When the tree falls every man runs with his hatchet.

Once a person, enterprise, or institution has been brought down, many people hurry to take advantage of its weakness. The image suggests opportunists arriving after the decisive loss, ready to cut away what remains for their own benefit.

It can also condemn the rush to criticize, punish, or plunder someone who can no longer resist. The proverb contrasts the crowd's late aggression with the earlier moment, when fewer people may have dared to act against a still-standing target.

Use it when a downfall attracts self-interested attacks, blame, or attempts to seize benefits from a defeated party. It is often a critical observation about people who act boldly only after resistance has collapsed; because it can sound severe, avoid applying it directly to a person's misfortune.