When you glance at former leaders and kings in history (not even ancient, look at Lenin and Fidel Castro, or maybe the Chinese Party, that defeated all the other competitors militarily), you see that all of them got their power either by the fact that they were the heirs of a long monarchy, or thanks to military brilliance (Napoleon, all the kings that seized power in the middle ages). What I wonder, is that still possible today? Is brilliance in the fields of strategy and warfare still enough to grant you power, or does that require a longer, more legal way?
Political and economic dynamics make a pure military exploit unlikely. However, on a small (regional) scale military maneuvers are still common and can be beneficial to the aggressor. I would guess that (if you are a small state surrounded by other small states) by overcoming your local opponents through military force you could gain a large enough voice to be recognized by the greater political/economic forces. You would have to avoid becoming known as a genocidal or socially intolerant government to be accepted however.
