What term describes the process of breaking apart an empire?

Balkanization refers to the process of breaking apart an empire or larger political entity into smaller, often hostile units or states. This term originates from the geopolitical dynamics in the Balkans during the early 20th century, where a series of nationalistic movements led to the disintegration of larger empires, such as the Ottoman Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. These fragmented entities were marked by ethnic tensions and conflicts, highlighting how this process can lead to a rise in nationalism and difficulty in maintaining unity.

In contrast, colonization generally involves the establishment of control over foreign territories, often accompanied by the exploitation of resources and alteration of local governance structures without any inherent element of disintegration. Decentralization refers to the redistribution of power or authority from a central government to regional or local governments, which can be part of a unifying process rather than a division. Fragmentation, while somewhat related to the concept of balkanization in that it involves breaking into smaller pieces, does not specifically imply the same level of political or ethnic conflict associated with balkanization.