What Factors Led To The Spanish Conquest Of The Aztec And Inca Empire?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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What factors led to the Spanish conquest of the Aztec and Inca empire?

  • Superior Weapons. Spanish weaponry was far superior to anything used by the Aztecs or Incas. …
  • Alliances and Experience. The invading Spanish forces also took advantage of internal divisions within the Aztec and Inca empires. …
  • The Power of Horses. …
  • Deadly Disease.
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What led to the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs?

Cortés’s army besieged Tenochtitlán for 93 days, and

a combination of superior weaponry and a devastating smallpox outbreak

enabled the Spanish to conquer the city. Cortés’s victory destroyed the Aztec empire, and the Spanish began to consolidate control over what became the colony of New Spain.

What factors led to the conquest of the Inca?

While there were many reasons for the fall of the Incan Empire, including

foreign epidemics and advanced weaponry

, the Spaniards skilled manipulation of power played a key role in this great Empire’s demise.

Why did the Spanish conquered the Incas?


The Spanish recognized the wealth and abundance that could be had in this territory

; at this point the Inca Empire was at its largest, measuring around 690,000 square miles. In 1528 Pizarro went back to Spain to ask for the official blessing of the Spanish crown to the conquer the area and become governor.

How did the Spanish conquer the Incas?

With fewer than 200 men against several thousand,

Pizarro lures Atahualpa to a feast in the emperor’s honor and then opens fire on the unarmed Incans

. Pizarro’s men massacre the Incans and capture Atahualpa, forcing him to convert to Christianity before eventually killing him.

What are the three most important reasons for the Spanish conquest?

The overthrow of the Aztec Empire by Cortez and his expedition rests on three factors: The fragility of that empire, the tactical advantages of Spanish technology, and smallpox.

What were the key events in the Spanish conquest?

  • of 10. February 1519: Cortes Outsmarts Velazquez. …
  • of 10. March 1519: Malinche Joins the Expedition. …
  • of 10. August-September 1519: The Tlaxcalan Alliance. …
  • of 10. October 1519: The Cholula Massacre. …
  • of 10. November 1519: The Arrest of Montezuma. …
  • of 10. …
  • of 10. …
  • of 10.

How were the Aztecs and Incas most significantly affected by Spanish exploration?


The Spanish had advanced weapons which helped them defeat the Aztecs

. Also, the Spanish persuaded enemies of the Aztecs to fight. In addition, many Aztecs died from smallpox. The Incas were indigenous (native) people who lived in South America.

What was the most important motivation for the Spanish conquistadors to conquer the Aztec and Inca empires in the Americas?

HERNÁN CORTÉS AND FRANCISCO PIZARRO

Over the decades that followed, the Spanish killed, conquered, and enslaved people from hundreds of different indigenous groups in the New World, but they were perhaps most

interested in the vast riches

of the Aztec and Inca empires.

What was the impact of the Spanish conquest on the Aztecs?

The Spanish had a positive effect on Aztec civilization because they

helped modernize the society

. They introduced the Aztecs to domestic animals, sugar, grains, and European farming practices. Most significantly, the Spanish ended the Aztec’s practice of human sacrifice.

How did the Spanish conquistadors conquered the Incas and Aztecs?

Spanish weaponry was far superior to anything used by the Aztecs or Incas. Cortés and his men used over a dozen large portable guns, mainly for their shock value against the Aztecs.

Pizarro’s conquest of the Incas was also made possible by the use of gunpowder

, a substance the Incas didn’t have at their disposal.

What happened to the Aztec and Inca empires?

Both the Aztec and the Inca empires were

conquered by Spanish conquistadors

; the Aztec Empire was conquered by Cortés, and the Inca Empire was defeated by Pizarro. The Spanish had an advantage over native peoples because the former had guns, cannons, and horses.

How were the conquest of the Aztec and Inca different?

How were the conquest of the Aztec and the Inca similar and different? The Aztec and Inca were both conquered by Spain. However,

the Aztec were mostly taken out by disease; whereas, the Inca were taken out by a large army

.

What were the motives of the Spanish conquistadors?

