What increased the likelihood that the states would dispute each other's claims to western territories

What increased the likelihood that the states would dispute each other's claims to western territories

The increase in population.

Population

Explanation:

An increase in the population of the world will lead to the likelihood of the states to have disputed with each other and due to the growth and overpopulation of the world, there are chances that the border disputes are getting larger day by day and the more of the western side of the territories are getting more and more populated as may are shifting and migrating to the westerns sides.

He got it right defiantly right