While cultural and religious considerations played a prominent role in creating public support for imperialism, the decisions of policymakers were most often driven by economic and military concerns. From the point of view of governments and commercial interests, competition for overseas colonies was an extension of the internal competition between European nations for dominance. Economic and military considerations often went hand in hand, and, in the end, the control of colonial empires depended on military force. The effective deployment of such force required the acquisition of new naval ports and military outposts. Thus, the need to defend colonial possessions justified further imperial expansion, which, in turn, required ever larger, more advanced armies and navies.