The Fall of the Inca Empire

 Few Empires in history can rival the accomplishments and achievements of the Inca Empire empire. Their use of road networks, peaceful assimilation, and taxes made them a unique group of people outside of the eastern and western worlds. Despite their accomplishments, there was strife and conflict in the empire, particularly when Sapa Inca Huayna Capac died. Huayna Capac's death left a void that needed to be filled, and two of his sons,  Huascar and Atahualpa engaged in a civil war to determine the next ruler.

Wall painting of the Inca Civilization

 Huascar's and Atahualpa's brutal civil war resulted with Atahualpa emerging victorious, but at the cost of many lives along with the empire becoming greatly weakened. The end of the civil war also marked the arrival of Francisco Pizzaro in 1532, a Spanish conquistador who sought to bring the Inca Empire to its knees. Pizzaro was quite fortunate that the Inca's had just come out of a civil war coupled with the old world diseases that had been ravaging the empire for several years. With only 180 men Pizzaro boldly planned to take down the entire empire, starting with its ruler Atahualpa. Atahualpa believed that talks of peace were to be at hand, and came quite unprepared when he came face to face with Pizzaro and his men. After Pizzaro's translator failed to convince the Incan to convert, the Spaniards promptly captured Atahualpa and demanded a ransom for his release. The Spaniards would eventually receive a boat load of gold for the release of Atahualpa, but decided to unjustly execute him instead. Armed with steel weapons and horses that struck fear into the Inca hearts, Pizzaro and his men found themselves conquering the Inca capital of Cuzco soon after. 

Spanish conquistadors overwhelming Inca soldiers

 The downfall of Cuzco was essentially the downfall of the empire, and only one bastion of safety remained; the city of Vilcabamba. Vilacamba's inhabitants fought a gruelling 35-year long guerrilla war before they finally submitted to the Spanish invaders, officially marking the end of the Inca Empire. Although a great amount of Inca culture and history was harmed in those dark days, most of it has been preserved by historians and Inca descendants and perseveres to this day.

Sources:

http://www.infoperu.com/en/view.php?lang=en&p=161

http://www.watertown.k12.ma.us/cunniff/americanhistorycentral/04encountersintheamericas/Fall_of_the_In.html