British Empire.

British empire, represents the union of countries and territories bound by the subordination of the British crown and captured in the sphere of influence of British capital. With a population of 449.6 million people. and an area of ​​34.650 thousand km 2, B. and. occupies about ¼ of the inhabited earth's surface, on which about ¼ of all mankind lives. Distribution of the population of B. and. extremely uneven; the British Empire includes territories with a very significant population density: Great Britain and Northern Ireland (180 people per 1 km 2) and India (70 people per 1 km 2) and those whose density is less than 1 person. per 1 km 2 (Canada). Typical for B. and. is also a huge proportion of the colonies; the metropolis accounts for only 1/10 of the population and 0.7% of the territory of Byelorussia and. (see table on pp. 851 and 852).

The British Empire does not represent a single, organized economic entity. The metropolis, however, is for all the countries and territories of Bolivia and., With the exception of Canada, the main source of new capital and the main owner of capital invested in industry and economy. British capital investments in B. and. estimated at 2 billion pounds. erased , while the metropolis annually invests in the rest of the British Empire, on average, from 70 to 80 million pounds. erased (data for 1922-27). The main field of application of British capital in B. and. are the British dominions and India, and British capital seeks to secure strongholds in the economy: communications and monopolies of raw materials, and only secondarily seeks premises for processing. industry.

The dominance of the metropolis is also strengthened by the dependence of the countries and territories of the British Empire on Great Britain as the central market for their food and raw materials; distribution is also significant across the UK. parts exported by the countries of B. and. "Exchange commodities": cotton, wool, rubber, non-ferrous metals, copra, tea, etc. Ways of communication B. and. are completely under the control of the UK; nodal points in the Mediterranean and Red Seas, connecting the Asian possessions of B. and. with the metropolis, concentrated in the hands of British capital (Gibraltar, Suez, Aden). The British Empire accounts for 34.2% of the world merchant fleet; the overwhelming participation of the British merchant fleet in the shipping of B. and. and Great Britain's control over the world freight market are the most important factors contributing to the unity of the shipping industry, since the remoteness of the most important centers of the shipping industry should be taken into account. from each other: distance London-Singapore - 13,200 km (41 days for cargo, ships); Singapore-Vancouver - 11.342 km (35-36 days); Vancouver-London (via the Panama Canal) - 14.174 km (44 days); Brisbane-London - 19.138 km (60 days). British control over the means of communication B. and. not limited to sea transport, it also covers sea cables: direct cables from the UK go to Gibraltar, Malta and Suez, to India (Bombay), from Suez to Colombo-Singapore-Southwest Australia; from London to Newfoundland and Halifax to Canada and the West Indies; from Vancouver to Fiji, New. Zealand and Australia, from London to Cape Town (South Africa).

The unity of the British Empire is also facilitated by a unified system of monetary circulation (except for India and Canada), as well as a unified system of measures and weights borrowed from England. Although in the customs relation B. and. does not represent a single whole and within its limits there are countries of free trade (metropolis), protectionism at the initial stage (India) and highly developed protectionism (Canada), nevertheless, the system of imperial "preferences", that is, customs discounts for imperial goods, creates an advantageous position for trade between the countries and territories that make up the British Empire over trade with other countries.

If the war meant the growth of imperial sentiments in the British Empire, then at present, an ebb of these trends and the strengthening of separatism are being noticed. Trade relations within the British Empire do not show any desire to create something like a customs union, but in general, the idea of ​​"preference" for imperial goods is beginning to gain acceptance among the dominions. In Great Britain itself, in view of the protracted economic crisis after the war, the conservatives had to abandon their protectionist illusions and be content with the implementation of "preferred" duties on goods produced within Brazil.

The British Empire, embracing almost a quarter of the world's population, gives a ratio of whites to people of color equal to 1 to 6. first opportunity. All this, against the background of the deteriorating material conditions for the existence of the proletariat and protracted economic. crisis

BRITISH EMPIRE (The British Empire), Great Britain and its overseas possessions. The largest empire in the history of mankind. The name "British Empire" came into use in the mid-1870s. Since 1931, the British Commonwealth of Nations was officially named, after World War II - the Commonwealth of Nations and the Commonwealth.

