The Inca Empire operated with features of a modern totalitarian state. It had no private property, markets, or money. Citizens were subject to forced labor drafts, wore state-mandated clothing, and owed absolute obedience to the emperor, creating a repressive society that bred resentment among its conquered peoples.

The Spanish didn't defeat the Inca Empire at its height. They arrived after a smallpox epidemic killed the emperor and a subsequent brutal civil war between his sons shattered the empire. This left the civilization politically fractured and militarily exhausted, making it ripe for conquest by a small force.

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.

Facing mutiny, Francisco Pizarro drew a line in the sand, offering a stark choice between returning to poverty or pursuing riches through extreme hardship. This dramatic act served as a powerful filter, weeding out the uncommitted and forging an intensely loyal core group—the "Famous 13"—who would stick with him through anything.

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.

For the Spanish, the first concrete evidence of a great southern empire wasn't raw gold, but a raft carrying manufactured goods like golden tweezers and mirrors. These items demonstrated a level of craftsmanship and social organization that signaled a truly advanced civilization, far more than simple resources could.

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.

Despite building a massive, highly organized empire, the Incas had no written language. This means nearly everything known about their history and culture was recorded by the Spanish after the conquest. Their entire legacy is therefore filtered through the lens of their destroyers, creating a fundamentally biased historical record.

Unlike peers seeking wealth, the illiterate Francisco Pizarro was driven by a thirst for glory. This personal ambition, rather than simple greed, fueled his relentless expeditions at an age when most conquistadors had retired, demonstrating that non-material motivations can drive extreme risk-taking.