Why are the American civilizations seen as tribal?

[Franconicus]

I agree, conversation is going a dangerous direction. Comparing the sacrifices of the Aztecs with the killing of heretics and witches ... seems to belong definetly into the backroom.

Madae, don't get me wrong, the Aztecs were a bloodthirsty and brutal, expansionistic and nastionalistic people (would not call it tribe!). However, they did it with an amazing degree of organisation and religious legitimation, which I guess, are typical for a well organized and developed culture. I the light of humanism fo course, it is bloody primitive.

[HopAlongBunny]

It seems to be a term that fits whatever definition people chose to give it; making one suspicious when no definition is given.

I remember talking to a guy at work who came to Canada from Somalia. He had no problem describing the social system there as "tribal". We were talking about loyalty and trust relationships; he felt Canadian bonds went: family, friends, then whatever...work, church, football team etc. In Somalia, he said tribe trumps everything; familial connections were unimportant, you may or may not even know who your "birth parents" were. The tribe raised you, fed and clothed you, saw to your education, and in his case aided his immigration to Canada.

The example just raises the question again of how you define that social structure and its relationships. What specifically makes it "tribal"?

[Arjos]

What specifically makes it "tribal"?

Common close ancestry, dictating social and political order...

But in the 1800s, the word was used also as a derogative term, to describe what was perceived as an inferior society...

[Rooster]

Well, I suppose that it matters what your frame of reference is. If you read Cortes's first letters to Emperor Charles V, you can see how impressed he was with Tenochtitlan, compared to his native Extremadura, for example.

There was a basic similarity between early sixteenth century Iberian and Mesoamerican society that held the conquered areas together. Call it tribal if you will, but helping out your family and those who were linked with you by patronage of different kinds was working in both societies before the Conquest. So was organized religion, and an aging Aztec noble witnessing the first autos-da-fe in Mexico City later in the century may have seen something familiar that reminded him of the days of his youth.

The more successful conquest cultures (defined as what comes about after an area is militarily conquered) have worked because they played off of the similarities that people found between themselves and their new overlords and vice versa. Or at least they thought that what they were doing was understood by the other side. James Lockhart has done interesting studies for this in Mexico if you are interested, working through Nahua-language documents for what he called "mutual misunderstandings" IIRC.

I think that ultimately a lot of societies are tribal at their core, in fact in one way or another all of them are. Depending on how far you're willing to push the definition. You could say without too much license that feudalism and indeed absolutism was pretty tribal with its focus on dynasty and how early modern absolutists considered their empires the patrimony of a certain dynasty.

[The Wizard]

In reply to the OP I would say that, first and foremost, you really shouldn't take the EU series, or the Magna Mundi mod, too seriously in the historical department. It's called Europa Universalis for a reason -- Eurocentrism is inherent to the series. Hence "tribalism" where there was in reality complex civilization, and hence backwards technology and total military weakness where there was in reality great competence. They are very fine games, but you should definitely follow the books you read before the games you play.

[Tuuvi]

In reply to the OP I would say that, first and foremost, you really shouldn't take the EU series, or the Magna Mundi mod, too seriously in the historical department. It's called Europa Universalis for a reason -- Eurocentrism is inherent to the series. Hence "tribalism" where there was in reality complex civilization, and hence backwards technology and total military weakness where there was in reality great competence. They are very fine games, but you should definitely follow the books you read before the games you play.

True. I just figured since the game is supposed to be about history and caters to people who are interested in history I would see some degree of historical accuracy. Kinda sad that that's not the case.

[Gelatinous Cube]

True. I just figured since the game is supposed to be about history and caters to people who are interested in history I would see some degree of historical accuracy. Kinda sad that that's not the case.

Well, it is quite accurate as long as you accept that its a subjective version of history designed around the European point of view. Regardless of how nuanced, complex, and relatively 'modern' some of the native american groups were, they still never stood a chance at all.

