The term "conquest by the cradle" is often used in the context of discussions on demographics and geopolitics, particularly in cases where there are significant disparities in fertility rates between different ethnic or religious groups within a country or region. It suggests that a group can potentially gain political, economic, or cultural influence by simply having a larger population.
Critics of the conquest by the cradle concept argue that it oversimplifies complex geopolitical dynamics and ignores other factors that contribute to societal change and power imbalances. They emphasize that population growth alone does not guarantee dominance or success, as there are numerous historical examples where smaller populations have achieved significant achievements or influenced large societies through their culture, innovation, or strategic alliances.