What are some better parallels? Seriously, no snark, please throw out some suggestions for reading. I can't think of any other country that has done this to itself.

Napoleon, maybe?

France and most of the European imperialists before the first world war.

That’s the manly history that appeals to men! Men of masculinity.

I think Qing dynasty China might be a better fit.

Qing suffered a century of unequal treaties before they fell, they were the bullied and not the bully. (They were also medieval and isolationist which further hurts the comparison IMO).