Still, if you really want to take over the world with the native americans in EU3 you can. There's some good Cherokee AARs on the paradox forums.

[Tuuvi]

Well, it is quite accurate as long as you accept that its a subjective version of history designed around the European point of view. Regardless of how nuanced, complex, and relatively 'modern' some of the native american groups were, they still never stood a chance at all.

Still, if you really want to take over the world with the native americans in EU3 you can. There's some good Cherokee AARs on the paradox forums.

I disagree with you slightly on the "never stood a chance at all" part. It was the mostly likely conclusion to be sure, but Hernán Cortés' group only numbered 500 men, his army consisted mostly of Tlaxcalan allies. It was an Indian vs. Indian fight. The battle for Tenochtitlan was one of the longest battles in history; the Aztecs put up a good fight. The same goes for the conquest of the Inca.

Anyway the thing that bugs me the most about they way they're depicted is that you can't even do anything if you play as them. You can't trade, your options for expansion are limited, you can't build buildings, your technological research moves at a snail's pace. In reality trade was an extremely important part of Mesoamerican society, their cities were essentially commercial centers and they had trade networks running all over the place. Mesoamerica was transitioning from stone to metal tools. The Aztecs were getting close to developing writing and were making other sorts on innovations, like mandatory education.

I know you can win if you play as them, but I don't have the patience to sit there and turtle for hours and hours on end when I know if they were more accurately depicted that wouldn't be necessary. I think that a Mayan city state or the Aztec empire would make for a really unique and interesting game play experience, so it disappoints me that they exist in the game as nothing more than filler. I decided I'm going to make a mod.

[Gelatinous Cube]

I disagree with you slightly on the "never stood a chance at all" part. It was the mostly likely conclusion to be sure, but Hernán Cortés' group only numbered 500 men, his army consisted mostly of Tlaxcalan allies. It was an Indian vs. Indian fight. The battle for Tenochtitlan was one of the longest battles in history; the Aztecs put up a good fight. The same goes for the conquest of the Inca.

Anyway the thing that bugs me the most about they way they're depicted is that you can't even do anything if you play as them. You can't trade, your options for expansion are limited, you can't build buildings, your technological research moves at a snail's pace. In reality trade was an extremely important part of Mesoamerican society, their cities were essentially commercial centers and they had trade networks running all over the place. Mesoamerica was transitioning from stone to metal tools. The Aztecs were getting close to developing writing and were making other sorts on innovations, like mandatory education.

I know you can win if you play as them, but I don't have the patience to sit there and turtle for hours and hours on end when I know if they were more accurately depicted that wouldn't be necessary. I think that a Mayan city state or the Aztec empire would make for a really unique and interesting game play experience, so it disappoints me that they exist in the game as nothing more than filler. I decided I'm going to make a mod.

The thing is that even if the Aztecs had beaten Cortez, it wouldn't have mattered. The Spanish would have come again with a bigger force eventually. But the real killer, of course, was diseases. There is no scenario where the natives could have beaten back the Europeans, only scenarios where it takes slightly longer.

I agree about the natives being boring to play in EU3 though. Once again, this is because it was Euro-centric. The natives of the Americas never colonized abroad in an organized manner, nor did their economies lend themselves to the kind of aggressive mercantilism that the old world nations did; in EU3 terms, there's really nothing the natives can do besides sit tight and consolidate. Its a bummer though, I agree--it would be cool to start a game off as the Cherokee, mount a huge conquest of the Americas, and develop your own guns and ships before the Europeans show up. But, as cool as that would be, there's absolutely no historical context for it.

[The Wizard]

So you're essentially arguing that the Eurocentric nature of the game is justified? I think that's a very contentious claim. Especially because you seem to ignore the fact that the success of the conquistadors was very much in doubt in the actual timeframe -- they might as well have failed, and had they failed, the window of opportunity in terms of conquest would likely have closed quickly, especially when it comes to the Inca empire. Then it would have been more like Western expansion in the Asian seaboard -- a couple of outposts on the littoral of giant territorial states with whom the Europeans could never have competed on equal terms at such a large transoceanic distance.

