Guns, Germs, and Steel Essay #4: Bronze v. Steel: Why Spain Trumped the Inca

Why were Spanish weapons so much more advanced than the Inca’s? Professor Jared Diamond of UCLA thinks this is due to geographic luck. Geographic luck is the term coined to describe the phenomenon of the fact that some people are placed on a better geographic latitude than others. Nevertheless, advanced steel swords were developed only in Europe because of geographic luck. First, Incan bronze knifes should be examined. Then, Spanish steel will be inspected thoroughly. Lastly, a side by side comparison between steel and bronze as weapon material will ensue. However, before conclusions can be drawn, Incan bronze must be studied in further detail.

Incan bronze was pitifully primitive. Its soft and malleable consistency makes the weapons made of this metal prone to breaks if heated to too high temperatures and inclined to bend if put under too much pressure. Such a weapon can make it dangerous in a fight; if it breaks or bends, it strands the owner without any defenses. Nonetheless, why did the Inca use such pliant material to make weapons? The answer is simple: they had to. First of all, bronze was the most reliable and most suited to weapon making material that they had. They also had a plethora of the semi-precious metal. In addition, the Inca could not make long burning fires required to make steel. Given that they could not create these fires, it was easy for them to use bronze since it was so easy to mold. However, this came at a price. Using the supple material made it easy to shape, but its effectiveness as a weapon decreased as a result.  If the Inca’s weapons were so hopeless, how did they become such a large empire?  Though the Inca could only make these weapons, the rest of the Americas were stuck with them. Since everyone had the same weapons, they could easily overpower others by sheer numbers or strategy. Having now evaluated the tools of the Americas, steel must likewise be appraised.

Steel was wickedly sharp and advanced. It was strong, but not brittle. It was flexible, but not soft. It was lightweight, but still weighted. It was long and maneuverable. How did it get to be this way? The answer lies in the lines. The geographic lines, that is. Since Spain lies on the same latitude as the Middle East, they got to inherit all of their special tricks. They got the secret of gunpowder. Developed and domesticated farming. Most of all, they got their centuries of metallurgy. Since the people of the Fertile Crescent had already started Europe off, Europeans had an easier time; instead of wasting time trying to find the secret of steel, they could begin right off perfecting it. They got a running start ahead of the rest of the world. In addition to having years of inherited experience, they also had large deposits of iron ore and generous amounts of forests to burn. Now, the Spanish had the experience and the materials that are needed to create steel. For another reason, the Spaniards were constantly at war with their neighbors, creating the element of competition. Spain had the wisdom, the resources, and the drive to make the best steel in the world. Now having examined both materials individually, a side by side comparison is essential.

Spanish steel is better than Incan bronze in many ways. Spain had sharp, hard swords. The perfect balance; neither pliable nor brittle. The Inca had blunt knives, unable to sharpen bronze to a point. In war, the Spanish can use the long reach of their swords to thrust, hack, and slash their way through a battalion of enemies. The Inca can only use their 5-6 inches of range. Spain can use their weapons without much danger of snapping or deforming their weapons. On the contrary, the Inca’s soft weapons bend easily, causing constant worry of warping a weapon. When all is said and done, it can be easily recognized that Spanish steel was a more preferable alternative to Incan bronze.

All things considered, Spanish steel is definitively a more beneficial weapon than Incan bronze. Incan bronze is a soft, pliant metal, unfit for making top grade weapons. Alternatively, Spanish steel is a deadly sharp and flexible metal, the best in the world for making swords. Since steel has so many more advantages, it is a metal more suited to making weapons than bronze. All in all, steel has more desirable characteristics as a weapon making material than bronze. But a person has to give it to them. The Inca can sure make a shiny knife.