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Hernan Cortes’ Most Successful Copycat
Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro (circa 1471 – 1541) pulled off a betrayal of the Incan Emperor Atahualpa (circa 1502 – 1533) that was even more dramatic than that pulled off by Hernan Cortes against Montezuma a decade earlier. It also resulted in the destruction of a native empire, and its replacement by a vast Spanish domain. In 1525, Atahualpa had inherited the northern half of the Incan Empire from his father, while the southern half went to his brother Huascar.
Five years later, Atahualpa attacked his brother, and by 1532, had defeated Huascar and reunited the empire. His reign over a united Incan Empire proved brief, however, for Pizarro showed up soon thereafter. Pizarro had landed in Peru in 1532, established a small colony, then set off to conquer with a small force of about 200 men. En route, he was met by an envoy from Atahualpa. The Inca ruler invited Pizarro to visit him at his camp, where he was resting with his army of about 100,000 men after his recent victory over his brother.