Guns, Germs, and Steel | Figures/Characters
There are many historical figures mentioned in Diamond’s study. Some—such as the philosophers Aristotle, Plato, and Rousseau—are included because of their theories of how societies are formed, which Diamond then refutes. Other people, such as Atahuallpa, the last Incan king, are used as examples of how one society conquered another. Atahuallpa was held captive by Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro, who demanded “history’s largest ransom” in gold. After Pizarro received everything he asked for, he killed Atahuallpa anyway. Even though Pizarro had the weaponry to destroy the...
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