why did the roman empire fall crash course

by Dakota Herzog Sr. 9 min read

Once Rome stopped expanding in the 2nd century CE, loyalty to the empire began to fail as citizens of the empire were burdened with high taxes and debt. The rise of Christianity contributed as one of the factors that led to the death of the empire along with the reliance on mercenaries.

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So while the Western Roman Empire descended into chaos the eastern half of the Empire. Had itsMoreSo while the Western Roman Empire descended into chaos the eastern half of the Empire. Had its capital in Byzantium. A city on the Bosphorus Strait that Constantine.

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What event caused the Roman Empire to fall?

Apr 13, 2012 · Crash Course World History is now available on DVD! Visit http://store.dftba.com/products/crashcourse-world-history-the-complete-series-dvd-set to buy a …

Was the fall of the Roman Empire a catastrophe?

In Crash Course World History #12, students examine the decline of the Western Roman Empire. Once Rome stopped expanding in the 2nd century CE, loyalty to the empire began to fail as citizens of the empire were burdened with high taxes and debt. The rise of Christianity contributed as one of the factors that led to the death of the empire along with

What caused the rise and fall of the Roman Empire?

Fall of the Roman Empire: World History Crash Course #12 1. The city of Rome was conquered by Barbarians in the year 476 bc__ 2. Part of the reason Rome was doomed to fall is because it expanded greatly throughout the years and the further …

How did the Roman Empire fall flashcards?

Fall of the Roman Empire…In the 15th Century Crash Course WH Script: How and when Rome fell remains the subject of considerable historical debate — but today I’m going to argue that the Rome didn’t really fall until the middle of the 15th century. But first, let me introduce you to the traditional view: Barbarians at the Gates.

What caused the fall of the Roman Empire?

Invasions by Barbarian tribes The most straightforward theory for Western Rome's collapse pins the fall on a string of military losses sustained against outside forces. Rome had tangled with Germanic tribes for centuries, but by the 300s “barbarian” groups like the Goths had encroached beyond the Empire's borders.Jan 29, 2019

What are 3 reasons the Roman Empire fell?

The three main problems that caused Rome to fall were invasions by barbarians, an unstable government, and pure laziness and negligence.Nov 26, 2021

What are 5 reasons why Rome fell?

In conclusion, the Roman empire fell for many reasons, but the 5 main ones were invasions by Barbarian tribes, Economic troubles, and overreliance on slave labor, Overexpansion and Military Spending, and Government corruption and political instability.Sep 28, 2018

What happened to Romans After Rome fell?

After the collapse of the Roman empire, ethnic chiefs and kings, ex-Roman governors, generals, war lords, peasant leaders and bandits carved up the former Roman provinces into feudal kingdoms.

When did the Western Roman Empire fall?

While the Western Roman Empire fell to barbarians in 476 CE , the Byzantines in Constantinople continued the Eastern Empire nicely, calling themselves Romans for a further 1000 years.

What is the name of the city that Constantine renamed?

SAMPLE ANSWER:John was referencing the Eastern Roman Empire, commonly known as the Byzantine Empire, although not by the people who lived in it who called themselves Romans, whose capital was Byzantium, a city on the Bosphorus Strait that Constantine will later rename Constantinople. SAMPLE ANSWER:Nicea in 325 CE.

What was the Roman Empire's downfall?

At its height, the Roman Empire stretched from the Atlantic Ocean all the way to the Euphrates River in the Middle East, but its grandeur may have also been its downfall. With such a vast territory to govern, the empire faced an administrative and logistical nightmare. Even with their excellent road systems, the Romans were unable to communicate quickly or effectively enough to manage their holdings. Rome struggled to marshal enough troops and resources to defend its frontiers from local rebellions and outside attacks, and by the second century the Emperor Hadrian was forced to build his famous wall in Britain just to keep the enemy at bay. As more and more funds were funneled into the military upkeep of the empire, technological advancement slowed and Rome’s civil infrastructure fell into disrepair.

What was the most straightforward theory for Western Rome’s collapse?

Invasions by Barbarian tribes. The most straightforward theory for Western Rome’s collapse pins the fall on a string of military losses sustained against outside forces. Rome had tangled with Germanic tribes for centuries, but by the 300s “barbarian” groups like the Goths had encroached beyond the Empire’s borders.

How did Christianity affect the Roman Empire?

These decrees ended centuries of persecution, but they may have also eroded the traditional Roman values system. Christianity displaced the polytheistic Roman religion, which viewed the emperor as having a divine status, and also shifted focus away from the glory of the state and onto a sole deity. Meanwhile, popes and other church leaders took an increased role in political affairs, further complicating governance. The 18th-century historian Edward Gibbon was the most famous proponent of this theory, but his take has since been widely criticized. While the spread of Christianity may have played a small role in curbing Roman civic virtue, most scholars now argue that its influence paled in comparison to military, economic and administrative factors.

