Imperial overstretch

The idea was popularised by Yale University historian Paul Kennedy in his 1987 book The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers.

The idea was expanded upon by Jack Snyder in his 1991 book Myths of Empire.

Likewise the principle three Axis powers all overextended themselves during World War II: Nazi Germany, waging war since 1939 in Western and Eastern Europe, was encircled, invaded, and fell in 1945; Imperial Japan led a total war in China and the Pacific Ocean; and fascist Italy, opening in 1940 simultaneous fronts in Africa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean, suffered setbacks and fell in 1943.

Snyder refers to these ideas as "myths of empire", as they tend to be counterproductive.

[5][6] Paul Kennedy's view has been criticised from many directions, including by the postmodern historiographer Hayden White,[7] economic historian Niall Ferguson[8] and Marxist writers such as Perry Anderson[citation needed] and Alex Callinicos.

One example of Imperial overstretch was when the papacy, preoccupied with expanding the Papal States , allowed the Reformation to escalate beyond its control, as illustrated in a series of woodcuts (1545) usually referred to as the Papstspotbilder or Papstspottbilder (English: 'mocking depictions of the Pope'), [ 1 ] by Lucas Cranach , commissioned by Martin Luther . [ 2 ] Title: Kissing the Pope's Feet. [ 3 ] German peasants respond to a papal bull of Pope Paul III . Caption reads: "Don't frighten us Pope, with your ban, and don't be such a furious man. Otherwise we shall turn around and show you our rears." [ 4 ] [ 2 ] : 199