The end of the Roman Empire in the West is often marked by the deposition of the last emperor, Romulus Augustulus, in 476 CE. This event symbolized the collapse of Roman authority and centralized governance in the Western territories, leading to the fragmentation of power and the rise of various barbarian kingdoms. Factors contributing to the fall included economic troubles, military defeats, political corruption, and internal strife. This decline paved the way for the Middle Ages in Europe, significantly transforming the cultural and political landscape of the continent and altering the course of Western civilization.