1. Rise and Fall of Empires Paradigm

2. revolution or civil war Creation of a state ideology (promotes UNITY!)
Rise of economic and military power
Stability, prosperity, expansion (over-expansion creates serious problems!)
Restriction of freedoms
Huge economic or military change to try and keep the Empire together
Inability to maintain the ideology (the government is so weak, they can’t fulfill the promises of the ideology)
Another revolution
ALL Empires follow this general patter in their rise to power, apex of power, and collapse