Genghis Gambit: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

OK, so you have a bunch of different factions who fight against each other all the time. Wouldn't it be so much better if they could all get along? Unfortunately, that's not going to happen, as they hate each other's guts.

 

Can be a Sub-trope of [[Zero-Approval Gambit]].

 

== Anime and Manga ==

* In ''[[Code Geass]]'', {{spoiler|Lelouch makes ''himself'' this threat, and then goes a step further by arranging his own assassination, thus creating world peace}}. Interestingly enough, {{spoiler|his sister, Nunnally, was trying the same thing with Damocles}}. It's [[In the Blood]], it seems.

 

 

* In ''[[Watchmen]]'', the [[Big Bad]] plans to force America and Russia to put aside their differences and work together by {{spoiler|making it seem as if a massive [[Alien Invasion]] is imminent.}} Whether or not it works on the long run is left up to the reader.

* In ''[[X-Men (Comic Book)|X-Men]]'', Cable once resurrected Apocalypse as a common threat to unite the fractious mutants.

** Cable turned ''himself'' into one of these in ''Cable And Deadpool''. It all works out until Reed Richards calls in {{spoiler|the friggin' ''[[Silver Surfer]]''}} to take him down.

** It should be noted, however, that being {{spoiler|taken down was Cable's entire plan in the first place}}. And he still pulled off a pretty sick display of power defending against the {{spoiler|Surfer.}}

 

 

== Film ==

 

 

* [[Ursula K. Le Guin|Ursula K. LeGuin's]] ''The Lathe of Heaven'' uses the threat of aliens to unite the nations of Earth.

* ''[[Nineteen Eighty-Four]]'': Global power blocs Eastasia, Eurasia, and Oceania are locked in constant war. The alliances between the three change so that one state can never become too powerful and dominate the others. This is an understanding between the three powers that's been ongoing for decades. The real objective is to provide a focus for their own citizens' hate and [[Patriotic Fervor]]—to unify them, and control them.

* A variation of this is done in [[Honor Harrington|War of Honor]]. A peculiarity in the Manticoran constitution allows elections to be delayed in wartime. So the government hems and haws about signing a peace treaty with Haven because it assumes the war is over and Haven will never resume hostilities but a nominal state of war will allow them to get advantage for themselves.

 

 

== Video Games ==

* ''[[Knights of the Old Republic|Knights of the Old Republic 2]]'' revealed that Revan's plan was to {{spoiler|attack the Republic with the Sith so that he could force galactic civilization to strengthen in preparation for the invasion of whatever he encountered out in the Unknown Regions}}.

** Not quite—Revan's plan was actually to {{spoiler|conquer the Republic by attacking key points, while leaving the infrastructure intact and recruiting his (or her) strongest enemies. Thus, a galaxy united under Revan's rule would be more than equipped to turn to face the external threat. Malak, of course, royally screwed the pooch by spoiling the plan and engaging in much more random destruction.}}

 

He uses a double-layered version of this trope. He's able to create the Divine Crusaders in the first place thanks to a [[False-Flag Operation]] where one of his agents provoked the aliens during a secret [[Peace Conference]], then wipes out both forces. He then broadcasts a speech making it look like the aliens attacked government forces that were planning to surrender to them. So he makes the aliens look like the bad guys so he can unite his forces into being the bad guys to unite the world against the aliens that actually ''are'' the bad guys {{spoiler|and then the aliens at the peace conference turn out to be a different race conveniently disguised as the bad guys and oh god it's so confusing when it's compressed like this.}}

* ''[[Final Fantasy Tactics A2]]'' provided a very unintentional version of a Genghis Gambit. One particularly rich individual wanted to start a construction project in the Rupie Mountains and sent various hired hands like House Bowen to evict those clans who refused to step aside. One of the big attractions in the Rupie Mountains is the heated rivalry between the Bangaa Brotherhood and the Nu Mou Nobles. Guess what this individual, via House Bowen, wound up ending thanks to intervention by Clan Gully?

* ''[[Modern Warfare]] 2'': Played terrifyingly straight. {{spoiler|General Shepherd}} deliberately incites a shooting war with Russia in order to {{spoiler|instill patriotism, incite volunteers to the military, and unify America. If this sounds a little [[Anvilicious]], it comes across that way in the game, too. The death screens even warn about the dangers of excessive patriotism.}}

* ''[[The Order of the Stick|Order of the Stick]]'': Nale's Father did this unintentionally; he later created a more complicated plan involving a coalition of [[The Man Behind the Man|Men Behind Men]] working to create three empires instead of one, that are actually working together to stay unified.

** He does use it on a smaller scale as well as part of that unification plan, using the threat of the other conquering nations to pressure smaller states into capitulating into his empire for their own protection. What they ''don't'' know is that his companions control those other major nations and are doing the same thing to gradually absorb every independent state in the region.

* Apparently the reason why {{spoiler|Tavor}} was made immortal in ''[[Looking for Group]]'', {{spoiler|so he could unite the enemies of Kethenecia [http://www.lfgcomic.com/page/483 into one imperialistic force] that would attempt to conquer the northern tribes who Cale could rally into rebuilding the ancient city}}

 

* Conspiracy theorists like to accuse national leaders in general of doing this.

* Part of the reasoning behind [[Drill Sergeant Nasty]]. Even if none of the 40 guys in any given platoon can agree on anything else, they can all rally behind the idea that the bastard sergeant needs to die a slow, painful and embarrassing death...

 

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[[Category:The Plan]]

[[Category:Alliterative Trope Titles]]