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divide and conquer

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divide and conquer/rule

a way of keeping yourself in a position of power by making the people under you disagree with each other so that they are unable to join together and remove you from your position A small minority have continued to govern by a policy of divide and conquer.

See also: and, conquer, divide

divide and conquer

Also, divide and govern or rule . Win by getting one's opponents to fight among themselves. For example, Divide and conquer was once a very successful policy in sub-Saharan Africa. This expression is a translation of the Latin maxim, Divide et impera ("divide and rule"), and began to appear in English about 1600.

See also: and, conquer, divide