Some of the Main Reasons Rome Fell Questionnaire

SPQR Student Name_______________ Class_______ Date_______ 

Some of the Main Causes of the Fall of Rome Is the USA is starting to follow this path taken by the Roman Empire? Mark those that you feel the USA is already doing. 

       Political: ____-Split the Empire into Eastern & Western Empires. ____ -Defensive/isolationist mentality. ____-No peaceful way to replace leaders. ____- Citizens became more concerned about their lifestyle and luxuries than involved in the workings of their government. ____-Massive bureaucracy/government. ____-Failed to complete the conquest of major enemy (Germany in 9 and 181 CE)

  Economic: ____-Inflation caused by constant devaluation of money and rapidly rising prices. (Price of a peck of wheat: 150 C.E.-½ denarii, 200 C.E.-100 denarii, 350 C.E.-10,000 denarii) ____-Heavy taxation to pay for the military and public infrastructure. ____-Lack of gold & silver specie. ____-Negative balance of trade. ____-Huge public welfare expenses. 

  Social: ____-Rich controlled 90% of the wealth. ____-Middle class shrunk to virtual non-existence. ____-Huge uneducated poor class felt little support for the state. ____-Poor class reduced to surviving on public welfare. ____-Military and Civil Service Government became the number one employer. 

  Military: ____-Hired non-citizens for the Army, German/barbarians eventually make up 80% of the army who were loyal to their generals not the state. ____-Barbarian invasions, 300+ years of constant pressure and war from ever larger barbarian tribes. ____-Expensive military, eventually over 50% of the governmental expenses. ____-Generals become the main contenders for the throne often taking their armies from the frontier defenses as they marched on Rome. ____-Quality and loyalty of soldiers declined. 

Environment: ____-Lead poisoning from water pipes & goblets/dishes etc. ____-Erosion due to over farming and deforestation. ____-Overcrowded cities. ____-Pandemic Plagues from the East.

Barbarian Always More Barbarians

Seemingly endless masses of barbarian tribes attacked the Roman Empire for centuries. No sooner was one threat delt with than another would appear.
After centuries of war vs, the Republic, the Celts and Gauls were Incorporated into the empire, eventually gaining full citizenship.

After more than 100 years of raids against the Northern provinces of the Empire, the Anglo & Saxons conquered and settled Britannia.

The Franks, using their deadly Francisca axe from which the tribe received its name, overran Gaul (conquering the now "civilized" Gauls) giving a new name to their kingdom-France.

Imperial Nippon the Colonial Power

After Commodore Perry's fateful trip to Nippon in the 1850's the Nation of Nippon choose to embrace every aspect of the Modern World, including the European concept of Colonialism and overseas empires. Starting in the 1870's with dozens of Pacific islands, by the 1890's Nippon had turned its attention to the dying Qing Dynasty of China. After a swift victorious war, the Imperial Army and Navy annexed Formosa (Taiwan) and Korea (although the Europeans forced the technical return of the latter to the tender care of the Russian Empire).

By 1905, tensions had run their course between the empires of Russia and Nippon. The Imperial Navy used a lightning strike, before declaring war, on the Russian East Asia fleet in Korea. The Surprise attack destroyed Russian Naval power in Korean waters and allowed the unfettered movement of the Imperial Army as they systematically destroyed the Russian forces in Korea. The overwhelming victory of the Imperial Navy over the Russian reinforcement fleet in the Battle of Tushima sealed the Russian defeat and added Korean to the growing Empire of Nippon. By the 1930's, the Imperial Staff had made plans for the dismemberment of China, starting with Manchuria. This path was to directly lead to the final expansion of the Empire with the early conquests of much of East Asia in the opening victories of World War II.

The Japanese entry into World War II began as it had in the Russo-Japanese War, with a surprise attack upon the naval forces of the Japanese enemy, before a declaration of war.

The Empire's massive victory was also its greatest mistake.  The sneak attack on this "Day of Infamy" while the two governments were engaged in peace negotiations, would so enrage the American public that only total destruction of the Empire would satisfy the cry for revenge.

The Empire Nippon had reached its zenith of size and power and yet it had but four years left to live.

Barbarians, always more Barbarians

Samurai-to Serve

Samurai made up the ruling military class and the highest-ranking social caste Nippon. While Samurai employed a range of weapons such as bows and arrows, spears and eventually European style matchlock guns, their main weapon and symbol were the dual swords-the Katana (long killing sword) and the Wakizashi (short sword).

Samurai were supposed to lead their lives according to the ethic code of Bushido ("the way of the warrior"). Strongly Confucian in nature, Bushido stressed concepts such as loyalty to one's master, self-discipline and respectful, ethical behavior.

Triangular Trade Routes

Triangular Trade involved trade routes that moved in a triangle direction. One of the most popular was from the Southern Colonies (Molasses) to the North American Colonies (Rum) to Africa (Slaves).

Another popular route took cash crops (rice, indigo, cotton, sugar and tobacco) to Europe. Then manufactured goods to Africa and from Africa, slaves to the colonies.

There were many other routes and goods that traveled in triangular paths from the New World to the Old. All of the natural wealth of the colonies were turned into trade goods, fish, furs, whale oil, iron, timber, naval stores, and wheat were common goods carried. While not the great money makers as the cash crops were, these products were in abundance and therefore less expensive in the New World. The age-old adage of "buy low, sell high" was the guiding principle for these trade routes. The profits made could be huge and became the foundations of much of the new wealthy elite of the English colonies.
Double click on each map to see it in a larger text.

Louis XIV-"the Sun King"

The symbol of the often-Golden reign of one of the greatest monarchs of post Renaissance Europe-Louis XIV "the Sun King." He chose this title to illustrate that he was the radiant center of Europe, France and his Court.

Louis Bourbon (1638-1715), King of France from 1643-1715 as Louis XIV. Reigning for seventy-two years, Louis XIV was the longest ruling monarch in French history. In his reign France challenged the other powers of Europe for supreme mastery though a series of ever more costly wars. His early successes were tempered by the massive debt his government incurred through these conflicts.

This neoclassical painting of "the Sun King" and his family brings forth visions of the grander of the ancient empires and gods of old.  An absolute monarch, Louis thought of himself and the country as one, "L'État, c'est moi" ("I am the state").

One of the greatest and long-lasting accomplishments of Louis XIV was the grand Baroque Palace of Versailles. In addition to the beauty and luxury this massive palace complex afforded the king, Versailles was also built as an enticing "flame for the moths of nobility." Louis envisioned Versailles as a palace of such opulence that none of his troublesome nobles would ever wish to leave. This allowed the king to keep a close watch on those who might have challenged his authority.

The orange territories, including the valuable Alsace and Franche-Comte, were added to France by Louis XIV.  While his territorial gains were important, the cost in lives and money was immense. He recognized this as on his death bed when he was reported to say "I have love war to much" as advice for his heir.  When he died, he left France with as one of the great world powers, massive debt, and a government run by the aristocrats for the aristocrats-his great grandson Louis XVI and his people would pay the price of the seeds sown by the Sun King.