Throughout their violent conquest and feuds, the Spanish were remarkably legalistic. They constantly sought royal charters, had judges pronounce verdicts, handed down indictments, and appealed for pardons. This obsession with legal process coexisted bizarrely with their extralegal violence and betrayal, used to legitimize their actions.

Francisco Pizarro's initial success was built on a partnership with Diego de Almagro. By negotiating a vastly superior royal deal for himself, he sowed the seeds of a bitter rivalry. This internal feud between the co-founders would fester and ultimately prove fatal to their entire enterprise and their lives.

To provide legal cover for killing Atahualpa, Pizarro held a rudimentary trial. The emperor was charged with a mix of political and religious crimes like regicide and incest, demonstrating the Spaniards' deep-seated need to frame their actions within a legalistic framework for their king.

Once easily accessible gold was gone, the Spanish conquest of Peru transitioned from looting to institutionalized exploitation. Pizarro began granting `encomiendas`—huge tracts of land with thousands of indigenous laborers. This shifted the economic model from a short-term gold heist to a long-term colonial system based on forced tribute.

The conflict was defined by three fracture lines: Spanish-Inca, intra-Inca, and intra-Spanish. The vicious rivalry between the Pizarro and Almagro factions created a power vacuum and chaos that both fueled and complicated the Inca uprising, making it the most dangerous factor.

Conquistador expeditions were entrepreneurial ventures, not state campaigns. Leaders like Pizarro formed partnerships, raised private funds, and invested in high-risk "island hopping" operations hoping for massive returns. This model privatized both the risk of failure and the rewards of success, mirroring modern venture capital.

The conquest of the Americas was a highly legalistic endeavor. Conquistadors sought official royal charters, essentially operating under a franchise model. This legal cover was crucial not for legitimacy with the natives, but to protect their claims from rival Spanish adventurers, blending brute force with bureaucratic procedure.

The Pizarro brothers, Juan and Gonzalo, relentlessly humiliated Emperor Manco by abducting and abusing his wife and sister. This personal cruelty, driven by lust and arrogance, directly sabotaged their fragile alliance and incited the devastating siege of Cusco.

Francisco Pizarro's invasion of Peru was heavily influenced by the recent success of his cousin, Hernán Cortés, in Mexico. The fall of the Aztecs provided a tangible model for conquest, proving that small bands of conquistadors could topple vast empires. This precedent made it easier for Pizarro to secure funding and royal support.