Conquest facts for kids

The word conquest usually means taking control of a place or people by using military force. It's like an army invading another country and winning, making that country part of their own. This has happened many times throughout history, changing maps and cultures.

What is Conquest?

A conquest happens when one group, often an army, takes over another area or group of people. This is usually done through fighting and winning battles. The goal is to gain power, land, or resources. After a conquest, the winners often become the new rulers of the defeated area.

Military Conquests in History

Throughout history, many powerful empires grew through conquest. For example, the Roman Empire expanded its territory by conquering many lands around the Mediterranean Sea. They built a huge empire that lasted for hundreds of years.

Famous Examples of Conquest

One well-known example is the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. William the Conqueror, a duke from Normandy (part of modern-day France), invaded England with his army. He defeated the English king at the Battle of Hastings and became the new King of England. This event greatly changed England's language, laws, and culture.

Another important period was the time of the Conquistadors. These were Spanish explorers and soldiers who conquered large parts of the Americas in the 15th and 16th centuries. They took control of vast lands and rich empires like the Aztec Empire and the Inca Empire.

Other Meanings of Conquest

While conquest mostly refers to military takeovers, the word can also have other meanings. For instance, it can mean impressing someone a lot, like "He achieved a great conquest by winning the difficult competition." Sometimes, it's also part of a place name, like Conquest, New York, which is a town in the United States. It can also be part of a person's name, like the British historian Robert Conquest.

Images for kids

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  William the Conqueror leads his troops at the Battle of Hastings, 1066, Bayeux Tapestry.

• 1871 Vereshchagin Apothese des Krieges anagoria.JPG

  Vasily Vereshchagin, The Apotheosis of War, 1871; dedicated "to all conquerors, past, present and to come", a pile of skulls in a wasteland.

See also

In Spanish: Conquista militar para niños