The British Empire was formed as a result of centuries of colonial expansion: colonization of the territories of North America, Australia, New Zealand, islands in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans; the subordination of states or areas torn away from them; capture (mainly by military means) and the subsequent annexation of colonies of other European countries to the British possessions. The formation of the British Empire took place in the acute struggle of Great Britain for naval domination and colonies with Spain (see Anglo-Spanish wars of the 16-18 centuries), the Netherlands (see Anglo-Dutch wars of the 17-18 centuries), France (18 - early 19th centuries), and also with Germany (late 19th - early 20th century). The rivalry for influence in several regions of the Asian continent has caused serious contradictions between Great Britain and The Russian Empire... In the process of the formation and development of the British Empire, the British imperial ideology was formed, which left a bright imprint on all aspects of life, the domestic and foreign policy of Great Britain.

The creation of the British Empire began in the middle of the 16th century, with the transition of England to the policy of conquering Ireland, the east coast of which was captured by it at the end of the 12th century. By the middle of the 17th century, Ireland was turned into a colony. In 1583, England proclaimed sovereignty over the island of Newfoundland, which became its first overseas possession and a base for conquests in the New World.

The defeat by the British in 1588 of the "Invincible Armada" weakened the position of Spain as a leading naval power and allowed them to join the struggle for the colonies. Primary importance was attached to the conquest of positions in the West Indies, which made it possible to control the sea routes connecting Spain with its colonies in Central and South America(transportation of gold, slaves), seize part of the trade in colonial goods (cotton, sugar, tobacco, etc.) and independently start their production on the acquired lands. In 1609, the British established themselves in Bermuda (officially a colony since 1684), in 1627 - on the island of Barbados (a colony since 1652), in 1632 - on the island of Antigua, in the 1630s - in Belize (since 1862, a colony of British Honduras) , in 1629 - in the Bahamas (a colony since 1783), in the 1670s the island of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands officially passed into their possession. At the same time, English merchants strengthened their positions on the Gold Coast in West Africa (the first English trading post was founded there in 1553). In 1672, the Royal African Company was established and took over part of the gold and slave trade. As a result of the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-14), the British achieved a monopoly on the slave trade in the Spanish colonies, and by capturing Gibraltar (1704) and the island of Menorca (1708), they established control over the communications of Spain directly off its coast. Until the middle of the 18th century, the economic and commercial interests of Great Britain in the "Atlantic triangle" (Great Britain - West Indies - West Africa) were of paramount importance for the development of the British Empire, the construction of which was carried out at the expense of undermining the position of Spain. From the beginning of the 18th century, having subjugated Portugal to their influence (see the Methuen Treaty of 1703), the British also joined the exploitation of its vast colonial possessions, primarily in South America.

With the founding of the settlement of Jamestown and the colony of Virginia in 1607, the English colonization of the Atlantic coast and the adjacent regions of North America began (see North American colonies of England); New Amsterdam, conquered by the British from the Dutch in 1664, was renamed New York.

At the same time, the British penetrated into India. In 1600, London merchants founded the East India Company (see East India Companies). By 1640, she created a network of her trading posts not only in India, but also in Southeast Asia, on Far East... In 1690, the company began building the city of Kolkata. As a result Seven Years War 1756-63 Great Britain ousted France from India (see the Anglo-French struggle for India) and significantly undermined its position in North America (see also the Anglo-French wars in Canada in the 17-18 century).

The British Empire experienced its first crisis, losing 13 of its colonies as a result of the 1775-83 War of Independence in North America. However, after the formation of the United States (1783), tens of thousands of colonists moved to Canada, and the British presence there strengthened.

