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This episode of Ten Minute History (like a documentary, only shorter) covers the decline and fall of the Western Roman Empire. It deals with the division of the empire by Theodosius I and the rule of his successors Honorius and Arcadius. Honorius' reign saw Britannia leave the empire and the first sack of Rome in about 800 years. The borders of the empire continued to weaken under his successors in the west as the East held on in the face of barbarian groups like the Huns or the Vandals. In the end, the Western Roman Empire would disappear in 476 ushering in a new age of smaller kingdoms in Europe.
Recommended books:
Chris Wickham - The Inheritance of Rome. Phenomenal book which covers the decline of the Roman Empire in the west (and also the East) and details what happened in the aftermath of its fall.
Peter Brown - The World of Late Antiquity. One of the classics surrounding the period. Be aware that it is starting to show its age but frankly there aren't loads of great introductory overview materials like this for the period so it's still very valuable.
- Ten Minute History - The Fall of Rome (Short Documentary) ( Download)
- Historian Reacts - Ten Minute History - The Fall of Rome (Short Documentary) by History Matters ( Download)
- The Fall of Rome Explained In 13 Minutes ( Download)
- Ten Minute History - The Fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Birth of the Balkans (Short Documentary) ( Download)
- What Caused the Roman Empire to Collapse ( Download)
- Ten Minute History - Charlemagne and the Carolingian Empire (Short Documentary) ( Download)
- Ten Minute History - The Rise of the Ottoman Empire (Short Documentary) ( Download)
- Why didn't Alexander the Great conquer Rome (Short Animated Documentary) ( Download)
- Ten Minute History - The Unification of Italy (Short Documentary) ( Download)
- Ten Minute History - The Thirty Years' War (Short Documentary) ( Download)
- Ten Minute History - The Viking Age (Short Documentary) ( Download)
- Julian the Apostate: Rome's Last Pagan Emperor - History Matters (Short Animated Documentary) ( Download)
- Ten Minute History - Mussolini and Fascist Italy (Short Documentary) ( Download)
- Ten Minute History - The Decline and Dissolution of the Soviet Union (Short Documentary) ( Download)
- Ten Minute History - The Late British Empire (Short Documentary) ( Download)