Tuuvi: perhaps the Death & Taxes or MEIOU mods are for you. I know for a fact that the latter mod has a much better depiction of non-Western states, in the Americas as well as Asia. Which sadly leaves Africa, but even that is much better than in vanilla.

[Tuuvi]

The thing is that even if the Aztecs had beaten Cortez, it wouldn't have mattered. The Spanish would have come again with a bigger force eventually. But the real killer, of course, was diseases. There is no scenario where the natives could have beaten back the Europeans, only scenarios where it takes slightly longer.

I agree about the natives being boring to play in EU3 though. Once again, this is because it was Euro-centric. The natives of the Americas never colonized abroad in an organized manner, nor did their economies lend themselves to the kind of aggressive mercantilism that the old world nations did; in EU3 terms, there's really nothing the natives can do besides sit tight and consolidate. Its a bummer though, I agree--it would be cool to start a game off as the Cherokee, mount a huge conquest of the Americas, and develop your own guns and ships before the Europeans show up. But, as cool as that would be, there's absolutely no historical context for it.

Well, I'm only talking about Mesoamerican and Andean states. Groups like the Cherokee were more tribal in nature, they didn't build urban centers and live in complex societies ruled by monarchs like the Aztecs and the Inca. I'm not asking to be able to develop guns and cannons before the Europeans and go on a worldwide rampage. I only want to be able to do the things they did in real life: send out merchants and attempt to dominate trade; build temples, barracks, armories, etc.; invent new technologies. Stuff like that.

So you're essentially arguing that the Eurocentric nature of the game is justified? I think that's a very contentious claim. Especially because you seem to ignore the fact that the success of the conquistadors was very much in doubt in the actual timeframe -- they might as well have failed, and had they failed, the window of opportunity in terms of conquest would likely have closed quickly, especially when it comes to the Inca empire. Then it would have been more like Western expansion in the Asian seaboard -- a couple of outposts on the littoral of giant territorial states with whom the Europeans could never have competed on equal terms at such a large transoceanic distance.

IIRC Atahualpa was planning on capturing the Spaniards and killing them, but he was going to keep the blacksmith and others he thought would be useful alive so he could learn from them. The Inca didn't have a market economy, everyone worked for the emperor so he had a great deal of control over what people produced and how they made it. This is pure speculation on my part but I think if Atahualpa hadn't gotten himself ambushed the Inca could have adopted iron and steel and started breeding their own horses very quickly.

Tuuvi: perhaps the Death & Taxes or MEIOU mods are for you. I know for a fact that the latter mod has a much better depiction of non-Western states, in the Americas as well as Asia. Which sadly leaves Africa, but even that is much better than in vanilla.

I will give those a look, thanks.

[Gelatinous Cube]

So you're essentially arguing that the Eurocentric nature of the game is justified? I think that's a very contentious claim. Especially because you seem to ignore the fact that the success of the conquistadors was very much in doubt in the actual timeframe -- they might as well have failed, and had they failed, the window of opportunity in terms of conquest would likely have closed quickly, especially when it comes to the Inca empire. Then it would have been more like Western expansion in the Asian seaboard -- a couple of outposts on the littoral of giant territorial states with whom the Europeans could never have competed on equal terms at such a large transoceanic distance.

I'm not sure about that. The scale and scope of the epidemics that swept through North and South America after first contact with the Europeans took decades to run its course, and de-populated entire societies. The battles and military campaigns are not what sealed the fate of the natives, biology and bad luck did. I don't see how the conquistadors' campaigns could ever have been objectively 'in doubt' when, should they have failed, they could just come back again and again while the native populations get smaller and weaker.

[Kagemusha]

The thing is that even if the Aztecs had beaten Cortez, it wouldn't have mattered. The Spanish would have come again with a bigger force eventually. But the real killer, of course, was diseases. There is no scenario where the natives could have beaten back the Europeans, only scenarios where it takes slightly longer.

