Hi Historians,

I'm writing to ask for a rigorous treatment on a peculiar theory I heard from a reasonably trusty source.

The claim is that the Great Wall of China was actually used as a gimmick for Chinese expansion in the West(i.e., Gansu, Shaanxi, etc.). According to this theory, the great wall was actually a tool of offensive colonization. Every new construction of the wall would provoke attacks from neighboring tribes, which was used as justification for a war to annex/subdue China's neighbors. Then they would have to expand the wall to include the new territory, leading to new wars, etc.

Any truth at all to this?