The conquest of the great Inca empire by a band of 160 Spaniards which swung the course of South American history, remains one of the great chances of fate. Pizarro and his men were simply in the right place at the right time and successfully betrayed the trust of the Inca leader. Right up to the moment of attack, Atahuallpa believed that the band of white men were simply looters who would demand treasure and regarded them with a mixture of curiosity and contempt. He had no idea that Pizarro and his men were the first of a large invasion force backed by the powerful Spanish empire. Pizarro planned to attack Atahuallpa all along, inviting the Inca to meet with him and taking advantage of the fact that Atahuallpa and his men were unarmed.
