Fall Of Rome DBQ

The principle reasons for the "Fall" of Rome were ,first, political instability, with an inability to have long terms as emperors[A], or control the dwindling Roman army[B], and the corruption within the high ranks of the government[E]. Also there were several invasions from the Huns [D] and others [C],with citizens who were happy to the better way of life of their captors[E]. Finally, there were many natural or environmental factors beyond the empire's control that contributed to the fall of the Roman empire, such as closeness to other warring people groups[C], consecutive natural disasters[F], and disease[F].

Political instability was a large factor in the decline of the Roman Empire. A chart compiled from various sources outlined the reign and cause of death of each emperor from 235-285 CE. From it you can see that the Roman Empire was not able to sustain an emperor for a long period …show more content…
Even though the Roman Empire was not at fault when the disasters presented themselves, it still suffered from the disorder and destruction that they caused. First, Edward Gibbon, with his expertise in the history of the Roman Empire, described a pattern of natural disasters that occurred, including an earthquake, a sudden retreat of the sea and a flood (Doc.F). Fifty thousand people died in just the flood. These natural disasters left the established infrastructure in shambles and made it more difficult for the government to maintain order and efficiency when the coasts were in ruins. Also out of their control was the series of diseases that plagued the nation outlined by a group of people who wrote a book about world civilizations in general(Doc. F). These plagues decreased the population and troops. This made it necessary for the Roman empire to start hiring Germanic soldiers to help defend the borders of its territory, and that cost the Roman empire a lot of