Zusammenfassung der Ressource
SUPERPOWER COUNTRY? BRITISH
EMPIRE
- Background
- At its peak, the largest
formal empire in the world
- Began in 1583 with England claiming
Newfoundland off the coast of Canada
- Captain Cook discovered Australia in 1770 and claimed
it for the empire. India and parts of Asia soon followed
- USA declared independence
in 1776
- By 1922, controlled over 458 million people
(25% population) and covered more than
13000000 square miles
- After WW2, England declared bankrupt and
had to release most of remaining colonies
- What forms of power did Britain have over its
colonies and how did it maintain and achieve
this?
- Military Power
- Indian rebellion against growing British
influence in 1857. British forces quelled this
and took full control of the country
- Royal Navy dominated the high seas from 1700
to 1930 providing a link to overseas colonies.
Acted as a "keep-off" symbol of strength
- Slavery/Raw Materials
- Tea from India, sugar from
Caribean, cotton from Canada
- What were the implications of Britain's power
for other nations outside the empire?
- Trade - England and Holland began to challenge
Portugal's monopoly of trade with Asia in 16th
century
- Provided competition for Indian Spice market and the East
India Company was created by Britain to extract naximum profit
- Conflict - England, Portugal, Holland sided against Spain and France in the war
of the Spanish Succession in 1714
- Britain won and gained new colonies such as Gibraltar
- Why did Britain's power decline?
- Effectively bankrupt after WW2. Cannot support the empire as before.
- Anti-colonial movements grow (India) and some are
granted independence
- Focus on post-war reconstruction sees
majority of colonies independent by 1970
- LEGACY
- It retains 14 overseas territories including
the Falkland Islands
- The Commonwealth - an association of 52 former British
colonies which consult and cooperate in the promotion of
international understanding