Conquest creates occupation and control costs

Can eliminating a competitor become easier than improving your own position?

It can appear attractive, but a state then has to occupy and administer the added territory, which can become a net drain.

Eliminating an opponent leaves the conqueror responsible for administering and securing a larger territory. Special Operations Executive-backed resistance is used as an example: a small share of the Allied war effort forced Germany to spread forces across areas that needed protection. Territory becomes a net drain when coherent control cannot be maintained. The comparison with African colonial borders concerns boundaries drawn with little regard for local geography and communities, leaving lasting problems of control.