Since the mid-18th century, British penetration into the coastal regions of New Zealand, Australia and the islands has intensified. The Pacific... In 1788, the first British settlement appeared in Australia - Port Jackson (future Sydney). In 1840, British colonists appeared in New Zealand, after which it was incorporated into the British overseas possessions. Resistance of the local population was suppressed (see Anglo-Maori Wars 1843-72). The Congress of Vienna in 1814-15 secured the Cape Colony (South Africa), Malta, Ceylon and other territories captured by Great Britain in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. By the middle of the 19th century, the British had basically completed the conquest of India (see Anglo-Mysore Wars, Anglo-Maratha Wars, Anglo-Sikh Wars), control over Nepal was established (see Anglo-Nepal War of 1814-16). The port of Singapore was founded in 1819. In the middle of the 19th century, as a result of the Anglo-Chinese War of 1840-42 and the Anglo-French-Chinese War of 1856-60, unequal treaties were imposed on China, a number of Chinese ports were opened for British trade, and the island of Hong Kong passed into the possession of Great Britain. At the same time, Great Britain switched to a policy of colonial conquest for African continent(see Anglo-Ashantian wars, Anglo-Boer-Zulu war of 1838-40, Lagos-English war of 1851).

During the period of the "colonial division of the world" (the last quarter of the 19th century), Great Britain seized Cyprus (1878), established full control over Egypt and the Suez Canal (1882), completed the conquest of Burma (see Anglo-Burmese Wars), established a de facto protectorate over Afghanistan (see Anglo-Afghan wars, Anglo-Afghan treaties and agreements), imposed unequal treaties on Siam and achieved the seizure of a number of territories from it (see Anglo-Siamese treaties). She conquered vast territories in Tropical and South Africa - Nigeria, the Gold Coast, Sierra Leone, Southern and Northern Rhodesia, Bechuanaland, Basutoland, Zululand, Swaziland, Uganda, Kenya (see Anglo-Zulu War of 1879, Anglo-Boer War of 1880- 81, Opobo-English War 1870-87, Brohemi-English War 1894, Sokoto-English War 1903). After the Anglo-Boer War of 1899-1902, Great Britain annexed to its colonial possessions the Boer republics of the Transvaal (the official name is South Africa) and the Orange Free State (annexed as a colony of the Orange River) and, combining them with the Cape and Natal colonies, created the South -African Union (1910).

The British Empire consisted of states and territories that had different (over time, in many cases changing) international legal status: dominions, colonies, protectorates and mandate territories.

Dominions - countries with a large number immigrants from Europe, who had relatively broad rights of self-government. North America and later Australia and New Zealand were the main destinations for emigration from Great Britain. They had a multimillion "white", mostly English-speaking, population. Their role in the world economy and politics became more and more prominent. If the United States won independence, then other overseas British possessions with a "white" population gradually achieved self-government: Canada in 1867, the Australian Union in 1901, New Zealand in 1907, the Union of South Africa in 1919, Newfoundland in 1917 ( in 1949 became part of Canada), Ireland (without the northern part - Ulster, which remained part of Great Britain) - in 1921. By the decision of the imperial conference in 1926, they became known as dominions. Their independence in the internal and foreign policy was confirmed by the 1931 Westminster Statute. Economic ties between them, as well as between them and the metropolis, were consolidated by the creation of sterling blocs (1931) and the 1932 Ottawa Agreements on imperial preferences.

The overwhelming majority of the population of the British Empire lived in the colonies (there were about 50 of them). Each colony was governed by a governor-general, who was appointed by the British Colonial Office. The governor formed a legislative council of officials from the colonial administration and representatives of the local population. In many colonies, the traditional institutions of power were reorganized and integrated into the system of colonial government as "native" administrations, the local nobility was left with some of the powers and sources of income (indirect government). The largest colonial possession - India - officially became part of the British Empire in 1858 (before that it was controlled by the British East India Company). Since 1876, the British monarch (at that time - Queen Victoria) was also called the emperor of India, and the governor-general of India - the viceroy.

The nature of the administration of the protectorates and their degree of dependence on the metropolis were different. The colonial authorities allowed some independence of the local feudal or tribal elite.