I agree about the natives being boring to play in EU3 though. Once again, this is because it was Euro-centric. The natives of the Americas never colonized abroad in an organized manner, nor did their economies lend themselves to the kind of aggressive mercantilism that the old world nations did; in EU3 terms, there's really nothing the natives can do besides sit tight and consolidate. Its a bummer though, I agree--it would be cool to start a game off as the Cherokee, mount a huge conquest of the Americas, and develop your own guns and ships before the Europeans show up. But, as cool as that would be, there's absolutely no historical context for it.

Teotihuacan may have had 1 million people before no city in Europe. Eastern Asia showed the limits of european colonialism. Do not paint Europe with guns and germs as something uber and non stoppable.

[Gelatinous Cube]

Teotihuacan may have had 1 million people before no city in Europe. Eastern Asia showed the limits of european colonialism. Do not paint Europe with guns and germs as something uber and non stoppable.

I am not, but unless you allow for a situation radically different from what actually happened, the natives of the Americas did not stand a chance. Unlike Asia, the inhabitants of the Americas did not have a built-up resistance to Afro-Eurasian diseases. There. Is. No. Scenario. Where. They. Could. Have. Won. Not unless you allow for totally alternate reality-type scenarios like a great scientific revolution where the Aztecs or Incas or whoever develop means far beyond what they had in this reality.

*Obviously the fact that the Spanish lost control of their posessions with time proves that Europeans are not inherently superior (and honestly, who believes that kind of stuff?) but I don't think you realize the scope of the devastation or the determination of the European powers to get that gold, no matter what it took.

[Brandy Blue]

The population of Mexico dropped from 22 million in 1519 to 2 million in 1600 according to this guy: http://www.chron.com/news/health/art...ot-1570996.php

Can that really be true? Blame it on European disease or on hemorrhagic fever like he does, his numbers suggest that something almost unimaginably catastrophic happened.

[Tuuvi]

The population drop due to disease really was that catastrophic. I dunno about the native hemorrhagic fever hypothesis though, because the percentage of Native Americans wiped out by disease was just as bad in South America and further to the north in what is now the US. Also, if it was a disease native to North America, then how come it didn't affect the Spaniards?

[Moros]

I can't remember the source (it was a decent history book though) but I even remember reading that 90% of the North Americans died around that time, leaving the continent almost desolate, empty and weakened for the Europeans to colonize.

[The Lurker Below]

seems like a lot of posters here would find 1491 by Charles Mann to be a very interesting read

[Brandy Blue]

Also, if it was a disease native to North America, then how come it didn't affect the Spaniards?

I think we can assume that the Aztecs and other natives had been exposed to centuries of American diseases, just as the Spanish had been exposed to centuries of European (and Asian and African) diseases. Nevertheless, the American germs do not seem to have hampered the Spanish much AFAIK. I am at a loss to explain it. Still, I am skeptical about the native disease theory because such deadly plagues must surely be rare. I think its more plausible that the local fever merely weakened a lot of people, making them more vulnerable to a whole cocktail of deadly Old World diseases. Is it possible that alcohol played a minor role as well?

[Memnon]

I could be wrong, but I believe that they had alcohol there before. I know of at least one tribe using corn and spit to create a sweet (although highly disgusting) drink.

[Catiline]

seems like a lot of posters here would find 1491 by Charles Mann to be a very interesting read

I looked quickly and thought you were talking about Gavin Menzies' 1421, which is one of those history books which should be hunted out and burned

[Tuuvi]

seems like a lot of posters here would find 1491 by Charles Mann to be a very interesting read

I've read it and I really liked it, that book helped spark my interest in the ancient Americas.

Is it possible that alcohol played a minor role as well?

The Aztecs and others did brew a kind of beer made out of maize. I've read that in Aztec society intoxication was strictly forbidden except for the elderly, who could drink however much they wanted as a reward for all their years of hard work. So I don't think so.

