Use the quote to answer the question.
“A great empire, like a great cake, is most easily diminished at the edges.”
—Benjamin Franklin, “Rules by Which a Great Empire May be Reduced to a Small One,” September 11, 1773
Which of these statements best analyzes how events that led to the fall of the Roman Empire and the Han Dynasty supported Franklin’s statement?
A. Both were fragmented into smaller sections by their imperial rulers
B. Both were ruled by ineffective emperors who relied on corrupt advisors.
C. Both were ruled by ineffective emperors who relied on corrupt advisors.
D. Both were invaded by nomadic groups who first attacked regions farthest away from the seats of government.
D. Both were invaded by nomadic groups who first attacked regions farthest away from the seats of government.
D. Both were invaded by nomadic groups who first attacked regions farthest away from the seats of government.
To answer this question, we need to analyze the events that led to the fall of the Roman Empire and the Han Dynasty in relation to the quote by Benjamin Franklin.
The quote states that a great empire is most easily diminished at the edges, implying that the external regions of the empire are the most vulnerable. Let's examine the options:
A. Both were fragmented into smaller sections by their imperial rulers:
This option suggests that the empires were divided into smaller sections by their rulers. While this fragmentation may have occurred in both cases, it does not directly support the idea that the empires were most easily diminished at the edges.
B. Both were ruled by ineffective emperors who relied on corrupt advisors:
This option suggests that both empires had ineffective rulers who depended on corrupt advisors. While ineffective leadership can contribute to the decline of an empire, it doesn't specifically address the concept of the empire being most easily diminished at the edges.
C. Both were ruled by ineffective emperors who relied on corrupt advisors:
This option is identical to option B and appears to be a duplicate.
D. Both were invaded by nomadic groups who first attacked regions farthest away from the seats of government:
This option aligns well with Franklin's quote. It suggests that both the Roman Empire and the Han Dynasty were invaded by nomadic groups who initially attacked the regions farthest away from the centers of power. This supports the idea that the empires were most vulnerable at their edges, just as Franklin's quote suggests.
Therefore, the correct answer is D. Both were invaded by nomadic groups who first attacked regions farthest away from the seats of government.