Mandate territories - parts of the former German and Ottoman empires, transferred after the 1st World War by the League of Nations under the control of Great Britain on the basis of the so-called mandate.

In 1922, during the period of its greatest territorial expansion, the British Empire included: the metropolis - Great Britain (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland); dominions - Ireland (without Northern Ireland; colony before 1921), Canada, Newfoundland (dominion in 1917-34), Australia, New Zealand, Union of South Africa; colonies - Gibraltar, Malta, Ascension Island, Saint Helena, Nigeria, Gold Coast, Sierra Leone, Gambia, Mauritius, Seychelles, Somaliland, Kenya, Uganda, Zanzibar, Nyasaland, Northern Rhodesia, Southern Rhodesia, Swaziland, Basutoland, Bechuanaland, Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Cyprus, Aden (with Perim, Socotra), India, Burma, Ceylon, Straits Settlements, Malaya, Sarawak, North Borneo, Brunei, Labrador, British Honduras, British Guiana, Bermuda, Bahamas , Jamaica Island, Trinidad and Tobago Islands, Windward Islands, Leeward Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands, Falkland Islands, Barbados Island, Papua (Commonwealth of Australia), Fiji, Tonga Islands, Gilbert Islands, Solomon Islands and a number of small islands in Oceania; mandated territories - Palestine, Transjordan, Iraq, Tanganyika, part of Togo and part of Cameroon, Southwest Africa (mandate of the Union of South Africa), Nauru island, formerly German New Guinea, Pacific Islands south of the equator, Western Samoa (New Zealand Mandate). British domination actually extended to Egypt, Nepal and Hong Kong (Hong Kong) and Weihawei (Weihai), which were torn away from China.

The struggle of the Afghan people forced Great Britain to recognize the independence of Afghanistan in 1919 (see Anglo-Afghan treaties of 1919, 1921). In 1922, Egypt became formally independent, in 1930 the British mandate to govern Iraq was terminated, although both countries remained in the sphere of British rule.

The collapse of the British Empire came after World War II as a result of a powerful upsurge in the anti-colonial struggle of the peoples inhabiting it. Attempts to preserve the British Empire by maneuvering or using military force (colonial wars in Malaya, Kenya and other British possessions) failed. In 1947 Great Britain was forced to grant independence to the largest colonial possession - India. At the same time, the country was divided on regional and religious grounds into two parts: India and Pakistan. Independence was proclaimed by Transjordan (1946), Burma and Ceylon (1948). In 1947, the UN General Assembly decided to terminate the British Mandate for Palestine and create on its territory two states - a Jewish and an Arab. In 1956, the independence of Sudan was proclaimed, in 1957 - of Malaya. The Gold Coast became the first British possession in Tropical Africa to become an independent state in 1957, adopting the name Ghana.

1960 went down in history as the "Year of Africa". 17 African colonies achieved independence, including the largest British possession in Africa - Nigeria, as well as Somaliland, which united with the Italian-ruled part of Somalia to create the Republic of Somalia. Subsequent major milestones of decolonization: 1961 - Sierra Leone, Kuwait, Tanganyika; 1962 - Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda; 1963 - Zanzibar (in 1964, having united with Tanganyika, formed the Republic of Tanzania), Kenya; 1964 - Nyasaland (became the Republic of Malawi), Northern Rhodesia (became the Republic of Zambia), Malta; 1965 - Gambia, Maldives; 1966 - British Guiana (became the Republic of Guyana), Basutoland (Lesotho), Bechuanaland (became the Republic of Botswana), Barbados; 1967 - Aden (Yemen); 1968 - Mauritius, Swaziland; 1970 - Tonga, Fiji; 1980 - Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe); 1990 - Namibia. In 1997, Hong Kong became part of China. In 1961, the Union of South Africa proclaimed itself the Republic of South Africa and seceded from the Commonwealth, but after the elimination of the apartheid regime (1994) it was again admitted to it.

