Throughout history, a major catalyst for the social, cultural and political evolution of the nation state has been the subjugation of weak or declining geopolitical groupings by more vigorous ones, generally by conquest. It’s Darwinisn on a grand scale.
This does not always have to be a negative thing. There would not be the rich cultural mix in say Southern Europe if there had not been waves of conquest and reconquest over the centuries in that area.
Just a thought
