1. The Conrad-Demarest Model of Empires
Cap’n BOLT Presents:
The Conrad-Demarest
Model of Empires

2. Necessary preconditions for the rise of empires-
The regions must have:
state-level government
High agricultural potential of the environment
An environmental mosaic
Several small states with no clear dominant power
Mutual antagonism among those states
Adequate military resources (or a military or tech advantage

3. The state The empire The LEADER The conquest militarism
States succeed in empire building if they have an ideology that promotes personal identification with:
The state
The empire
The LEADER
The conquest
militarism

4. Characteristics of well-run empires:
Build roads, transportation systems, canals, ports, etc.
Trade increases
Cosmopolitan cities-art/education flourish
Effective bureaucracy to:
Ensure communication
Collect taxes
Oversee coinage
Enforce emperor’s laws

5. More characteristics of well-run empires:
Common official language
System of justice, law for entire empire
Citizenship or rights extend in some degree to conquered: must have some “buy-in” or vested interest

6. Major Results of Empire:
Economic Rewards, especially in the early years, redistributed to the elite and trickles down to other classes, esp. merchants, scribes, etc.
Relative stability and prosperity
Population increase

7. Empires Fall because: Failure of leadership; focus on wealth,
not the needs of the state
Ideology of expansion and conquest leads to attempting new conquests beyond a practical limit:
Overstretching of bureaucracy
Overextension of military
Overtaxing resources
Outdistancing communications

8. RIP EMPIRE Empires Fall because:
Lack of new conquests erodes economic base and lessens faith in ideology that supported the empire to begin with
Rebellions from with in
Challenges from without
RIP EMPIRE

9. Compare the declines of the:
Han Dynasty
Roman Empire
Gupta Empire