Later, with their soldiers tied down on the vast imperial borders, they had difficulty gathering a mobile force large enough for a confrontation, and Valens, vainglorious, refused to wait for Western reinforcements.
Abdülhamid used pan-Islamism to solidify his internal absolutist rule and to rally Muslim opinion outside the empire, thus creating difficulties for European imperial powers in their Muslim colonies.
By 2005 Imperial was in trouble again.
Clement's anti-imperial policy increased Charles's difficulties in Germany, especially his battle against the growing Reformation.
No one in Whitehall rang alarm balls by recalling the difficulties of Britain's imperial involvement with Iraq and the long years of resistance to British occupation, particularly in the largely Shia south.
In the time leading up to the explosion, Imperial Sugar had run into financial difficulties.
The emperor nominally provided an ample income for his family, but the difficulties of the over-extended imperial treasury meant that actually getting hold of enough money to meet financial obligations was a continual struggle.
Even democratic governments with global pretensions have difficulty avoiding the emergence of an imperial presidency -- one which, though democratically elected, slips inexorably into non- or even anti-democratic practices in the defense of imperial power far away from its own shores.
Frederick's interest in Italy stemmed not only from his difficulties in Germany but also from his desire to obtain imperial coronation at the hands of the pope, who alone could bestow this dignity.
Practice of the imperial cult was revived by Titus, though apparently it met with some difficulty as Vespasian was not deified until six months after his death.