[Tellos Athenaios]

I'm not sure about that. The scale and scope of the epidemics that swept through North and South America after first contact with the Europeans took decades to run its course, and de-populated entire societies. The battles and military campaigns are not what sealed the fate of the natives, biology and bad luck did. I don't see how the conquistadors' campaigns could ever have been objectively 'in doubt' when, should they have failed, they could just come back again and again while the native populations get smaller and weaker.

Actually at the time such a thing was very much in doubt: the business plan for expansion to those parts had yet to be established, so to speak. European powers were at each throats often enough that what happened in some god forsaken jungle was really "your problem" and at the very bottom of the long list of things to attend to. This only changed when it turned out a lot of gold and silver was to be found in the New World, funds that the Spanish (Emperor) desperately needed as they/he had mortgaged pretty much their/his entire empire to a few German bankers...

[Gelatinous Cube]

Actually at the time such a thing was very much in doubt: the business plan for expansion to those parts had yet to be established, so to speak. European powers were at each throats often enough that what happened in some god forsaken jungle was really "your problem" and at the very bottom of the long list of things to attend to. This only changed when it turned out a lot of gold and silver was to be found in the New World, funds that the Spanish (Emperor) desperately needed as they/he had mortgaged pretty much their/his entire empire to a few German bankers...

Quite right. But once Gold and other precious commodities were realized, all European powers that could afford to do so turned their attention to the Americas, a byproduct of which was conquering natives and often putting them to work as, well, slave-labor. Colombus was big on that.

My point, though, was that no matter how things appeared at the time, the fact is that from first contact onward the native populations were being decimated by disease. Even in relatively isolated Inca, the conquistadors noted that as they went further in to the native lands it became apparent that they were suffering some kind of epidemic. Even if European victory was ever subjectively in doubt, it was objectively never so.

[The Wizard]

I'm not sure about that. The scale and scope of the epidemics that swept through North and South America after first contact with the Europeans took decades to run its course, and de-populated entire societies. The battles and military campaigns are not what sealed the fate of the natives, biology and bad luck did. I don't see how the conquistadors' campaigns could ever have been objectively 'in doubt' when, should they have failed, they could just come back again and again while the native populations get smaller and weaker.

I am not, but unless you allow for a situation radically different from what actually happened, the natives of the Americas did not stand a chance. Unlike Asia, the inhabitants of the Americas did not have a built-up resistance to Afro-Eurasian diseases. There. Is. No. Scenario. Where. They. Could. Have. Won. Not unless you allow for totally alternate reality-type scenarios like a great scientific revolution where the Aztecs or Incas or whoever develop means far beyond what they had in this reality.

*Obviously the fact that the Spanish lost control of their posessions with time proves that Europeans are not inherently superior (and honestly, who believes that kind of stuff?) but I don't think you realize the scope of the devastation or the determination of the European powers to get that gold, no matter what it took.

I'm sorry, but I don't ascribe to biological determinism (or any determinism, for that matter). Jared Diamond is a fun read but his determinism puts him outside the pale of proper historical analysis.

Sure, the Amerindian societies were devastated by disease, losing up to 90% of their population in some areas (on average 40-60%), but claiming this means there was only one option (European conquest) amounts to a strange postmodern blend of Eurocentrism and the modern fascination with biology, with a hefty dollop of convenient hindsight. In other words, you are denying the indigenous peoples their own inherent strength and resilience, imposing a narrative of the inevitability of their subjugation by biologically superior Europeans. That this Western superiority came about by chance in said narrative (which puts it apart from older narratives of European racial superiority) is a moot point, because the effect is still to deny Amerindians an active role in their own history.

