Guns, Germs, and Steel - Book Report/Review Example

Lecturer Guns, Germs, and Steel Chapter 3: the Collision at Cajamarca Guns, Germs, and Steel is a multidisciplinary fiction written by Jared Diamond and published by WW Norton in 1997. It gives a historical analysis on how environmental factors contributed to the development, spread and the dominance of the Eurasian civilization up to the contemporary times. According to his explanations, the rise of the Eurasian technological advancements did not result from the intelligence or inherent genetic superiority of the Eurasian people. I will provide a critical and in-depth analysis of the Collision at Cajamarca as one of the major chapters in which Diamond sheds light on the concept of gun, germs and steel which was used to exercise dominance and take over other people’s culture. As Diamond explains, the conquest of Peru by the imperial Spanish came to a climax in 1562 when the Spanish Conquistador Francisco Pizarro conquered Inca emperor Atahualpa. During this battle, several things happened which actually proved how the culture of germs, guns and steel could be used in manipulating an already existing empire. I would like to begin by saying that Francisco successfully used guns to win the battle against his opponents. Although the emperor of Inca had a lot of soldiers in his base at Cajamarca, Peru, he was still defeated by his Spanish invaders who only had a handful of soldiers. To, the Spanish, the number of military men did not matter. What mattered was the type of weapons being used during the fight. Therefore, since the Spanish had a high technology, they would manufacture superior weapons which really enabled them to defeat their enemies during the battle at Cajamarca. This was the ultimate reason for the success of the Spanish soldiers in this war. While the Inca soldiers were using inferior weapons such as stones, wooden clubs, quitted armors, bronze and slingshots, their Spanish counterparts were boasting of more powerful steel armors and swords. This is an instance of gun at work. Meaning, it is obvious that people with superior weapons stand a better chance of winning a battle if they are fighting with those in possession of inferior ones. Therefore, Diamond is right for saying that the Incas were defeated. Their weaponry would be a big blow to them. On the other hand, I would like to agree with this author for attributing the Spanish Conquistador Francisco Pizarro’s victory to germs. Meaning, as Diamond examines, the use of germs enabled them to spread dangerous diseases that inflicted a lot pain to the local population. Of course, this is a right account of history because it clearly gives a picture of what actually happened. One characteristic of Eurasian tactic was the use of diseases to weaken the resistant indigenous people in the areas which were conquered. By spreading Eurasian diseases such as small pox, the Spanish imperialists managed to kill the emperor and his heir before causing a perpetual political instability in this land. Thus, they found it so easy to outdo and started exercising control over them. This is a true character of the Eurasians who were fond of using dangerous diseases to cause agony to those who resisted their forceful invasion. This is a clear indication of how technology was used as an added advantage during such conquests. However, this kind of colonization is quite different from that of the Neolithic revolution that occurred in the old world. The revolution that occurred in the old world did not involve the use of guns, germs or steel. Instead, people were mainly concerned about migration into new areas which would promote their survival. It took a long time for people to spread to different corners of the world. This progressively happened as human beings were moving to new areas so as to start venturing into hunting and gathering. This is a true representation of human history. The issue of civilization has sparked a very hot debate amongst historians. By attributing the disparities in human development to environmental factors, he must be right. Right from the beginning, the development of technology has not been occurring in equal manner in the whole world. Whereas many people link it to European superiority, Diamond takes a different position. He says, “The history of interactions among disparate peoples is what shaped the modern world through conquest, epidemics and genocide. Those collisions created reverberations that have still not died down after many centuries, and that are actively continuing in some of the worlds most troubled areas” (p 81). In this regard, I would like to agree with him for making such a claim. The notion that environmental factors determine the pace of technological advancements of a place is accurate. During the old world, human beings were mainly engaged in hunting and gathering as their main economic activities. However, with the depletion of natural resources, it became inevitable that they would look for an alternative means of livelihood. Thus, human beings had to engage in farming. However, even as it was embraced by many people, still; different places developed in a different manner since each place had different climatic conditions. Unlike the rest of the regions, those in Eurasia had to advance faster because the environmental condition in which they were living produced a good climate that supported the growth and survival of different species of animals and plants which would be later relied upon for food. This is what characterized the life of human beings during the old world. In conclusion, I would like to point out that the use of gun, germs and steel was a strategy which enabled the Spanish to conquer their colonial territories. Their success story during the great Battle of Cajamarca demonstrates how effective this strategy was. However, I am convinced that it was not a brilliant idea to take advantage of one’s technological advancements to oppress other people. The use of viral diseases really caused a lot of agony to the indigenous populations whose health did not matter. Besides, the horse made it easier for the Spanish soldiers to maneuver and penetrate their enemies much easily. This is just an example of how they aggressively conquered the world. Works Cited Diamond, Juma. Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1999. Print. Read More