Question

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rome became reliant on hired, foreign soldiers to bolster their military, especially germans. meanwhile, much of the military was not loyal to rome, often switching sides in battle. mercenaries were more loyal to their commanders than the government, leading to several civil wars & military coups which ripened rome for collapse. at the same time, rome’s eastern and northern borders grew so large they became unable to maintain. as the germanic became more numerous, it was not feasible to maintain large enough legions to prevent infiltration.
vocabulary
foreign - from another country
bolster - strengthen, support
coup - soldiers take over government
legions - roman army units
feasible - possible
infiltration - secretly entering

problem	effect	fall of rome

Explanation:

To determine the effect on the "Fall of Rome" related to the military problem (military not loyal, causing civil wars and coups, and inability to maintain borders against infiltration), we analyze the chain of events:

1. Military Disloyalty & Civil Strife: The military’s lack of loyalty (switching sides, loyalty to commanders over Rome) led to civil wars and military coups, weakening Rome’s internal stability.
2. Border Insecurity: With a large, unmanageable army and northern borders under threat, Rome could not prevent infiltration (e.g., by Germanic groups).
3. Cumulative Weakening: Internal conflict (from civil wars/coups) and external pressure (infiltration, border collapse) combined to undermine Rome’s power, contributing to its fall.

• The military’s disloyalty (switching sides, loyalty to commanders) sparked civil wars and coups, weakening Rome internally.
• Rome’s inability to maintain its northern borders (due to a large, unmanageable army) allowed infiltration, increasing external pressure.
• These internal and external challenges combined to undermine Rome’s power, leading to its fall.

Answer:

The effect on the "Fall of Rome" was that the internal instability (civil wars, coups) and external vulnerability (infiltration, border collapse) caused by the military’s disloyalty and organizational issues ultimately contributed to Rome’s collapse.