What was the main cause of the Fall of the Western Roman Empire? 🔊
The main cause of the Fall of the Western Roman Empire was a combination of internal weaknesses and external pressures. Internally, the empire faced political instability, economic decline, and social unrest. Leadership crises, civil wars, and corruption weakened central authority. Externally, invasions by Germanic tribes and other groups, such as the Visigoths and Vandals, exacerbated these issues. The Battle of Adrianople in 378 AD, where the Roman army suffered a significant defeat, highlighted the empire's vulnerability. By 476 AD, the deposition of the last Roman emperor, Romulus Augustulus, by the Germanic chieftain Odoacer, symbolized the empire's formal collapse in the West.


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