Roman battles that led to its collapse

[guy]

Sebastian has done another great video at his YouTube site Maiorianus. This video touches on the pivotal battles that spelled Rome’s demise.
 

 

 

[caldrail]

Despite the disasters I don't really think the end of the western empire was a military thing. Certainly didn't help, no dispute there, but there had been a long economic decline and a weakening of 'roman-ness'. Rome had been prone to insurrections and civil wars but remember that Rome always lost battles from time to time, the idea of the unstoppable military machine is just hype - and very old hype at that. 

After all, we talk about the end of the Roman occupation in Britannia as taking place in 409 with the withdrawal of the last legions posted there, but it's forgotten that the Roman administration was still place and remained functioning until around 440, when the exasperated Romano-Britons threw them out when Rome failed to respond to the 'Groan of the Britons'. We seceded from the empire, we weren't just abandoned because the troops were sent to Gaul to support a usurper.

This military image is very pervasive when dealing with Rome but it's not always the the only context to events.

[sonic]

In my opinion it was a combined effect of multiple problems.  Civil wars, the refusal of the rich to pay the taxes needed to fund the army, the loss of recruiting areas, multiple attacks on various fronts, the loss of loyalty around the fringes, amongst others.  Oh, and the birth of Gaiseric - the only man whose actions helped speed the decline!