Technological and Cultural Progress in the Formative Period of South America - Movie Review Example

Film Analysis When considering the dynamics of Western hegemonic power one of the major considerations is the development of South America in the formative period of American colonization. Contemporary political scientists have presented a variety of broad ranging theories that account for the economic prosperity of North America over South America. The film Guns, Germs, and Steel examines many of the pivotal issues surrounding the formative period of South America. In the context of the film, this essay examines why Pizzaro and his men conquered the Incas and not the other way around, and the relevance of geographic factors in explaining Latin American ‘backwardness’. Pizzaro and the Incas In traveling throughout South America, Pizzaro and his band of mercenaries encountered the Incan civilization. Pizzaro would soon start a conquest that would result in his taking over the Incan civilization. There are a variety of complex reasons Pizzaro conquered the Incans and not the other way around. One of the primary arguments is that because of the North American agricultural structure, Pizzaro and the Spanish Empire were able to attain considerable disparity in resources as compared to the Incan Empire. For instance, Europeans were able to harness the power of cattle and horses, greatly improving crop efficiency as compared to the Incans who had to farm by hand. This extended to the actual means of transportation, as Pizzaro’s men had the decided advantage of riding horses, when the Incan Empire did not have this utility. The Europeans developed precise ways of horse riding that gave them considerable military advantage. In addition to the military advantage gained through their horses, the Spanish conquistadors were equipped with some of the best weapons in the world. Even as they had these resources in-plain site, having never been exposed to them the Incans were not aware of the resource advantage the Spanish Empire enjoyed. Because of the nearly seven hundred years of war, the Spanish weapons and experience in warfare were finely tuned. In addition to these advantages, the film argues that the most important advantage the Spanish Conquistadors held was access to steel production. This steel allowed the Spanish soldiers to be suited in considerable armor, and also forage swords that were instrumental in warfare. The Spanish Conquistadors were invited to visit with the Empire of the Incans. Upon this quest the Conquistadors encountered nearly 80,000 Incan soldiers. Upon meeting with the Emperor they were instructed that it was there time to die. In response to these measures, the Spanish Conquistadors decided that they needed to launch a surprise attack against the Incans to ensure a wartime advantage. When the Incans went to encounter the Spanish Conquistadors they went unarmed as a means of demonstrating they were not gods through intimidating them. These factors greatly contributed to the military advantage the Spanish Conquistadors gained over the Incans when they finally invaded by surprise. The Spanish Conquistadors were tremendously successful in their attack. While direct warfare greatly contributed to the Spanish Conquistadors’ success, an even more pervasive element was the rash of germs and diseases the Europeans inadvertently brought over and infected the Incan people with. Added to this was the infusion of small pox from Central America that infected South American regions and weakened them during invasion periods. Notably, this did not affect the Spanish Empire to as great a degree because of the European nations had experienced tremendous disease outbreaks and as a result had developed immunities over a long-period of time. The Incans also did not have a significant history of contact with farm animals that caused diseases, subsequently leading to the development of immunities in the European regions. After the capture of the Incan Emperor, the Spanish were able to exploit his power and connections. They convinced him to get his people to melt down many artifacts and buildings for their gold and resources. After this they put the former ruler to death. It was with this process that the Spanish Conquistadors would spread throughout South America with guns, germs, and steel greatly contributing to their strategic advantages. Geographic Factors and Latin American Backwardness There are a number of geographic factors that contribute to disparate powers relations in the Latin American Empire, as well as proportionate between the South and North American continents. The film argues that in-large part cultural dominance can be attributed to disparities in agricultural prosperity. One of the main contentions is that as beginning with the Fertile Crescent and spreading into Western European regions, Europe was able to gain a significant advantage in terms of agricultural resources. These resources allowed them a considerable wartime advantage over South American regions. One of the major advantages as noted in steel production was one major advantage, as the Incan Empire only had bronze weapons. It seems that because of the considerable experience in warfare and the subsequent need for increased technology led to evolutionary advancements in steel production over the Incans. The rapier can to symbolize this pivotal strategic advantage. The Spanish Conquistadors also enjoyed strategic geographic advantages in-terms of cultural literacy. This advantage gave them access to documents that described how past generals had attacked the South and Central American regions. It’s argued that the Incans lacked reading and writing abilities because they did not have the same connection Fertile Crescent developed methods of cuneiform. The development of reading and writing was further contributed to by the availability of paper and writing instruments, both resources not readily available to the Incan Empire. Of course, the development of the printing press allowed the dissemination of this material. Even as the Mayan Empire had a written script, this didn’t spread to the Incan Empire because of the geographic separation of the Incan’s and the Central American region. Such a journey involved new times zones and different vegetation. These geographic elements hindered the spread of crops and resources. A final element was the European empires’ close geographic proximity to farm animals resulting in the acquisition of diseases. These diseases would spread amongst the European population killing of individuals with weak immune systems. The remaining individuals would be the descendants of the Spanish Conquistadors; individuals who had a noticeable strategic advantage in-terms of immunity over the South American populations. Conclusion In conclusion, this essay has examined why Pizzaro and his men conquered the Incas and not the other way around, and the relevance of geographic factors in explaining Latin American ‘backwardness’. In these regards, it’s demonstrated there are a multitude of reasons. In terms of Pizzaro, it’s clear that among the major elements were the considerable advantages in weaponry. The Incan Empire lacked any form of steel, preventing them from developing swords or armor. Furthermore, the Incan’s lacked guns. Other notable issues in this context include the access the Spanish Conquistadors had to writing that included strategic accounts of Central American conquests. Finally, the Spanish invaders had developed immunity to many of the diseases that infected the South American residents. This immunity allowed them to attack weakened populations. In addition to these elements, the geographic positioning of South American countries is demonstrated to place them at a considerable disadvantage in attempting to achieve technological and cultural progress. It is the conglomeration of these issues that contributed to the considerable advantages Pizzaro’s men held, and the relative backwardness of the Incans. Read More