Expansionism

Why is it that countries feel the need to increase their territory exponentially until they are halted by an outside or insular force? It is shown in these first chapters that Assyria, along with other countries, were shamelessly expansionist. This scene plays itself out time and again throughout history. This can be equated to Colonialism in the late 19th and 20th centuries. The same drive for man-power and resources was evident in both situations. In this way, borders fluctuate back and forth as the countries fight for supremacy. The age of empires shows an assertion of one powerhouse force after the other. These superpowers are like the countries in colonial times. It seems that there could only be one major power at a time, with smaller powers vying for second and third place. In this way, there is a mirroring of these two historical periods.