So, a lot of new followers. Welcome! I mostly use this space to nerd out a bunch about ancient history, military history, or both. I also have a blog where I do mostly that thing, but more so: https://acoup.blog/ I also occasionally opine on geopolitics/nat-sec Cheers!
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Many SF books have a big space government that allows local wars between its subjects. Not too big, or too dirty. But the empire could defeat any of the participants but usually doesn't. Does happen in history? I don't count medieval Europe, since kings didn't standing armies.
The model here is the Holy Roman Empire, particularly in the early modern period. The trope-setter here is Dune, as the Padishah Empire is essentially the Holy Roman Empire IN SPACE!!
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By that point - say the mid-15th century onward - you do start to have really significant standing armies (but also conscripts, etc.) and the geopolitics of the Protestant Reformation essentially revolved around the Habsburg's ability to defeat any one of their 'vassals'...
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...but not all of them, or even large coalitions of them. Charles V knew this, and so famously cut a deal at Augsburg. Ferdinand II did not, and so started the ruinous Thirty Year's War, which killed something like half the population proving the point.
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