History of the Fall of the Western Roman Empire - Essay Example

Order 444411 Topic: Why did the Western Roman Empire end in the fifth century AD? Introduction: Wars, thoughtless expansion kingdom by annexation of territories, aggrandizement for wealth and the related loot and plunder, were commonplace during pre-medieval era. When the empire becomes too vast, it becomes uncontrollable. Unless there is an excellent secondary level leadership in important segments of the administration like communications, revenue and legal structure governance become unmanageable. The private ambitions of the military generals etc. also weaken the strength of the empire. The Roman Empire collapsed under its own weight. There was more than one reason for its fall. The fall was not sudden, but gradual. Christianity dominated administration. The secular and the religious can rarely walk together. The damages due to interference of religion in politics can be seen even in this modern era. Religion quickly takes the form of fanaticism, and destroys the harmonious social fabric. This was one of the important reasons for the fall of the Roman Empire. Proper assessment of the conditions that contributed to the Roman Empire to get vanquished is necessary for the students of history and sociology. What information or arguments have been found about the fall of Roman Empire? The influence of the Church was so deep and all-pervading in the society that it retarded the natural democratic process, which created and molded social and political leadership. Bishops and abbots commanded more influence than the imperial governors. The decline in population, about 20% from 250 to 400 AD on account of outbreak of bubonic plague left adverse affect on the economy. The volume of trade declined and weakened the link between various parts of the empire. The policy makers of the empire had no foresight and their thought processes were medieval. Slavery was in vogue, and there was too much dependence on slave labour. This hampered the growth of technology and resulted in economic disintegration. With the end of the wars of conquest in 200AD, s severe shortage of labour ensued. With no infrastructure, industrialization process could not take off immediately. “For the first time, the Romans were unable to drive German invaders out of the western part of the empire. As early as AD 406, large areas of Gaul, Spain and North Africa were out of the emperors control, and by 430, the western emperor ruled in name only. In the fifth century, then, the Western Roman Empire could no longer defend itself against invaders. For strategic and military reasons, including the breakdown in communications, lack of resources, and bad generalship, Rome was beaten in battle and the old empire collapsed as a political entity.”(The fall….) Enormous literature is available on the subject of fall of Roman Empire Edward N. Luttwak writes, “In any event, a vast amount of fruitful work has been done in the last few decades, based largely on excavations and new documents, especially inscriptions. Many scholars have concentrated on important questions…e .g., the army as a factor in Romanization and in administration, its internal structure, recruitment etc.”( p. ix) The Roman Empire was fragmented into many small German kingdoms. From political point of view, the changes were revolutionary. But the social and political institutions and the culture did not vanish overnight. It took another two centuries for the Roman influence to wane. The fall of Roman Empire was not due to one military operation, nor the Germans conquered the Empire in one go. It was a gradual process that culminated in the final fall of the Empire. It was not a German triumph as such, but the declining process of the Roman Empire was unstoppable. What the other people have said about the fall of Roman Empire: Opinions tendered about the fall of Roman Empire are so many, it is difficult to prove concretely, and pinpoint any one factor that contributed to the fall. “Edward Gibbons 476 date for the Fall of Rome is conventionally acceptable because thats when the Germanic Odoacer deposed the last Roman emperor to rule the western part of the Roman Empire. However, the people who lived through the takeover would probably be surprised by the importance we place on this event. And there are other, reasonably momentous dates for the fall of the Roman Empire.” (Fall of ….) Next, the split of the empire into an eastern and western, ruled by different emperors caused Rome to fall. The eastern half was known as the Byzantine Empire, with Constantinople (modern Istanbul) as its capital. The western half remained with Italy. The scholars are of the opinion that the Fall of Rome was an ongoing process, which took more than a century. This again is a contentious issue. Rome still exists, how one can mention about its fall? “There are adherents to single factors, but more people think a combination of such factors as Christianity, decadence, lead, monetary trouble, and military problems caused the fall of Rome. Imperial incompetence and chance could be added to the list.” (Fall of….) The controlling aspect of the Empire takes precedence on all other theories related to the fall of Roman Empire. The local customs and traditions impacted the lives of the soldiers in distant part of the Empire. Administration was loose and the rights and freedom of the citizens was often violated. Edward Gibbon writes, “ In the disastrous period of the fall of the Roman Empire, which may justly be dated from the reign of Valens, the happiness and security of each individual were personally attacked; and the arts and labors of ages were rudely defaced by the Barbarians of Scythia and Germany.”(p.789) The composition of the population of the Empire lacked homogeneity as natives from the Italian peninsula and barbarians from the conquered lands, both were part of the empire. Corruption thrived. “Decay of the army, according to Vegetius (5th century), came from within the army itself, which grew weak from too long peace and stopped wearing its protective armor. This made them vulnerable to enemy weapons and to the temptation to flee from battle. Security may have led to cessation of the rigorous drills. Vegetius says the leaders became incompetent and rewards were unfairly distributed.” (Vegetius….) The fall of Rome is an important event in European history. Peter J. Heather writes, “ The fall of Rome and with it the western half of the Empire, constitute one of the formative revolutions of European history, and has traditionally been seen as heralding the end of the ancient world and the start of the Middle Ages. Like the Renaissance, the Reformation and the Industrial Revolution, it changed the world forever.”(2006, p. xi, xii) My personal opinion The reasons for fall of Rome can be understood by looking at as to what is happening in some of the countries in this era of internet revolution and fast communication. Prosperity is achievable, but difficult to maintain at the same level. When the going was good for the Romans, mind-less expansion, and conquest of more and more territories was hailed by the people. But when the question of maintaining it on long term basis arose, difficulties surfaced. Loyalty of the secondary level leaders and the people waned. The binding force of ideology was not there. Even with the common ideology it is difficult to maintain unity. The causes of disintegration of the former USSR are there for everybody to see. Even the iron grip of communism could not sustain the unity of the country. It is a tough job to control a geographically vast Nation, unless it draws strength and absolute loyalty from the lowest levels. In case of Roman Empire, the emperor had a loose control over them and they did not tender their absolute loyalty to him. Religion should never enter into politics—this is the golden rule followed by all democratic countries. Wherever religion rules the roost, fanaticism takes over leading to unpleasant consequences and division of the Nation into several fragments becomes a reality. The domination of the Church in administration worked to the disadvantage of the Roman Empire. Next to the Emperor, there was no democratic leadership to control the various arms of administration effectively. Conclusion: What I have learnt from the question The important lesson that I have learnt from the question is, no Emperor should take the issues related to the administration of the kingdom for granted. Consolidation is as important as expansion. Religious authorities should never enter into politics. The rights and freedom of the citizens are important and no harsh and cruel actions should be taken by the administration to suppress people. The people can build a country; the people can break a country. **************** Works Cited Fall of Rome - Why Did Rome Fall: Reasons for the decline and fall of the Roman Empire? ... Ancient/Classical History ends in A.D. 476. ... Article by N. S. Gill Retrieved on May 30, 2010 Gibbon, Edward. The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire II, Google Books: 1782(Written), 1845(Revised) Heather, Peter J. The Fall of the Roman Empire: a new history of Rome and the Barbarians: The Oxford University Press, 2006 Luttwak, Edward N. The Grand Strategy of the Roman Empire from First Century A.D. to the Third: The Johns Hopkins University Press; 1979 The fall of Rome and the end of the Roman Empire…. Retrieved on May 30, 2010 Vegetius on the Decay of the Roman Army, by Alfred P. Dorjahn and Lester K. Born. The Classical Journal, Vol. 30, No. 3 (Dec., 1934), pp. 148-158. . Read More