ABSTRACT
The collapse of empires is a rare event. When stable imperial systems disappear within a short period of time, we expect the entities that emerge from the rubble to bear the marks of “path dependence.” These expectations are not unfounded. As is argued in this chapter, collapse gives rise to conditions that drive a wedge between former imperial cores and former imperial peripheries, increase the likelihood of their engagement in conflict, and push core states toward aggression and expansion.
