons
I wouldn't give too much credit to the Spanish for their victory when the Incan emperor voluntarily disarmed his own retinue and walked into an obvious ambush along with the heads of the various organs of his government.
Never attribute to European technological superiority that which can be explained by indigenous incompetence.
Despite having literally the sharpest weapons known to men ever (obsidian edged battle axes and clubs) the aztecs were shot by the Spainiards wielding "thunder sticks" i.e. rifles
>>452973
Spaniards were big guys compared to the natives
>>453021
Atahualpa was only protected by like 3 000 men. 200 Spaniards with armor and guns should handle that easily.
>>452973
>ITT: People can't tell Pizarro apart from Cortez.
Anyway, the answer is that the Inca Empire was engaged in a civil war and Pizarro was able to play one side against the other. While this was happening the indigenous were dying of disease, which didn't help matters. Also, you have to realize that the Empire was compromised of hundreds if not thousands of different tribes and ethnic groups who had been conquered by the Inca in the previous decades. These subjects weren't tremendously loyal to the Inca, so when the ruling minority fell, there was no reason for them to be reinstalled by the people.
>>452973
Aztecs and Incas were Merkel tier diplomats, who let a bunch of rare people staying within your empire boundaries? Or worse, invite them to your capital as guest and expect them to respect your customs and ways, of course they would slay the emperor at the first chance.
>>452973
1)the Civil War that was going on
2) the diseases that striked the Empire
3) The Empire was extremely Centralised and nobody knew what to do when the empreror was captured
4) The Empreror being a Retard who got overconfident
5) The Multi Ethnic Nature of the Empire
6) technologically wise The Inca were weaker than the Assyrians
>>452973
They infiltrated the highest strata of the Indigenous' society virtually on arrival, then ransomed, took hostage, killed or corrupted the leaders. Indigenous society was such that, when the leaders were compromised, their people were rendered incapable of independent thought or action. Their "god-emporers" fell before their eyes, and shattered the fabric of the indigenous societies will and capability to react.
>>452973
Again and again.
Inca wasn't exactly stable, ages old empire. It was built on authority of their emperor like 100 years prior the arrival of Pizarro. Right before he arrived, it was ruined by smallpox epidemic and civil war. Pizzaro intelligently exploited existing conflicts(which is a feat on its own) by making allies with warbosses who opposed Inca dominance to take it over.
>>452974
Retarded detected
>Guy who conquered the Inca empire was Related to the guy who conquered the Aztec empire
small fucking world
