Western Roman Empire Dbq

Directions: Write a well-organized essay that includes an introduction, several paragraphs, and a conclusion. Use evidence from at least four documents in your essay. Support your response with relevant facts, examples, and details. Include outside information.

Historical Context:

In the third century AD Rome faced many problems. In addition to internal decay, the invasion by the Germanic tribes seemed to sound the death knell for the Western Roman Empire. Historians have examined both the internal conditions that weakened the expansive empire and the external force of the barbarian invasions and have presented a variety of explanations for the fall of the Western Roman Empire.

Task: Using the information from the documents and your
knowledge of Global history, write an essay in which you

Choose two causes of the fall of the Western Roman Empire (political, social, economic or military) for each * Explain what was going on in Rome that led to this cause * Discuss the effects the cause had on Rome |

Example: What caused the fall of the Roman Empire?
Cause: Social
Citizens were apathetic (did not care), serfs in debt bondage –farming in decline. Cities were in hopeless decline. (doc. 1)
Effect: Lack of pride and effort led to a feeling of hopelessness in the empire. This led to a slow and steady decay.

Guidelines:
In your essay, be sure to * Develop all aspects of the task * Incorporate information from at least four documents * Incorporate relevant outside information * Support the theme with relevant facts, examples, and details * Use a logical and clear plan of organization, include an introduction and a conclusion that are beyond a restatement of the theme

Must answer each document before you write your essay:
Document 1
The basic trouble was that very few inhabitants of the empire believed that the old civilization was worth saving … the overwhelming majority of the population had been systematically excluded from political responsibilities. They could not organize to protect themselves; they could not serve in the army . . . Their economic plight was hopeless. Most of them were serfs bound to the soil, and the small urban groups saw their cities slipping into uninterrupted decline.
-This excerpt is from a textbook, The Course of Civilization by Strayer,Gatzke & Harbison (1961)

1. What were the basic problems facing the Western Roman Empire according to the authors?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

Document 2
The decline of Rome was the natural and inevitable effect of immoderate greatness (large size)…The introduction … of Christianity, had some influence on the decline and fall of the Roman Empire. The clergy successfully preached the doctrine of patience; the active virtues of society were discouraged; and the last remains of military spirit were buried in the cloister; a large portion of public & private wealth was consecrated to the …demands of charity and devotion …
-Excerpt from The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon

2. According to the excerpt from Gibbon, what were two causes for the fall of Rome? Explain both.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Document 3
First the economic factor …While the empire was expanding, its prosperity was fed by plundered wealth and by new markets in the semi barbaric provinces. When the empire ceased to expand, however, economic progress soon ceased…. The abundance of slaves led to growth of the latifundia, the great estates that … came to dominate agriculture and ruin the free coloni (farmers) who drifted to the cities, to add to the unemployment there. The abundance of slaves kept wages low.
-This excerpt is from Uses of the Past by Herbert J. Muller.
3a. What economic issues does Muller identify as causes for decline?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

3b.
How was slavery a cause for the decline of the Roman Empire?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Document 4
…Part of the money went into … the maintenance of the army and of the vast bureaucracy required by a centralized government…the expense led to strangling taxation… The heart was taken out of enterprising men…tenants fled from their farms and businessmen and workmen from their occupations. Private enterprise was crushed & the state was forced to take over many kinds of businesses to keep the machine running. People learned to expect something for nothing. The old Roman virtues of self-reliance & initiative were lost in that part of the population on relief (welfare)…The central government undertook such far reaching responsibility in affairs that the fiber of the citizens weakened.
- From The New deal in Old Rome by Henry
Haskell

4a. Why did the Roman government have large expenses?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

4b. What was the effect of high taxation on the people?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

4c. What effect did the establishment of a government welfare system have on the people?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Document 5
Rome, like all great empires, was not overthrown by external enemies but undermined by internal decay. . . .The military crisis was the result of…proud old aristocracy’s…shortage of children. (Consequently) foreigners poured into the…Roman army [was] composed entirely of
Germans
-Excerpt, from Romans without Laurels by Indro Montanelli

5. What does this author identify as the cause of problems in the military?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

Document 6
This map shows the barbarian invasions of the Roman Empire prior to 476.

6a. According to the map above, what was the cause of the fall of the Roman Empire?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
6b. Was this a unified attack?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________