The Second Punic War was as much a war of politics as it was of pitched battles. Both Rome and Carthage made many political manoeuvres throughout the conflict in an attempt to gain victory. Hannibal's primarily objective, in fact, was to tear the Socii alliance apart and leave the Republic without friends, allowing Carthage to establish hegemony over the Italian peninsula. However, Rome was also plying its friends and enemies alike at the same time elsewhere; diplomatic missions to Iberia, Greece and Africa lay the groundwork for the collapse of the Carthaginian war effort and led to Hannibal's ultimate defeat.
