Roman History Question

I was thinking about how much of a problem usurpers were for the Roman Empire. Then I remebered that in 260 AD, during the Crisis of the Third Century, the Empire fractured into three parts, the Gallic Empire in Gaul and Britannia (and Hispania for a while I think) and the Palmyrene Empire in Syria, Mesopotamia and Egypt. The "real" Empire kept Italy, Africa, the Balkans and some of Asia.

Now, these successor states were soon reconquered, but they considered themselves to be separate states from the Roman Empire, not just provinces held by usurpers. From my limited knowledge of Roman history, this is unique. So what I'm asking is what conditions led to two states breaking away from the Empire at around the same time, rather than two usurpers trying to take the throne.
 
It's not "separatism" in a modern meaning.
In my sense, it's just pragmatism from gallo-romans leaders, much like "Okay, if Rome isn't interested by protecting roman cities in Gaul from barbarians, we take care. But no taxes will be give up for a lazy imperator who doesn't care about citizens".

Add this soldiers without salary, who don't want to fight powerful "loyalist" legion, but wanting to put a general (their general) into power, so an imperator of Gaul take place.

It would be the same situation if California, Oregon and Washington would not be protected from Peruvian raiders. They are, in their minds, americans, but give up with Washington, creating United States of America of West Coast.

In fact, they're two major Gallic Empires, the Posthumus one was bigger, but unstable, and Posthumus was killed by his own troops, because he forbid them to pillaging a city not joinging Gallic Empire.
The second, the one of Tetricus, was shorter, and the former imperator remains senator of the regular Roman Empire.

It's an interesting move and period, but not as important, for separatism from Roman Empire, than the Bagaudes which are really revolt against roman institutions.
 
The Palmyrene and Gallic Empires were... weird. Officially, they claimed to be Emperors of Rome--unofficially, they were simply local kingdoms carved out of the Empire--though Palmyrene also managed to reconquer Rome's holdings in the East. (The Gallic Empire was even weirder than the Palmyrene, which was always basically Queen Zenobia's show. The Gallic Empire saw usurpers arising to usurp the original usurpation. Fun place.)
 
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