Balkanize -

To is to divide a larger region or country into smaller, mutually hostile states or groups. This process is often driven by conflicting ethnic, religious, or political interests. Key Characteristics

: The disintegration of the USSR into 15 independent republics is a classic 20th-century example. balkanize

: The term originated from the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in the early 20th century and was cemented by the violent breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s. To is to divide a larger region or

: The primary feature is the breaking apart of a unified political entity into multiple independent units. balkanize