What if the Roman Empire never fell?

[DeafMetal]

I'm speaking about the Western Roman Empire, ofc; as the Eastern empire held off for quite a bit longer.

 

1. How long do you think it would have survived if it had recovered to about the same amount of power as the Eastern Roman Empire?
2. How would the relations have been with the Eastern Empire? Would they have gone to war? Would they have put away their differences?
3. How would it have affected medieval events? e.g., crusades, rise of prominent nation-states still alive today, feudal system and rise of capitalism, black plague, etc.
4. How would it have affected us, in the modern times? Would it be a positive effect, negative?

Played too much RTW...

[GunWrath]

What if Nazi Germany and their Third Reich never fell..

[HOW'S ANNIE?]

In all honesty you're asking such an intellegent question on one of the most uneducated places I can think of on the internet (I've seen worse however).

 

But in all honesty I can't remember too much of what I was taught about the late Roman Empire at school to be honest. But I can tell you that if it hadn't fallen it wouldn't have effected the lives of anyone in the world now. Why? Because one thing in history goes different, likelyhood is that the entire course of history will be changed.

[Svip]

I'm speaking about the Western Roman Empire, ofc; as the Eastern empire held off for quite a bit longer.

• How long do you think it would have survived if it had recovered to about the same amount of power as the Eastern Roman Empire?

 

There were several reasons why the Eastern Roman Empire was so much stronger than the Western. Your question above seems to ignore all of those.

 

The migration period was a hard time on the Western Roman Empire, as indigents to the areas became more aware of their history and ancestry and their opposition to the Roman Empire.

 

Desire for the Emperor's throne led to many internal wars in the Empire, eventually forcing the Empire to split.

 

In addition, because the Eastern Empire was far richer than the Western, Rome also became less and less important, and already by year 400 had seen times where it was not the capital.

 

If we are to assume that the Goths withheld their campaign southward, the Roman Emperors actually focusing on maintaining their empire (rather than just themselves) and the Western Empire actually able to afford the amount of soldiers it had began to require over the years, then perhaps a century more?

 

• How would the relations have been with the Eastern Empire? Would they have gone to war? Would they have put away their differences?

 

Assuming it lasted more than a century, there would most definitely have been a war between the Western and the Eastern war. In fact, I think there would have been several, all fighting for 'restoring' the Empire. Justantin I tried to recapture Rome in an effort to restore the Roman Empire.

 

The Holy Roman Empire, which would follow Charlemagne’s conquest of most of central Europe and the Franks, also sought to recreate the Roman Empire, and was early on an adversary to the Eastern Roman Empire. Charlemagne’s heirs, also divided his land in four bits, and eventually going to war with one another for the rest of the land.

 

But in our alternate history, I am confident the Eastern Empire would have won, but not the territory, merely that the Western Empire collapsed quicker.

 

• How would it have affected medieval events? e.g., crusades, rise of prominent nation-states still alive today, feudal system and rise of capitalism, black plague, etc.

 

Even as the Empire was united, the rise of Christianity was prominent in the Empire, so the crusades would still have been very likely, assuming the Western Empire can last all the way to about 1100. Which I doubt.

 

The Roman Empire was technically a Republic, in that posts for provinces were appointed and not inherited. And so - technically - was the Emperor. However, in practical terms, the system became more and more feudal. It's true that the Eastern Roman Empire maintained its appointment system all the way to the end, while the rest of Europe had gone full feudal.

 

But likely, to appease the people living within this prolonged Western Empire, feudal systems would have been established, eventually leading to countries within the Empire, that would eventually rise as the Empire fell.

 

Some would be completely akin to some nation-states we see today, others will not. It's very difficult to say. One presumption I would make is that Italy would probably not be unified in this timeline.

 

Neither would I think that a prolonged Western Empire would have influenced the rise of capitalism and the black plague much.

 

• How would it have affected us, in the modern times? Would it be a positive effect, negative?

 

It's hard to say what you consider positive. I suppose a negative effect could have been less desire for unity in Europe. But it's hard to say, because even today it would have been a long time ago.

 

Wars will have looked different, but I don't think they would have been severely nicer or worse; or at least there is no way to predict that.

Edited February 1, 2014 by Svip

[Black & White]

What if Nazi Germany and their Third Reich never fell..

 

Then we'd all be in chains. Our rights wouldn't mean anything, unless we became loyal Nazi supporters.

 

OP - I doubt the Roman Empire would of lasted. There would of have to been so many loyal leaders. In the past, some leaders were betrayers and sold each other out. There would of been controversy anyway. Like Nazi Germany, other countries became jealous and tried to take control of the world.

[GTA_stu]

I can tell you that if it hadn't fallen it wouldn't have effected the lives of anyone in the world now. Why? Because one thing in history goes different, likelyhood is that the entire course of history will be changed.

 

At least you didn't contradict yourself.