Western Roman Empire Essay

The Western Roman Empire fell due to the Germanic tribes or barbarians constantly invading the borders of the empire. The invasions by the barbarians started in the Huns who pushed the Goths from their lands northwest of the Black Sea to the border of the Roman Empire at the western end of the Danube River. The 200,000 Goths emitted a lot of pressure on the emperor causing him to allow one Gothic tribe to cross the Danube River and live inside the border of the empire. Now in the empire the Goths experienced abuse from the Roman., the Goths responded to the abuse by rebelling against Roman authority. The Goth’s rebelling resulted in the major battle of Hadrianople, which the Roman’s had been defeated in. In 282 A.D emperor, Theodosius I made peace with the Goths by making a treaty that allowed the Goths to settle in the Balkans. The Goths were now under the leadership of Alaric, who demanded …show more content…
A decline in resources made it difficult to pay for an army strong enough to defeat the barbarians. Most of the power is now in the hands of the Vandals, Goths, Burgundians, Franks of Gaul, and Suevi. Knowing this the emperor had to make a military alliance with the barbarians. Treaties were created with the Goths and Vandals making the the primary possessors of their territories and partners for governing the west.
By 476 A.D. the military and financial resources of the central government in Italy could not maintain itself or invaders. As time continues the Romans and barbarians differences as people were now dissolving. Odovacar, a successful general in the Roman army with origins from a Germanic tribe built up a loyal power base of landowners and soldiers in Italy. He also became the effective ruler of Italy, and proclaimed himself King. The Western Roman Empire ended in 476, while the Eastern Roman Empire continued until it had been taken over by the Moslem Turks in 1453