Throughout history, there have been several examples of empires that declined due to excessive expansion of power. Here are some examples from the search results:
- Roman Empire: The Roman Empire ruled a vast territory for over 1000 years, but their large empire eventually became their downfall. The decline happened gradually due to many economic, social, and political problems, including government and economic corruption, a large gap between the rich and the poor, and disruptions in agriculture production4.6
- Persian Empire: The Persian Empire of the Achaemenids was built largely through military conquest. However, the empire declined due to internal problems, including economic and political instability, and external threats, such as invasions by Alexander the Great.2
- Maurya Empire: The Maurya Empire in India used a combination of political sabotage, religious conversion, and military conquest to expand its rule. However, the empire declined due to internal problems, including weak leadership, economic decline, and social unrest.2
- Habsburg Empire: The Habsburg empire, which ruled over central Europe for hundreds of years, declined due to its defeat in World War I. The aftershocks of such imperial comeuppance left chaos in its wake, and the more monoethnic states that arose from the ashes of the multiethnic Habsburg empire often proved to be radical and unstable.5
- Byzantine Empire: The Byzantine Empire lasted from AD 330 to the conquest of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade in 1204, only to recover and survive until a final Ottoman victory in 1453. However, the empire declined due to internal problems, including economic decline, political instability, and external threats, such as invasions by the Seljuk Turks.5