Salem's actions during the war are not that she is overreacting as the main characters assume, but that it is her idea of evening the field for her twisted amusement.
- First off why would she be afraid of Ozma making a move against her? He hasn't figured out a way to kill her in all these years and doesn't even know where the Relics are except for the Relic of Knowledge. Second she was bored of the thousands of years of peace her reign has gone through so him taking the war to her is exactly what she wants. Maybe she expected him to build up his forces for a few years before he took it to her and thinks that him doing it now is just a bit of his madness left over, so to make sure the conflict is more "even" she is deliberately letting most of her people get killed so that the survivors join Ozma to bolter his forces against her and the Church.
