Final answer:
The barbarian invasions led to the fall of the Western Roman Empire, characterized by the Gothic sack of Rome, the Vandal seizure of Spain, and the end of Roman power in Britain. The Eastern Roman Empire was less affected during this time. Post-collapse, Roman cultural and legal legacies continued to influence the new barbarian kingdoms.
Step-by-step explanation:
Barbarian Invasions and the Fall of the Western Roman Empire
The result of the barbarian invasions against the Western Roman Empire was its eventual collapse, marked by a series of significant events that undermined the Empire's integrity. The Gothic attack on Rome in 410 CE was a psychological and physical blow, as it breached the city's walls for the first time in centuries. The Huns, fierce warriors from central Asia, sparked a domino effect, pushing other barbarian groups into Roman territories. This intrusion, coupled with internal decay, led to the fragmentation of the Empire and the establishment of barbarian kingdoms within its former borders.
Leading up to these invasions, the Roman military structure weakened due to dissent and economic troubles. The freezing of the Rhine in 406 CE allowed a barbarian crossing that bypassed defenses, leading to the Vandal conquest in Spain and the abandonment of Britain's defense in 407 CE. Additionally, the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine) was spared from such calamities during the 5th century, as it faced fewer and less severe invasions and also benefitted from a temporary decline in Persian aggression.
In the aftermath, despite the fall of the Western Empire, the societal and political structures did not entirely discard Roman legacies. Many Western European kingdoms adapted Roman institutions, and Roman law continued to be influential. Within these barbarian kingdoms and the surviving Eastern Roman Empire, pivotal constructs of the Roman world persisted.