The collapse of the British Empire did not mean, however, a complete rupture of the close economic, political and cultural ties between its parts that had developed over many decades. The British Commonwealth of Nations itself has undergone fundamental changes. After the proclamation of independence by India, Pakistan and Ceylon (since 1972, Sri Lanka) and their entry into the British Commonwealth of Nations (1948), it became a union not only of the metropolis and "old" dominions, but also of all states that arose within the British Empire. The word “British” was removed from the name “British Commonwealth of Nations”, and later it was called “Commonwealth”. At the beginning of the 21st century, it had 53 members: 2 in Europe, 13 in America, 9 in Asia, 18 in Africa, 11 in Australia and Oceania. Mozambique was admitted to the Commonwealth and was never part of the British Empire.

The turn of the 20th and 21st centuries was marked by the release in Great Britain of fundamental research on the history of the British Empire, including those devoted to the problems of interaction of cultures of the peoples of the empire, various aspects of decolonization and the transformation of the empire into the Commonwealth. A long-term project of a multivolume publication "British Papers on the End of the Empire" was developed and started to be implemented.

Lit .: Cambridge history of the British Empire. Camb., 1929-1959. Vol. 1-8; Erofeev N.A. The empire was created like this ... English colonialism in the 18th century. M., 1964; he is. The decline of the British Empire. M., 1967; he is. English colonialism in the middle of the 19th century. M., 1977; Ostapenko GS British Conservatives and Decolonization. M., 1995; Porter B. The lion's: share: a short history of British Imperialism, 1850-1995. L. 1996; Oxford history of the British Empire. Oxf. 1998-1999. Vol. 15; Davidson A.B. Cecil Rhodes - Empire Builder. M .; Smolensk, 1998; Hobsbawm E. Age of Empire. 1875-1914. Rostov n / D., 1999; Empire and others: British encounters with indigenous people / Ed. by M. Daunton, R. Halpern. L. 1999; Boyce D.G. Decolonization and the British Empire, 1775-1997. L. 1999; The commonwealth in the 21st century / Ed. by G. Mills, J. Stremlau. L. 1999; Cultures of empire: colonizers in Britain and the Empire in the nineteenth and twentieth century: a reader / Ed. by S. Hall. Manchester; N. Y. 2000; Lloyd T. Empire: the history of the British Empire. L .; N. Y. 2001; Butler L. J. Britain and empire: adjusting to the post-imperial world. L., 2001; Heinlein F. British government policy and decolonisation. 1945-1963: scrutinising the official mind. L., 2002; Churchill W. The World Crisis. Autobiography. Speeches. M., 2003; Seeley J.R., Cramb J.A. British Empire. M., 2004; James L. The rise and fall of the British Empire. L., 2005; Bibliography of imperial, colonial and commonwealth history since 1600 / Ed. by A. Porter. Oxf., 2002.

During the heyday of the Roman Empire, its dominion extended over vast territories - their total area was about 6.51 million square kilometers. However, in the list of the largest empires in history, the Roman occupies only nineteenth place.

What do you think is the first one?

The most large empire in the world throughout history

Mongolian

295 (21.7 % )

Russian

214 (15.8 % )

Spanish

48 (3.5 % )

British

567 (41.8 % )

Mongolian

119 (8.8 % )

Turkic kaganate

18 (1.3 % )

Japanese

5 (0.4 % )

Arab Caliphate

18 (1.3 % )

Macedonian

74 (5.4 % )

Now we will find out the correct answer ...

Thousands of years of human existence have passed under the sign of wars and expansion. Great states arose, grew and collapsed, which changed (and some continue to change) the appearance of the modern world.

Empire is the most powerful type of state, where various countries and peoples are united under the rule of a single monarch (emperor). Consider ten of the largest empires ever to emerge on the world stage. Oddly enough, but in our list you will not find either the Roman, or the Ottoman, or even the empire of Alexander the Great - history has seen more.

