Many historians have analyzed the fall of the Roman Empire to determine its leading causes. Debates regarding different factors involved and contributed to the end of the Roman kingdom have also been experienced. The Roman Empire was one of the most superior territories recognized by many people. Its collapse led to controversial discussions, with many individuals having various ideas about what might have caused its tumble. Consequently, one can focus on the multiple aspects that primarily affected the Roman Empire and led to its fall.
One of the significant reasons that impacted the fall of Rome was its invasion by the Barbarians. Many German tribes moved to the borders of the Roman Empire (Gibbon 246). The Romans had fought them at their boundaries. However, the increased number of various tribes such as Goths and the Vandals led to increased conflicts. Additionally, the lack of central government through which the Romans could operate led to poor cooperation during the invasion. Therefore, one of the reasons why the Roman Empire fell was due to the Barbarians’ attack.
Economic crises were also experienced by Rome and largely contributed to its fall. Constant wars led to overspending, and oppressive taxation was experienced (Gibbon 68). Therefore, many people flew to other areas to evade the financial challenges that were being experienced. Labor deficit was also encountered as many people avoided working in Rome. Slaves were also used as the significant laborers in the empire. However, Rome’s supply of slaves declined when the Vandals claimed North Africa. Thus, economic instability and labor deficit are other factors that caused the Roman Empire to fall eventually.
The rise of the Eastern Empire is another issue that contributed to the fall of the Romans. In this case, the emoire was divided into two, whereby the Western part was in the city of Milan while the Eastern part was in Byzantium (Gibbon 42). Furthermore, the two sides had disputes, making it easy for other forces to invade the territory. The Eastern Empire was also wealthy and stronger than the Western kingdom. Thus, the Barbarians invaded the West, weakening the Roman Empire. Therefore, these issues show that the Eastern kingdom’s rise is another factor that led to the Roman Empire’s fall.
Overspending and overexpansion is another factor that led to the fall of the Roman Empire. Typically, expansion of territories requires adequate funds to cater to the needs and ensure enough administration is available. Consequently, Rome was forced to spend more finances to guarantee that all operations were effective and secured territories. However, lack of stable sources of income led to monetary crises which played a role in the empire’s fall.
Government corruption and political instability were also experienced and primarily affected the development of the Roman Empire. Many leaders were corrupt and focused on satisfying their personal needs. Political issues led to chaos in the empire and the assassination of bodyguards (Gibbon 158). These factors were also an advantage to the attackers since they destabilized the empire. Therefore, political instability and corruption were factors that made a contribution to Rome’s downfall.
To conclude, many issues were involved during the Roman Empire. Activities such as the slave trade led to the growth of the empire. However, the kingdom was affected by various factors that led to its fall. The invasions by the Barbarians and the rise of the Eastern Empire primarily affected Rome. Overspending and government corruption also led to poor growth and development of the territory. Therefore, one can argue that different issues steered the fall of the Roman Empire.
Work Cited
Gibbon, Edward. The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. 6th vol., Sheba Blake Publishing, 2017. Web.