Abundant resources are easier to share, but scarcity can reverse that logic. States or peoples with too little may fight over what remains or seek resources elsewhere. The Mongols and other steppe peoples illustrate outward movement from resource-poor regions. Expansion can be short-lived or stopped by an organized opponent with the resources to resist. The example links environmental scarcity to expansion without treating geography as destiny.
Notable Point · 49:14-51:04
Resource scarcity can push expansion outward
Abundance can reduce internal competition, while scarcity may push mobile societies to seek resources beyond their territory - with success depending on the organization of those they meet.