The Greatest Stories From History to Astonish, Bewilder, and Stupefy 2
In 1533, a mighty and advanced civilization was spread across the mountains known as the Andes.
The Incas commanded an empire that extended for over three thousand miles and was about twice the area of Texas. It possessed miles of paved roads, elaborate fortifications, and an army of eighty thousand men. Over many centuries, this great empire had also amassed an immeasurable supply of gold.
That’s what attracted Francisco Pizarro, a Spanish conquistador. After arriving on the location, however, his group of men became horrified by the numbers and power of the Incas, and dreaded for their lives. Still, their craving for riches knew no bounds and they were willing to risk everything to get their hands on all that gold.
So Pizzaro formulated a plan that was stunning both in its audacity and in its brutality. He and his soldiers scammed the all-mighty emperor of the Incas, Atahualpa, into attending a conference with them. Then they performed a bloody ambush, murdering thousands of Atahualpa’s men so they could capture the emperor himself. It proved to be a masterstroke that threw the Incas into disorder, and eventually permitted the Spaniards to conquer the entire empire. The cities and defenses of this once glorious empire were diminished to ruins.
The most astonishing thing is that Pizarro even had the spirit to commence this conquest, never mind succeed at it. True, the Spaniards had more advanced weapons – crossbows and guns – but only enough for a handful of their soldiers. It remains an astounding fact that he overthrew a well-fortified empire of over 6 million warlike people – with just 150 men.
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