Throughout history, powerful states have often used "Opportunistic Aggression" or "Exploitation of Internal Strife"—a strategy of attacking a rival when it is at its weakest. This tactic relies on the assumption that a country embroiled in internal chaos, whether due to political instability, economic turmoil, or civil unrest, will be too preoccupied to mount a strong defense.
The fall of the Western Roman Empire is a textbook example. By the 5th century, Rome was drowning in corruption, economic decay, and political infighting. This internal collapse allowed external forces, like the Visigoths and Vandals, to raid and eventually dismantle the empire.
Similarly, the Byzantine Empire suffered centuries of internal decline before being crushed by the Ottoman Turks in 1453. Infighting among nobles, financial ruin, and a weakened military left Constantinople vulnerable to Mehmed II’s forces, who capitalized on these weaknesses to seize one of history’s most prized cities.
In India, the British East India Company mastered the art of exploiting internal divisions. After the death of Emperor Aurangzeb in 1707, the once-mighty Mughal Empire fractured into warring regional states. The British played rival nawabs against each other, provided financial support to indebted rulers, and ultimately established colonial dominance through manipulation rather than direct conquest.
During the early years of WW2, Nazi Germany’s annexation of Czechoslovakia in 1938-1939 demonstrated how ethnic divisions and diplomatic paralysis could be exploited for territorial expansion.
Reality is worrisome and bitter if you fail to make sense.
The writer is Editor of Geopolits.com