The Spanish Conquistadors had many goals, but the two primary reasons for conquering were

to steal wealth for their country and to civilize the natives with religion—in particular, Catholicism

.

Why were the Spanish able to conquer the Aztecs quizlet?

Why were the Spanish able to defeat the great Aztec Empire despite their inferior numbers? It was because

the Aztecs thought that they were gods so they would not harm them, the disease of smallpox was killing them, and they had better weapons like guns and steel swords.

Which factor contributed to the fall of both the Inca and the Aztec empires?


The Europeans brought with them diseases such as measles and smallpox against which the American tribes had no natural immunity

. They spread like wildfire, killing rulers of both the Aztecs and Incas, along with millions of other people.

What impact did the conquistadors have on the Aztec and Inca empires?

The spanish conquered the great Aztec and Inca empires by

bringing diseases to kill most of them off quickly scaring them with the horses and using their more advanced superior weapons to kill them

. …

When did the Incas get conquered?

Date

1532–1572
Location Western South America

Why do you think the Spanish were able to defeat the Aztecs and Inca?

The Spanish were able to defeat the Aztec and the Inca not only because they had horses, dogs, guns, and swords, but also

because they brought with them germs that made many native Americans sick

. Diseases like smallpox and measles were unknown among the natives; therefore, they had no immunity to them.

Who conquered the Aztec Empire?

Between 1519 and 1521

Hernán Cortés

and a small band of men brought down the Aztec empire in Mexico, and between 1532 and 1533 Francisco Pizarro and his followers toppled the Inca empire in Peru. These conquests laid the foundations for colonial regimes that would transform the Americas.

Why the Aztec civilization and Inca Empire were unable to trade with one another?

Identify one reason why the Aztec civilization and Inca Empire were unable to trade with one another.

They were located on different continents,and were unaware of each other’s civilizations

.

Who conquered the Aztecs and Incas?

At the time, the Inca Empire was one of the largest empires in the world, ruling over much of the Andean Mountains. The Spanish Conquest of the New World would occur over the next few decades: the Aztec and the Inca Empires were conquered by

Hernán Cortés and Francisco Pizarro

, respectively.

What are four reasons that the Aztecs were defeated?

  • Arrival of the Conquistadors. Hernán Cortés meeting Montezuma II. …
  • Political Crises. The Aztec Empire grew as it conquered neighboring states, but that growth came at a cost. …
  • Disease. When the Spanish arrived, they brought with them smallpox. …
  • Technological Disadvantages. …
  • Siege of Tenochtitlán.

How were the Spanish conquests of the Inca and Aztec empires similar quizlet?

The spanish conquered the great Aztec and Inca empires by

bringing diseases to kill most of them off quickly, scaring them with the horses, and using their more advanced superior weapons to kill them

.

What other reasons explain the rapid conquest of the Spanish invasion?

The main motives of the Spanish conquest of the Americas and the Crusades are similar. Both were motivated by

the desire for riches, the eagerness to spread their religion and culture, the desire to open trade routes, expand their land, gain more power, and learn more about the geography of Earth

.

What are three reasons that explain Spain’s success in building an empire in the Americas?


It killed many of them and made them easier to control

. Second, Spain had much better training as soldiers, had better weapons, and better technology for the time than the Native Americans. Third, Spain was able to enlist the help of some of the nearby Native American groups to help them conquer the Azecs and Incas.

What were Spain’s motives for conquest of the Americas?

Motivations for colonization: Spain’s colonization goals were

to extract gold and silver from the Americas, to stimulate the Spanish economy and make Spain a more powerful country

. Spain also aimed to convert Native Americans to Christianity.

What reasons are given to justify Spanish conquest of the Americas?

Spain proffered three arguments to justify their seizure of the American continents and their subjugation of the native inhabitants:

papal donation, discovery, and conquest

.

Amira Khan
Author
Amira Khan
Amira Khan is a philosopher and scholar of religion with a Ph.D. in philosophy and theology. Amira's expertise includes the history of philosophy and religion, ethics, and the philosophy of science. She is passionate about helping readers navigate complex philosophical and religious concepts in a clear and accessible way.