There wasn’t one single cause of the fall of the Roman Empire; it was the result of several long-term problems that weakened the empire over time.

The main causes included:

- **Political instability**: Frequent civil wars, weak emperors, assassinations, and power struggles made stable government difficult.
- **Economic problems**: Heavy taxes, inflation, reliance on slave labor, and declining trade weakened the economy.
- **Military pressures**: Rome struggled to defend its huge borders and increasingly relied on foreign mercenaries.
- **Barbarian invasions**: Groups such as the Visigoths, Vandals, and Huns put heavy pressure on Roman territory. The sack of Rome in 410 and the deposition of the last western emperor in 476 are key events.
- **Administrative division**: The empire was split into eastern and western halves. The Eastern Roman Empire, later called the Byzantine Empire, survived, but the Western Roman Empire became much weaker.
- **Social and cultural decline**: Some historians point to declining civic loyalty, corruption, and inequality as factors.

In short, the **Western Roman Empire fell because internal weakness made it unable to handle external invasions and military pressure**. The Eastern Roman Empire continued for nearly another thousand years.
