![]() The Qin campaigns were as bloody as they were decisive, with every rival state absorbed into a unified China. While they weren’t above a fight, the Habsburgs preferred to marry into the ruling lines of other countries. An example of the latter is the Qin conquest during China’s Warring States period. The Habsburg dynasty is an example of the former. This can be done through alliance or through violence. A neighboring country’s large population could bolster the empire’s army, or their trade networks could bring in much needed revenue. Sometimes, instead of subjugating new lands, an empire seeks to absorb them in order to gain their power and influence. This motivation usually leads to conquest on a massive scale. Controlling enough people to buy another country’s goods requires expansion far beyond a few ports and coastal areas. Because new territories won’t buy mass produced goods if they have their own factories , an empire in search of new markets will de-industrialize the local economy. If the new markets weren’t interested, the growing empires conquered and absorbed them. Remember those Europeans who went out conquering for resources? Once the industrial revolution got started, the same European nations found they were producing way more goods than their small populations could use, so they went out in search of new markets. ![]() This was especially common in the days before free trade became the norm. Sometimes a country will produce a lot of stuff but have no one who wants to buy it. This motivation is the inverse of of a desire for resources. This requires a relatively small number of people, allowing small states to become world powers. However , scattered holdings can be difficult to defend and control. If all the empire wants is another country’s coffee plantations, there’s no reason to occupy anything else. From these new outposts, they gained access to the resources they wanted.Īn empire that expands for resources is likely to make many small conquests over a wide area. So European states like the Netherlands, Portugal, and eventually England quickly used their guns and ships to seize colonial holdings. All Europe had were powerful guns and advanced ships. Most of the good stuff, from gold to fine porcelain, came out of Asia and Africa. In the 1600s and 1700s, Europe discovered that it had a thirst for goods from abroad and they produced little that anyone else wanted to trade for. Many early European empire buildings can be traced back to this motivation. From iron ore to smart phones, people will go to extreme lengths to satisfy their desires. An empire that awards lands to its soldiers can quickly find itself growing out of control, with an unhappy populace if the conquest ever runs out. It’s almost inevitable that more people will join the military than there is land available, which requires raising additional soldiers to conquer more land, and the cycle continues. Despite its success, this strategy has a way of backfiring. Joining a victorious conquest was the only hope many Romans had of ever owning their own land, and they didn’t much care where it came from. This was a popular tactic in certain periods of Roman history, and it certainly motivated the poor to sign up. Their army will swell with new recruits, and then they’re ready to conquer. What’s a leader to do when everyone wants land and all the land’s been taken? If your leader has imperial aspirations, they’ll promise every soldier a piece of foreign turf. Knowing the reason for your empire’s expansion will help you understand who stands to gain from conquest and how that conquest will be justified. There’s almost always a driving force that leads to expansion – though it might change over time. To build a framework for how your empire works, answer these questions: Why Does Your Empire Expand?Įmpires rarely spring up because of some leader’s whim. On the other hand, modern day Japan is not an Empire, even though it has an emperor, because it governs only itself.ĭifferent empires have enormous potential for variation. ![]() Even though we divide Roman history into the Republican and Imperial eras, both the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire were empires because they controlled vast swaths of territory and people beyond Rome. If you’re planning to use one, it’s important to understand how it works.įirst, what is an empire? Contrary to the nomenclature, an empire is not defined by having an emperor or empress. An empire is a state that subjugates other peoples and nations across a large area, usually by force. But empires, evil or otherwise, are extremely complex. Much of human history has been shaped by empires, so authors have a lot of fodder for inspiration. The empire is a staple of fantasy fiction, and it’s not hard to see why. ![]()
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