Sunset of the Incas

In April 1532, Francisco Pizarro landed on the Peruvian coast, and marched under observation by Incan scouts deep into the interior of the Inca Empire book. Already some years before the Incas have devastated for them new diseases (smallpox and measles), which had spread to Central America to the south and fatally ran. Pizarro found an empire that engaged in a fratricidal war between the brothers Huascar and Atahualpa was. The rapid expansion of the Incas and their forced deportation regime had caused an enormous discontent among the conquered peoples that contributed to the instability of the empire and uprisings of the peoples who now saw an opportunity for liberation, Pizarro was systematically used.

Atahualpa when the Spaniards arrived underestimated the danger they pose. On 15 November 1532 they were welcomed by Atahualpa in Cajamarca, which was widely backed by about 40,000 Inca soldiers, friendly negotiation. The Inca appeared with about 8,000 armed men and left to negotiate, mindful of its vast superiority in place and sit around, at the request of Pizarro weapons. This took advantage of Pizarro and his 159 companions for an ambush and captured Atahualpa, defeated the army of unarmed Incas destructive (Battle of Cajamarca) and massacred alongside the indigenous nobility, many generals of the Incas. The Incas were familiar with European weapons technology and tactics, not what gave the Spanish conquerors in two ways. The firearms, edged weapons and armor made of steel and the reportedly three guns they had with their early-bronze age weaponry, armor made of leather and cotton, bows, spears, lances, wooden maqana (both sides sharpened swords of palm-wood), starry dispute clubs, axes of Copper and oppose warak'a (stone-slings and arrows of three strings) Adequate nothing. Although they had the lasso and LIWI (boleadora) - belt with stones thrown to wrap around the legs of humans and animals so that they fall - but she knew neither horses, rode to where the attackers and their inspired fear, nor fighting dogs, of which the Spaniards are said to have carried numerous.

Atahualpa wanted to redeem themselves against a 50 m² large room full of gold and silver. To all the temples and treasuries have been looted of the empire. Caravans arrived from all parts of the empire, and often delivered the cult objects of entire tribes and villages which are now estimated at a value between 25 and 45 million euros. To melt down the gold and silver ornaments of the Incas, were burning furnaces 34 days long. The Spaniards plundered from the Incas, about 180,000 kg of gold and approximately 16 million kilograms of silver. Although Atahualpa was in the hands of the Spaniards, he still had power to command others stopped and gave the order to kill his brother, who was trapped in Cuzco, out of concern that could conspire against him with the Spaniards. Atahualpa was subsequently convicted in a show trial because of a bogus charge of polygamy, murder and idolatry of Diego de Almagro to death at the stake, which secured and his 150 cronies as a share of the spoils. Pizarro signed the a priori fixed sentence. Because Atahualpa wanted to secure his own immortality as a mummy, he endured a baptism, and became instead of by burning on 26 July 1533 by strangulation with the garrote, executed. The resistance of the Incas, then improved steadily. The previously conquered by the Inca tribes fought on the side of the conqueror, in the hope of thereby achieving their independence. On 15 November 1533 Pizarro reached the capital of Cuzco, which he could take without significant resistance.

1533 Pizarro began the half-brother Atahualpa, Manco Capac II, as a puppet of the Spaniards to the Sapa Inca. For fear of the troops, Atahualpa, in particular the General Quisquis, Manco Capac II allied himself first with Pizarro. But already 1536 he besieged the Spaniards in Cuzco with a force of 200,000 men as his army was cut off but the food in the food depots, she held the siege not. In disputes between Pizarro and Diego de Almagro beat his Manco Capac II, then on the side of Almagro. After Almagro in the Battle of Las Salinas, 26 April 1538 was defeated by Hernando Pizarro and executed in July of that year, drew Manco Capac II, with his followers on the eastern slopes of the Andes, could destroy all the bridges behind him and tried to the Spanish invaders by a kind of guerrilla war from the legendary Vilcabamba to provide for resistance. Pizarro was a trailer Almagro, 26 Murdered in June 1541. Another group of Almagro's followers had cut himself on the run from Pizarro, Manco Capac II, and was treated and entertained by this. 1544 refugees murdered the Inca rulers, because they are still hoping for the favor of the party Almargos (Almargo been killed in the meantime, so they ingratiate himself with his son wanted to). The sons of Manco Capac II, Sayri and Titu Cusi Tupac Yupanqui, led the fight continues.

After her death, her half-brother, Tupac Amaru came to power. During the expedition, the Spaniards occupied on 24 July 1572, the first in the 20th Century rediscovered Vilcabamba. Tupac Amaru was indeed already fled, but his location was betrayed and captured the last Inca. On 24 September 1572 he was executed by beheading in Cuzco. According to legend, the Inca nobility should have escaped and have withdrawn to the lost city of Paititi.