Who sacked Rome in 410?

The Romans weathered a Germanic uprising in the late fourth century, but in 410 the Visigoth King Alaric successfully sacked the city of Rome. The Empire spent the next several decades under constant threat before “the Eternal City” was raided again in 455, this time by the Vandals.

What happened in 476?

Finally, in 476, the Germanic leader Odoacer staged a revolt and deposed the Emperor Romulus Augustulus. From then on, no Roman emperor would ever again rule from a post in Italy, leading many to cite 476 as the year the Western Empire suffered its deathblow. 2. Economic troubles and overreliance on slave labor.

What was the fate of the Western Empire?

3. The rise of the Eastern Empire. The fate of Western Rome was partially sealed in the late third century, when the Emperor Diocletian divided the Empire into two halves—the Western Empire seated in the city of Milan, and the Eastern Empire in Byzantium, later known as Constantinople.

What were the barbarians' attacks on Rome?

The Barbarian attacks on Rome partially stemmed from a mass migration caused by the Huns’ invasion of Europe in the late fourth century. When these Eurasian warriors rampaged through northern Europe, they drove many Germanic tribes to the borders of the Roman Empire. The Romans grudgingly allowed members of the Visigoth tribe to cross south of the Danube and into the safety of Roman territory, but they treated them with extreme cruelty. According to the historian Ammianus Marcellinus, Roman officials even forced the starving Goths to trade their children into slavery in exchange for dog meat. In brutalizing the Goths, the Romans created a dangerous enemy within their own borders. When the oppression became too much to bear, the Goths rose up in revolt and eventually routed a Roman army and killed the Eastern Emperor Valens during the Battle of Adrianople in A.D. 378. The shocked Romans negotiated a flimsy peace with the barbarians, but the truce unraveled in 410, when the Goth King Alaric moved west and sacked Rome. With the Western Empire weakened, Germanic tribes like the Vandals and the Saxons were able to surge across its borders and occupy Britain, Spain and North Africa.

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Invasions by Barbarian Tribes

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The most straightforward theory for Western Rome’scollapse pins the fall on a string of military losses sustained against outside forces. Rome had tangled with Germanic tribes for centuries, but by the 300s “barbarian” groups like the Goths had encroached beyond the Empire’s borders. The Romans weathered a Germanic upr…
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Economic Troubles and Overreliance on Slave Labor

  • Even as Rome was under attack from outside forces, it was also crumbling from within thanks to a severe financial crisis. Constant wars and overspending had significantly lightened imperial coffers, and oppressive taxation and inflation had widened the gap between rich and poor. In the hope of avoiding the taxman, many members of the wealthy classes had even fled to the countr…
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The Rise of The Eastern Empire

  • The fate of Western Rome was partially sealed in the late third century, when the Emperor Diocletian divided the Empire into two halves—the Western Empire seated in the city of Milan, and the Eastern Empire in Byzantium, later known as Constantinople. The division made the empire more easily governable in the short term, but over time the two halves drifted apart. East and We…
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Overexpansion and Military Overspending

  • At its height, the Roman Empirestretched from the Atlantic Ocean all the way to the Euphrates River in the Middle East, but its grandeur may have also been its downfall. With such a vast territory to govern, the empire faced an administrative and logistical nightmare. Even with their excellent road systems, the Romans were unable to communicate quickly or effectively enough t…
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Government Corruption and Political Instability

  • If Rome’s sheer size made it difficult to govern, ineffective and inconsistent leadership only served to magnify the problem. Being the Roman emperor had always been a particularly dangerous job, but during the tumultuous second and third centuries it nearly became a death sentence. Civil war thrust the empire into chaos, and more than 20 men took the throne in the span of only 75 years…
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The Arrival of The Huns and The Migration of The Barbarian Tribes

  • The Barbarian attacks on Rome partially stemmed from a mass migration caused by the Huns’ invasion of Europe in the late fourth century. When these Eurasian warriors rampaged through northern Europe, they drove many Germanic tribes to the borders of the Roman Empire. The Romans grudgingly allowed members of the Visigothtribe to cross south of the Danube and into …
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Christianity and The Loss of Traditional Values

  • The decline of Rome dovetailed with the spread of Christianity, and some have argued that the rise of a new faith helped contribute to the empire’s fall. The Edict of Milan legalized Christianity in 313, and it later became the state religion in 380. These decrees ended centuries of persecution, but they may have also eroded the traditional Roman values system. Christianity displaced the p…
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Weakening of The Roman Legions

  • For most of its history, Rome’s military was the envy of the ancient world. But during the decline, the makeup of the once mighty legions began to change. Unable to recruit enough soldiers from the Roman citizenry, emperors like Diocletian and Constantine began hiring foreign mercenaries to prop up their armies. The ranks of the legions eventually swelled with Germanic Goths and ot…
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