# Why did the Incas suck at fighting the Spaniards? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 15, 2001, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-incas-suck-at-fighting-the-spaniards/72604 "2001-07-15T21:21:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2012, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-incas-suck-at-fighting-the-spaniards/72604/21 "2012-10-27T18:09:47Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Wikipedia was just coming on line before this thread was started. Not sure how big it was then, but it did exist. I think it was called Wi[Khipu](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quipu)dia. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2012, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-incas-suck-at-fighting-the-spaniards/72604/22 "2012-10-27T18:17:20Z")
Ah, crap. I always get sucked into these zombies. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2012, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-incas-suck-at-fighting-the-spaniards/72604/23 "2012-10-27T21:43:13Z")
> [@Ian\_D.Bergkamp](#): > > I suspect you may be thinking of [1421](http://www.amazon.com/1421-Year-China-Discovered-America/dp/0061564893/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1351341096&sr=8-1&keywords=1421) by Gavin Menzies, which is a very speculative and largely discredited account of China’s “discovery” of America. [1491](http://www.amazon.com/1421-Year-China-Discovered-America/dp/0061564893/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1351341096&sr=8-1&keywords=1421) by Charles Mann, on the other hand, is a much more reliable work, named Book of the Year by the National Academy of Sciences. It’s also a great read. Yes - that’s the one! Hate that guy. And I think he had a sequel. ---
**Author:** ![Lochdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/edb3f5/32.png) [@Lochdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lochdale)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2012, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-incas-suck-at-fighting-the-spaniards/72604/24 "2012-10-28T15:17:00Z")
There is a great book called “Conquest of the Incas” that is well worth a read. A lot of factors as other posters have mentioned. Horses played a big role in several of the battles as the Incas just couldn’t contend with them. The Spanish were soldiers of fortune and desperate. They were technologically advanced and likely larger and stronger than your average Incan. Add to it that the Incas were ruthless, dreadful rulers in their own right so much of the local population weren’t jumping to their defense. One can ask questions as to the tactical nous of the Incans but a lot of factors went against them. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2012, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-incas-suck-at-fighting-the-spaniards/72604/25 "2012-10-28T17:30:09Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Wikipedia was just coming on line before this thread was started. Not sure how big it was then, but it did exist. Searching for “Inca” on Wikipedia leads to the article [Inca Empire](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inca_Empire). Click on “View history” and see that the earliest article is from 4 December 2001, _after_ this question was first posted. It read, in full: > [@](#): > > Tawantinsuyu is the Quechua language name for the nation known in the English language as the Incan Empire. It means simply “the four territories,” and refers to the administrative districts it was divided into: the Chinchasuyu to the north, the Qollasuyu to the south, the Antisuyu to the east and the Kuntisuyu to the west. It was ruled by the Inka from the city of Qosqo. There is also a separate article [Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_conquest_of_the_Inca_Empire), but this was created 5 December 2004. Again, this was _after the OP was first posted_. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2012, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-incas-suck-at-fighting-the-spaniards/72604/26 "2012-10-28T18:47:54Z")
As far as i can see, the Inca Empire was one big slave state. Peoples who were conquered by the Incas were taxed to death, and the rule was harsh. When the spaniards showed up, these tribes allied themselves with them, hoping for liberation (what they got was worse). ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2012, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-incas-suck-at-fighting-the-spaniards/72604/27 "2012-10-28T21:13:30Z")
The main thing not to overlook is that it was not 100,000 Incans vs. a handful of Spaniards. It was a demoralized and disorganized 100,000 Incans against a handful of Spaniards leading around 10-15,000 very motivated and capable natives from the coastal regions. (Some of this was said above but the true bits seem to keep getting smothered by the erroneous trope.) ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2012, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-incas-suck-at-fighting-the-spaniards/72604/28 "2012-10-28T22:58:05Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > What did Pizzaro have? How was he able to both assess the local’s issues with the ruling tribe, and gain their alliance? He would have had to be able to communicate with them, but how? Pizarro had led two previous expeditions to the coast of South America, in 1524 and 1526. From [here:](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_conquest_of_the_Inca_Empire) > [@](#): > > When Pizarro arrived in Peru in 1532, he found it vastly different than when he had been there just five years before. Amid the ruins of the city of Tumbes, he tried to piece together the situation before him. From two young local boys who he had taught how to speak Spanish in order to translate for him, Pizarro learned of the civil war and of the disease that was destroying the Inca Empire.[3] ---
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2012, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-incas-suck-at-fighting-the-spaniards/72604/29 "2012-10-28T23:47:36Z")
Since you’re talking about my country I’ll clarify/repeat some points. 1. Atahualpa biggest mistake was letting Pizarro get to Cajamarca. He could’ve easily had him (and the Spaniards) killed/captured in the very long journey from Piura to Cajamarca (we’e talking a couple hundred kilometers through mountains). He was curious. 2. The Spanish arrived in Cajamarca and took a good military position Atahualpa came surrounded by only a token force, most of his soldier (30-80,000) were outside. When th eInca was captured, the soldiers left and went to their towns, lack of initiave was an essential component of Inca armies. 3. When Pizarro marched to Cuzco, he was seen as a liberator and joined by many groups (Chachapoyas, Chanca). 4. Atahualpa was “less legimitate”. Inca succession was based on the “the most capable”, a shitty way of deciding because it led to wars, intrigues and political factions. 5. The Inca wer almost able to end the spanish conquest twice, once in Cuzco and once in Lima. In both cases, indian forces came to the Sapnish help and saved the day. 6. The “god” factor was quickly dismissed. 7. Manco Inca and later Vilcamamba Incas used guns, horses, and swords to great effect. The conclusion is that Pizarro and the spanish lucked out on etting to cajamarca alive and used intelligence and the internal problems of the Tahuantinsuyu to their advantage. Guns were not that important. Disease may have played a larger factor by killing Huayna Capac (much better ruler than Huascar) and his prefered choice for successor: Ninan Cuyuchi, who was found dead by priests goin to Cuzco to check on him. Upont returning to Huayna Capac,he was also dead; power vacuums are grear nation-destroyers. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-incas-suck-at-fighting-the-spaniards/72604.md?page=1)