Military Decisions and Tactics

      One of the major military decisions was the recruitment 

of barbarians. The military resorted to recruiting barbarians 

because there were less Romans willing to join the army. The 

military recruited barbarians for lower pay, and allowed them 

to become Roman citizens if they stayed in the army for a certain 

amount of years. Some barbarians were willing to fight members 

of the same tribe to join the Roman army, others joined because 

they wanted the Romans to stop invading their territories. The army 

was mainly Germanic because most of the soldiers were barbarians. 

In fact, many barbarians were in control of the army, which was 

a reason why the Roman armies were inadequate in their fighting. 

The army was unorganized, and there was a decrease in the fighting 

efficiency. 

     Male Roman citizens tried to avoid the draft. There was low pay and physical hardships 

in the army. In fact, many men went as far as to amputate their thumbs so they couldn't 

carry a gun. However, the Roman government soon found out about this and they forced 

people to join the army, regardless of their handicap.