Four Key Factors Behind Spain's Conquest of the Americas
- Advanced weaponry: Firearms, cannons, and steel‑hulled ships gave Spain a decisive military edge.
- Disease: Old World pathogens (smallpox, measles) devastated immunologically naïve Indigenous populations.
- Political divisions: Indigenous societies were fragmented; Spain exploited rivalries and formed alliances.
- Superior strategy & tactics: Spanish commanders applied European battlefield experience and flexible tactics.
Wanderlust World