complete disregard for human life.
The best way to weaken opposition is to separate the men from the family. No strong male model. Do this for several generations and the breakdown is bad. Then, send strong men to die in foreign lands. Men who would be more prone to opposing the whims of evil sociopaths who subject the people under their heel with violent oppression. They know exactly what their doing. The icing is they fund all sides of the war, sit back and make profit while those who best could stop them kill one another for them.