d less positive results than a person who would be trained and qualified to complete such a task. The great over-dependency of slave labor would further weaken the economy. Constant invasions by outsiders (barbarians) and other unwanted guests caused the Empire in the West to heavily guard its borders. The Western army was very powerful and efficient, even more so than the East. Large amounts of money were required to fund and support such a large army, especially during times of invasion. The state paid huge amounts of money to keep their defenses functioning. Soon enough, the burden of taxation forced the governments to stop paying the armies for protection. Without enough funds to pay for a good army, the army became smaller and less efficient. A weak army unfit to guard the borders of the Western Empire allowed foreign invaders into the Empire. External problems magnified the internal crisis of the empire. The small barbarian tribes who had opposed the early empire but now banded together to form more powerful groups such: as Goths, Franks and Alamanni. Cold, poverty, and life of danger and fatigue fortified the strength and courage of barbarians. Vigorous emperors succeeded in keeping the barbarians beyond the borders. The Huns then arrived and drove the Goths into the empire. From then on, the Romans could not get rid of the Goths. Once one group of barbarians had entered the empire, the Romans could not muster the military strength to keep others out. They went on to settle all over the empire. By the end of the fifth century, barbarians occupied almost the entire Roman Empire. This is the traditional interpretation, with a stress on the internal weakness and the barbarian invasion. Most historians stress that the Eastern Empire did not fall when the West collapsed. Because of this, they doubt that it was the internal problems that were primarily responsible for the collapse of the empire (Vickers, 65).These financial and econo...
