Jared Diamond Rhetorical Analysis

The Spanish, led by Francisco Pizzaro, conquered the Inca in Peru in 1532 (Chapter 13, Slide #4). The video describes that the Spanish used the Jacobus musket as part of its weaponry, which was slow firing and inaccurate, but nevertheless deadly (GGS 17:06-18:14). Another critical weapon in the Spanish arsenal was the Toledo sword. It was a long, hard, and pliable sword that was characteristic of rapiers (GGS 20:00-21:00). In the film, Jared Diamond explains that Europeans inherited metal technology due to its proximity to the Fertile Crescent, which allowed for the adoption of the knowledge of smithing, whereas the Inca had no such knowledge or ability to advance their weaponry (GGS 19:36- 19:40). Thus, steel was mastered by the Spanish, which made it a deadlier weapon than the bronze of the Inca because of its strength, which served to the conquistador’s advantage. Upon Pizarro’s arrival, the Inca viewed the …show more content…
As Diamond states: “By virtue of their geographic location and history, they were the first to acquire guns, germs, and steel” (GGS 52:55-53:01). The American and Eurasian continents do not share similar climates or daylengths, which disadvantaged the Inca because the nature of the American continent “hindered the spread of crops, animals, people, ideas, and technology” (GGS 31:10-32:50). Diamond thus argues that: “The shape of the continents, the distribution of plants and animals, the spread of Eurasian technology, these were facts of geography” (GGS 33:37-33:48). Geography is what Jared Diamond asserts is the deciding factor between winners and losers (GGS 31:10-32:50). Thus, it is ultimately because of the unfavorable environmental dynamics of geography which made the Inca Empire collapse in the face of European