Pearson Edexcel · GCSE · History

    Course version: 1HI0 · Version from Sept 2016

    Key topic 3: The Spanish Empire c1528–c1555 - 1 Pizarro and the conquest…

    Full specification wording

    Option P1: Key topic 3: The Spanish Empire c1528–c1555 - 1 Pizarro and the conquest of the Incas: The voyage of Pizarro (1530), and the significance of the war between Atahuallpa and Huascar.

    Francisco Pizarro began his third voyage in 1530 with royal permission to conquer Peru.

    Checked against the Pearson Edexcel 1HI0 specification (opens in a new tab) on .

    • Point 2 of 3

    Study notes

    From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.

    The idea

    Francisco Pizarro began his third voyage in 1530 with royal permission to conquer Peru. His small force of 180 men faced immense geographical challenges but benefited from perfect timing. They found the Inca Empire devastated by a civil war between half-brothers Atahuallpa and Huascar. The significance of this war was profound: it divided the Inca military, depleted resources, and fractured political loyalties. Although Atahuallpa had recently defeated Huascar, his forces were exhausted and the empire remained deeply divided. This internal strife meant the Incas were distracted and unable to mount a unified defence against Pizarro, providing the Spanish with a crucial strategic advantage that facilitated their unlikely victory.

    What earns the marks

    • Detail the purpose and scale of Pizarro's 1530 voyage to Peru.
    • Explain the causes of the civil war between Atahuallpa and Huascar.
    • Analyse how the civil war depleted Inca military strength and resources.
    • Evaluate the significance of the divided Inca loyalties in aiding the Spanish conquest.
    • Connect the timing of Pizarro's arrival to the immediate aftermath of Atahuallpa's victory over Huascar.

    Common mistakes and how to put them right

    • Stating Pizarro brought a massive army in 1530.

      Put it right: Pizarro's force was very small, consisting of only about 180 men and 37 horses.

    • Confusing the victor of the civil war.

      Put it right: Atahuallpa defeated Huascar, not the other way around, and was the emperor when Pizarro arrived.

    • Treating the civil war as a minor skirmish.

      Put it right: Emphasise that it was a devastating conflict that fundamentally weakened the empire's ability to resist invasion.

    Exam tips

    • Use the civil war to explain why a small Spanish force could conquer a massive empire.
    • Highlight the contrast between the unified Spanish objective and the fractured Inca state.
    • Remember to explicitly state the significance of the war, rather than just narrating the events.

    Try the lesson

    The start of the Option P1: Key topic 3: The Spanish Empire c1528–c1555 - 1 Pizarro and the conquest of the Incas: The voyage of Pizarro (1530), and the significance of the war between Atahuallpa and Huascar. lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.

    Have a go first

    Which two individuals fought a civil war for control of the Inca Empire shortly before Francisco Pizarro's expedition arrived in 1530?

    Listen

    Francisco Pizarro began his third voyage in 1530 with royal permission to conquer Peru. His small force of 180 men faced immense geographical challenges but benefited from perfect timing. They found the Inca Empire devastated by a civil war between half-brothers Atahuallpa and Huascar. The significance of this war was profound: it divided the Inca military, depleted resources, and fractured political loyalties. Although Atahuallpa had recently defeated Huascar, his forces were exhausted and the empire remained deeply divided. This internal strife meant the Incas were distracted and unable to mount a unified defence against Pizarro, providing the Spanish with a crucial strategic advantage that facilitated their unlikely victory. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Detail the purpose and scale of Pizarro's 1530 voyage to Peru. Explain the causes of the civil war between Atahuallpa and Huascar. Analyse how the civil war depleted Inca military strength and resources. Evaluate the significance of the divided Inca loyalties in aiding the Spanish conquest. A common slip: Stating Pizarro brought a massive army in 1530. Instead, Pizarro's force was very small, consisting of only about 180 men and 37 horses. Exam tip: Use the civil war to explain why a small Spanish force could conquer a massive empire.

    See it

    A flowchart running from top to bottom. The first box shows Pizarro's 1530 voyage with royal permission, leading to a second box on his small force of 180 men facing geographical challenges. This leads to a third box on the Inca Empire divided by civil war between Atahuallpa and Huascar. From this third box three arrows branch out to three boxes: Inca military divided, resources depleted, and political loyalties fractured. All three of these lead into a box saying the Incas were distracted and unable to mount a unified defence. That leads to a box on the crucial strategic advantage for the Spanish, which finally leads to a box saying it facilitated unlikely Spanish victory.
    Shows how the Inca civil war between Atahuallpa and Huascar divided the empire and gave Pizarro's small force a strategic advantage that facilitated the Spanish victory.

    Label the diagram

    Some boxes have lost their names. Pick the right name for each number.

    The diagram again, with 3 boxes numbered instead of named. A flowchart running from top to bottom. The first box shows Pizarro's 1530 voyage with royal permission, leading to a second box on his small force of 180 men facing geographical challenges. This leads to a third box on the Inca Empire divided by civil war between Atahuallpa and Huascar. From this third box three arrows branch out to three boxes: Inca military divided, resources depleted, and political loyalties fractured. All three of these lead into a box saying the Incas were distracted and unable to mount a unified defence. That leads to a box on the crucial strategic advantage for the Spanish, which finally leads to a box saying it facilitated unlikely Spanish victory.

    • 1Box 1

    • 2Box 2

    • 3Box 3

    0 of 3 labelled

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