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Diego de Almagro
Spanish Sailor, Soldier, & Explorer
 Almagro served in the Spanish navy and came to
South America in 1514, settling in Peru five years later. In 1524, he teamed up with his friend Francisco Pizarro to explore the
Pacific coast south of Panama, mainly in search of gold. Their first two
expeditions (1524-26) were difficult; they suffered from hunger and attacks
from the natives, but during this time the two explorers learned of the
wealth of the Incan Empire. Charles V, the King of Spain and Holy Roman emperor, gave Pizarro the
authority to conquer and rule the land and the peoples of Peru in 1529. By
1533, assisted by Almagro, the country was his, after the murder of the
Incan ruler Atahualpa. They divided the region; Almagro ruled the region of
Cuzco. In 1534, Charles sent Almagro to help conquer present day Chile. The journey
was unsuccessful and arduous, and Almagro slowly began to grow jealous of
Pizarro’s great successes in Peru. While he was gone, the Incans of Peru
rebelled and seized the fortress of Cuzco. Almagro was forced to stop his
invasion and return to Cuzco in order to put down the insurrection. When the
dust settled, Almagro imprisoned Pizarro and his brothers Hernando and
Alonso, seizing power and claiming the city for himself. Pizarro first tried
to negotiate a peace settlement, but was eventually forced to retaliate
against Almagro’s army, eventually defeating them and regaining control over
Peru from Almagro. In the battle, Almagro was captured, and put to death.
Almagro’s son, also named Diego, avenged his father’s death by leading in
insurrection that ultimately brought about the assassination of Pizarro in
1541. The power struggle between Pizarro and Almagro for dominance over the rich
Incan lands sparked the beginning of more than 17 years of civil wars
between the two Spanish Explorers and their peoples. |
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