reviving fallen empires

What were they trying to copy/continue? How close were they to succeeding? Did any last longer than the originals?

Neo-Assyrian Empire goal

expand on early Assyrian dominance

• efficient government

• project power and fear to keep order

Neo-Assyrian Empire success

surpassed og. empire

• most powerful empire

• military tactics to influence later empires

very brutal (lead to downfall)

Song dynasty goal

tang dynasty’s prosperity (‘golden age’: $$, territory, culture)

• centralize power (over vast chinese empire)

• social harmony: moral conduct

• economic developement

Song dynasty success?

30 years longer than Tang

• economy: agriculture, tech, trade

• art, literature, philosophy

fell to the mongols

byzantine empire goal

Direct continuation of east Roman Empire (west fell)

• legal traditions

• culture, art heritage

• control mediteranean

byzantine empire success?

600 years longer than western

• preserved law culture

• power

enemies & internal instability lead to downfall

Carolingian Empire goal

Primarily ruled by charlemagne (king of franks), crowned ‘Holy Roman Emporer’ by Pope

• bring back roman culture

• use roman imperial titles

Carolingian Empire success?

short lived, united large portion of western europe

• powerful empire

• cultural revival “Carolingian renaissance”

shortly after Charlemagnes death, collapse

neo-assyrian empire

(mesopotamia, 911~609BCE)

song dynasty

(china, 960~1279 CE)

byzantine empire

(constantinople, 330~1453 CE)

carolingian empire

(750~887 CE)

Ottonian dynastly

(962~1024) germany, italy

ottonian dynasty goal

Otto 1 saw himself as Charlemagne’s predessesor

to revive carolingian empire; & by extention, roman empire

• close to papacy (pope)

• control italian territory

ottonian dynasty success?

longer than carolingian, shorter than roman

• stable political structure: imperial church system (that generally lasted centuries)

• german kingdoms & expanded → italy

meiji restoration goal

‘strengthen’ Japan to avoid being colonised (revitalize)

• “modernise” with western systems

  • industrial, military, political

• centralised, powerful nation-state

meiji restoration success?

didn’t get colonised; but imperial ambitions lead to war

• rapid industrialisation, modern government, powerful military

• more power in international affairs

meiji restoration

(1868-1889 japan)

neo sovietism used to

promote russian patriotism; refering to the “days of power”

neo-sovietism: 2008 LA times

stated that…

Russia resembles Soviet Union

• a land where “fear of state … prevails”

• with laws that

  • limit free expression

  • promote propaganda