Haiti was one of the most extractive colonies Europeans set up, with the majority of its population working as slaves in plantations for their French masters. (An estimate from 1789 puts the number of free people at 55,000 vs. 450,000 slaves; the free people included a significant number of “free people of color”). Haiti was a dystopic colony, based on terror and repression. Brutal punishments and institutions were common for the most minor of offenses, and slaves died at staggering rates, with perhaps 10% of the slave population dying of disease, overwork and other causes.
Weimar Republic
Weimar Republic
The failure of the Weimar Republic to solve the problems faced by Germany during the 1920's and early 30's is very well documented and the consequences of this failure are well known.
The Weimar Republic was faced with a number of problems from the outset. The German nation was used to being ruled, rather than ruling itself. Democracy was a new concept within Germany and many people were wiling to look to the left and right wings for political leadership. Strength, and image, were considered more important by some than policy and pragmatism appear to have been.
The republic also suffered at the hands of the Treaty of Versailles. Many groups within Germany blamed to fledgling government for the harsh terms imposed by the treaty and opposition to the government was both open and violent: with varying amounts of success over the period of the republic's life.
Weimar Republic
Weimar Republic
The failure of Weimar to contain and eradicate these movements was in part due to the economic conditions of the day. A reparations bill of 6.6 Billion pounds ensured that the economy was going to struggle. The hyperinflation and the French reaction to the strikes in the Ruhr did little to bolster support for the republic. they were seen to fail, and many wanted a stronger form of dictatorial government. Support from all sides was lacking. Unemployment meant that the lower classes waned towards the left wing. a lack of national pride led to right wing movements gaining in popularity. Economic disasters led to the middle classes and even the aristocrats looking to the extremities for answers.
Weimar's failure was sealed by the constitution itself. No one party could take control with ease. Proportional representation led to a large number of small parties with little political clout. these hung on to the larger parties, who in turn relied upon these groups to stay in power. It was this lack of strength and inability to unite tat again led to the extremist movements of the right and left wing becoming more popular.
Ultimately though it was the law that led to the downfall of the Weimar Republic. The president could, according to the constitution, rule by decree. This enabled Hitler, upon assuming the role, to legally take measures that ensured a rapid end to democracy within Germany.
Roman Empire:
Roman Empire:
The Roman Empire fell as a result of:
1. Invasions by Barbarian tribes
The most straightforward theory for Western Rome’s collapse pins the fall on a string of military losses sustained against outside forces. Rome had tangled with Germanic tribes for centuries, but by the 300s “barbarian” groups like the Goths had encroached beyond the Empire’s borders. The Romans weathered a Germanic uprising in the late fourth century, but in 410 the Visigoth King Alaric successfully sacked the city of Rome.
The Empire spent the next several decades under constant threat before “the Eternal City” was raided again in 455, this time by the Vandals. Finally, in 476, the Germanic leader Odoacer staged a revolt and deposed the Emperor Romulus Augustulus. From then on, no Roman emperor would ever again rule from a post in Italy, leading many to cite 476 as the year the Western Empire suffered its deathblow.
Roman Empire:
Roman Empire:
The Roman Empire fell as a result of:
2. Economic troubles and overreliance on slave labor
Even as Rome was under attack from outside forces, it was also crumbling from within thanks to a severe financial crisis. Constant wars and overspending had significantly lightened imperial coffers, and oppressive taxation and inflation had widened the gap between rich and poor. In the hope of avoiding the taxman, many members of the wealthy classes had even fled to the countryside and set up independent fiefdoms. At the same time, the empire was rocked by a labor deficit. Rome’s economy depended on slaves to till its fields and work as craftsmen, and its military might had traditionally provided a fresh influx of conquered peoples to put to work. But when expansion ground to a halt in the second century, Rome’s supply of slaves and other war treasures began to dry up.
Roman Empire:
Roman Empire:
The Roman Empire fell as a result of:
3. Government corruption and political instability
If Rome’s sheer size made it difficult to govern, ineffective and inconsistent leadership only served to magnify the problem. Being the Roman emperor had always been a particularly dangerous job, but during the tumultuous second and third centuries it nearly became a death sentence. Civil war thrust the empire into chaos, and more than 20 men took the throne in the span of only 75 years, usually after the murder of their predecessor. The Praetorian Guard—the emperor’s personal bodyguards—assassinated and installed new sovereigns at will, and once even auctioned the spot off to the highest bidder. The political rot also extended to the Roman Senate, which failed to temper the excesses of the emperors due to its own widespread corruption and incompetence. As the situation worsened, civic pride waned and many Roman citizens lost trust in their leadership.