The entire biological determinist argument ignores the simple fact that the Spanish (and Portuguese) conquest was a conquest of Amerindians by Amerindians. The Spaniards merely inserted themselves at the top of the redistribution pyramid we know as the "Aztec empire," replacing the three Nahuatl cities of the Texcoco basin which they had occupied. This replacement of an indigenous elite by a European one is what we call the "Spanish conquest," and it was a matter of luck and indigenous cooperation in societies unsettled by ancient conflict and widespread infectious disease. Had the indigenous cooperation been absent, no degree of pox-infected blankets could have helped the Europeans conquer the Amerindians. 50% of their population they may have lost, but that still left millions upon millions of people that the tiny bands of conquistadors could never have stood a chance against.

The population of Mexico dropped from 22 million in 1519 to 2 million in 1600 according to this guy: http://www.chron.com/news/health/art...ot-1570996.php

Can that really be true? Blame it on European disease or on hemorrhagic fever like he does, his numbers suggest that something almost unimaginably catastrophic happened.

I can't remember the source (it was a decent history book though) but I even remember reading that 90% of the North Americans died around that time, leaving the continent almost desolate, empty and weakened for the Europeans to colonize.

That was in the hardest-hit areas. Still, the numbers are staggering. Notice, however, how this estimate refers to a period up until 1600 -- long after the conquest. Ergo, the huge drop in population is not merely attributable to disease, but also to the brutal exploitation of the indigenous population by the new European elite, as well as the large-scale warfare conducted under Spanish auspices to expand their control north- and southward. Disease was not the only killer; rather, it was the most potent ingredient in a deadly cocktail.

[Gelatinous Cube]

The reason I speak so strongly about the absolutely foregone conclusion that was European conquest of the Americas is because it was, in fact, an absolutely forgone conclusion. I get it, you don't like determinism. That doesn't change what happened.

The only way the Native Americans survive is if the Europeans decide to ignore them (not gonna happen) or the Native Americans develop Penicillin.

I'm sorry my view seems Euro-centric, but modern sensibilities about equality have no bearing on the fact that history was, in fact, completely one-sided here. Every native American victory was hollow and insignificant in the long run. Its incredibly revisionist to suggest that there was any way they could have fought back in a manner that would prevent their conquest.

[Tuuvi]

I dunno GC, The Wizard makes some good points that don't just consist of modern sensibilities about equality. Mexico was one of the most densely populated areas in the world before the conquest. Even today Native Americans make up a good portion of the population in Mexico, Central America and South America. He also points out that over-exploitation and warfare were also factors in the huge population drop after the conquest. So if the conquistadors had failed in their first attempt, there would've been plenty of people left over to resist a second attempt.

But on the other hand, I've read that the Native Americans were more susceptible to European diseases not only because of lack of exposure but also because their populations have a lower diversity of HLA profiles due to the fact that the initial migrations into the Americas were very small. Plagues would've kept occurring over and over again even if the Spanish failed. So you could be right.

Also there's one thing I've been wondering: At the time of the conquest, did the Spanish or any other European nation have the technology/finances to send an entire army across the Atlantic over to the Americas? If they didn't, at about what time did they acquire that capability?

[Ironside]

The entire biological determinist argument ignores the simple fact that the Spanish (and Portuguese) conquest was a conquest of Amerindians by Amerindians. The Spaniards merely inserted themselves at the top of the redistribution pyramid we know as the "Aztec empire," replacing the three Nahuatl cities of the Texcoco basin which they had occupied. This replacement of an indigenous elite by a European one is what we call the "Spanish conquest," and it was a matter of luck and indigenous cooperation in societies unsettled by ancient conflict and widespread infectious disease. Had the indigenous cooperation been absent, no degree of pox-infected blankets could have helped the Europeans conquer the Amerindians. 50% of their population they may have lost, but that still left millions upon millions of people that the tiny bands of conquistadors could never have stood a chance against.

That discounts that the conflict was quite built into the Aztec system. In that case, the conflict would always show up.

And the conquest of the Inca took about 40 years. That's plenty of time to adapt and organize a stronger resistance if it's feasible. And the Spanish didn't hide that they were brutal conquerors for that long.

