What does it mean when the government "falls"?

Question

anonymous · Answer

It's a dramatic way of saying that the previous administration/political system had ended due to a massive change (revolution, coup, etc..). For example, the USSR is said to have "collapsed" or "fallen" because of the end of the Communist Party's hold on power and the changes that occurred in Eastern Europe. The Roman Empire "fell" to barbarian invasions. Nixon "fell" from power because of the Watergate scandal. And so on.

anonymous · Answer

Does that also go for when they're talking about England?

anonymous · Answer

It's a figure of speech that can be pretty much applied to anything to give it a punch while translating the gravity of the event to readers. For example, there's a documentary out there discussing the rise and fall of Tony Blair, a former prime minister for England. The title certainly sounds much more interesting (and is more to the point) than "A Discussion of Tony Blair's Time in Office".