📅 On This Day in Military History

November 16

1 event across history

⚔️📍 Cajamarca, Peru1532

Battle of Cajamarca — Inca Empire Falls

Francisco Pizarro's 168 Spanish soldiers ambushed and captured Inca Emperor Atahualpa at Cajamarca, killing thousands of unarmed attendants in minutes. The emperor offered a roomful of gold and two of silver for his ransom — then was garroted by Pizarro anyway.

Cajamarca destroyed the Inca Empire, which had no concept of the Spanish strategy, and opened South America to Spanish conquest of an empire with 12 million people.

Outcome

Inca Emperor captured; empire collapses; Pizarro conquers Peru