That was in the hardest-hit areas. Still, the numbers are staggering. Notice, however, how this estimate refers to a period up until 1600 -- long after the conquest. Ergo, the huge drop in population is not merely attributable to disease, but also to the brutal exploitation of the indigenous population by the new European elite, as well as the large-scale warfare conducted under Spanish auspices to expand their control north- and southward. Disease was not the only killer; rather, it was the most potent ingredient in a deadly cocktail.

True, but when it comes to loss of military power, diseases were unmatched. Even if you survive, you're weakened during the disease and might not recover fully from it. Armies are extra prone to having it and it's significantly weakening morale as well (something desperatly needed vs a technically superior opponent).
There's also the question of how much population loss a civilisation can take before it breaks apart. The civilized areas of Amazonas died out without any Spanish conquest, and iirc something similar happened in North America. Compare to the Black death. The repeating plagues kept the European population from recovering in about 350 years and had massive influence on the political map.

Also, the subjegation of regions outside the larger empires were already running far before 1520. So even if there were no diseases and the empires survived the first waves, large chunks of America would still been colonized. After that, it's harder to predict. The American empires might have lost after long and heavy combat, survived into modern day or even gone on the offensive with stolen tech.

[Gelatinous Cube]

The Inca mounted several rebellions with varying degrees of short-term success, some of them quite awhile after the initial domination. Ultimately, the peoples in the Americas did overthrow their Spanish overlords, obvioiusly. But it took a very, very long time. The psychological and cultural effects of being taken over by technologically superior strangers from an unknown land really can't be overstated.

You can't really compare it to dominations and rebellions from other times and other places in the world. I would liken it to how we would likely feel if we got invaded and enslaved by Aliens.

[The Wizard]

The reason I speak so strongly about the absolutely foregone conclusion that was European conquest of the Americas is because it was, in fact, an absolutely forgone conclusion. I get it, you don't like determinism. That doesn't change what happened.

The only way the Native Americans survive is if the Europeans decide to ignore them (not gonna happen) or the Native Americans develop Penicillin.

I'm sorry my view seems Euro-centric, but modern sensibilities about equality have no bearing on the fact that history was, in fact, completely one-sided here. Every native American victory was hollow and insignificant in the long run. Its incredibly revisionist to suggest that there was any way they could have fought back in a manner that would prevent their conquest.

This post ignores most of the arguments I've made, just like the previous ones you've made. No "modern sensibilities" inform my position; on the contrary, a historian's sensibilities inform it. Until you address the historical contingency of the conquest of the Americas by the Spaniards in particular, I cannot take your position seriously. No matter how often you restate the neo-supremacist views of Diamond et al. Inevitability does not exist in human history, and certainly not in the particular event of the European takeover of the Americas.

That is the crux of my argument: not that I have some pet alternative history theory, but that the "inevitability" thesis, included in all these hard science-influenced popular history works, is damaging to our understanding of actual history.

(...)

The alternative history scenario isn't the main thing at issue here. It serves as a shorthand for something larger and more important: the essential contingency of all history, alongside the crucial role played by Amerindians in the conquest of their own societies by an alien civilization.

It is essential that people acknowledge the fact that the Spaniards won not by their own power, but carried on the back of indigenous effort. This forces one to abandon the hindsight-informed "inevitability" argument and to see that the fall of pre-Columbian civilization was a historical contingency that could quite readily have gone differently. As such, the Eurocentric view that sees Europeans (and their germs) as the only important actors in the piece, where in reality most of the conquest was done by the aboriginal population, becomes untenable.

Which, in turn, puts the lie to the Eurocentric view included in games like EU3 which depict Amerindian societies as totally backward and barbarous, taking away from them (and the gamer who wishes to play as them) their essential autonomy of action. Something they possessed in actual history: regardless of their long-term subjugation by a foreign power in history, they remained the central actor in the process.