Causes case study — the Spanish conquest of the Aztec and Inca empires
Practice Flashcards
Flip to reveal answersWhat are the three motives historians use to summarise Spanish conquest?
Track your progress — Sign up free to save your progress and get smart review reminders based on spaced repetition.
All 12 Flashcards — Causes case study — the Spanish conquest of the Aztec and Inca empires
Sign up free to track progress and get spaced-repetition review schedules.
Question
What are the three motives historians use to summarise Spanish conquest?
Answer
God, gold, and glory — religious mission, wealth, and personal fame.
Question
Who led the Spanish invasion of the Aztec Empire, and when?
Answer
Hernán Cortés, 1519–1521.
Question
Who led the Spanish invasion of the Inca Empire, and when?
Answer
Francisco Pizarro, from 1532 (fighting continued to 1572).
Question
What was the Requerimiento?
Answer
A legal/religious document read to indigenous peoples demanding they accept Spanish rule and Christianity, or face war.
Question
Why did the Tlaxcalans ally with Cortés?
Answer
They resented paying tribute to the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan, and saw Cortés as a way to break free of Aztec rule.
Question
What was the Inca succession war, and who fought it?
Answer
A civil war between Huascar and Atahualpa over the Inca throne, fought just before Pizarro's arrival; Atahualpa had just won it.
Question
Where and when was Atahualpa captured?
Answer
At Cajamarca, in 1532, by Pizarro's forces.
Question
Why was capturing the emperor such an effective trigger in both conquests?
Answer
Both empires were centred on a single ruler with near-total authority, so removing him caused political collapse and chaos.
Question
What economic prize funded the Spanish empire for two centuries after the conquests?
Answer
Silver, especially from the Potosí mines in the Andes.
Question
Compare the Aztec and Inca causes of collapse.
Answer
Aztec: subject-people tribute resentment (Tlaxcalans) exploited by Cortés. Inca: a succession war (Huascar vs Atahualpa) left the empire divided before Pizarro arrived.
Question
How does this case study fit the long-term/short-term/spark framework?
Answer
Long-term: religious mission and hunger for gold. Short-term: political division inside each empire. Spark: capture of the emperor (Moctezuma II, 1519; Atahualpa, 1532).
Question
In an exam answer using two regions, how should you open when using this case study?
Answer
Name both wars and regions cleanly in the opening line, e.g. the Thirty Years' War (Europe) and the Spanish conquest of the Aztec and Inca empires (Americas).
Read the notes
Full study notes for Causes case study — the Spanish conquest of the Aztec and Inca empires
Topic 11.1 hub
Causes of conflicts
More from Topic 11.1
All flashcards in this topic
History exam skills
Paper structures & tips
Track your progress with spaced repetition
Sign up free — Aimnova tells you exactly which cards to review and when, so you remember everything before your IB exam.
Start Free