Thursday, November 16, 2006
This Day in Early 16th Century History
On this day in 1532, illiterate Spaniard Francisco Pizarro, with only 180 men and 27 horses captures the Emperor of the Incas, Atahualpa, in northern Peru. The Incas could have fielded perhaps 80,000 warriors, but, in their defense, had just completed a very debilitating civil war where Atahualpa had defeated his brother Huascar. The Incas had perhaps the only workable socialistic society under a very strict hierarchy. Pizarro captured the head of the Empire and the body was largely helpless. Still, 180 to 80,000, yet the Spaniards won. You have to admire the odds. Besides superb steel weapons (West Asian technology) the Spaniards also had smallpox on their side.
# posted by Roger Fraley @ 6:59 AM 
