1
general::
Phrase(s): divide and conquer
to cause the enemy to divide and separate into two or more factions, and then move in to conquer all of them. • Mary thought she could divide and conquer the board of directors, but they had survived such tactics many times, and her efforts failed. • Sam led his men to divide and conquer the enemy platoon, and his strategy succeeded.
McGrawhill's American Idioms And Phrasal Verbs
2
general::
Also, divide and govern or rule. Win by getting one's opponents to fight among themselves. For example, Divide and conquer was once a very successful policy in sub-Saharan Africa. This expression is a translation of the Latin maxim, Divide et impera ("divide and rule"), and began to appear in English about 1600.
American Heritage Idioms