10. Arab Caliphate

Population: -

State area: - 6.7

Capital: 630 - 656 Medina / 656 - 661 Mecca / 661 - 754 Damascus / 754 - 762 El Kufa / 762 - 836 Baghdad / 836 - 892 Samarra / 892 - 1258 Baghdad

Start of reign: 632 g

Fall of an empire: 1258 g

The existence of this empire marked the so-called. "The golden era of Islam" - the period from the 7th to the 13th century AD. e. The Caliphate was founded immediately after the death of the creator of the Muslim faith, Muhammad in 632, and its core was the Medina community founded by the prophet. Centuries of Arab conquests increased the empire's area to 13 million square meters. km, covering territories in all three parts of the Old World. By the middle of the 13th century, the Caliphate, torn apart by internal conflicts, was so weak that it was easily captured, first by the Mongols, and then by the Ottomans, the founders of another great Central Asian empire.

9. Japanese Empire

Population: 97,770,000

State area: 7.4 million km2

Capital: Tokyo

Start of reign: 1868

Fall of an empire: 1947

Japan is the only empire in modern political map... Now this status is rather formal, but even 70 years ago, it was Tokyo that was the main center of imperialism in Asia. Japan - an ally of the Third Reich and fascist Italy - then tried to establish control over the western coast of the Pacific Ocean, sharing a vast front with the Americans. This time was the peak of the territorial scope of the empire, which controlled almost the entire sea space and 7.4 million square meters. km of land from Sakhalin to New Guinea.

8. Portuguese Empire

Population: 50 million (480 BC) / 35 million (330 BC)

State area: - 10.4 million km2

Capital: Coimbra, Lisbon

Since the 16th century, the Portuguese have been looking for ways to break through Spanish isolation in the Iberian Peninsula. In 1497, they opened the sea route to India, which marked the beginning of the growth of the Portuguese colonial empire. Three years earlier, the Treaty of Tordesillas was concluded between the "sworn neighbors", which actually divided the world known at that time between the two countries, on the latter's unfavorable terms for the Portuguese. But this did not stop them from collecting more than 10 million square meters. km of land, most of which Brazil occupied. The handover of Macau to the Chinese in 1999 completed Portugal's colonial history.

7. Turkic kaganate

Area - 13 million km2

one of the largest ancient states in Asia in the history of mankind, created by the tribal union of the Turks (Turkuts), headed by rulers from the Ashina clan. During the period of its greatest expansion (end of the 6th century), it controlled the territories of China (Manchuria), Mongolia, Altai, East Turkestan, West Turkestan (Central Asia), Kazakhstan and the North Caucasus. In addition, Sassanian Iran, the Chinese states of Northern Zhou, Northern Qi since 576 and from the same year the Türkic Kaganate rejects from Byzantium were tributaries of the Kaganate. North Caucasus and Crimea.

6. French Empire

Population: -

State area: 13.5 million sq. km

Capital: Paris

Beginning of reign: 1546

Fall of an empire: 1940

France became the third European power (after Spain and Portugal) to become interested in overseas territories. Since 1546 - the time of the founding of New France (now Quebec, Canada) - the formation of the Francophonie in the world begins. Having lost the American opposition to the Anglo-Saxons, as well as inspired by the conquests of Napoleon, the French occupied almost all of West Africa. In the middle of the twentieth century, the area of ​​the empire reached 13.5 million square meters. km, more than 110 million people lived in it. By 1962, most of the French colonies had become independent states.

Chinese empire

5. Chinese Empire (Qing Empire)

Population: 383,100,000

State area: 14.7 million km2

Capital: Mukden (1636-1644), Beijing (1644-1912)

Beginning of reign: 1616

Fall of an empire: 1912

The oldest empire in Asia, the cradle oriental culture... The first Chinese dynasties ruled from the 2nd millennium BC. e., but a single empire was created only in 221 BC. NS. During the Qing reign - the last monarchical dynasty of the Celestial Empire - the empire occupied a record area of ​​14.7 million square meters. km. This is 1.5 times more than that of the modern Chinese state, mainly due to Mongolia, now independent. In 1911, the Xinhai Revolution broke out, ending the monarchy in China, turning the empire into a republic.

4. Spanish Empire

Population: 60 million

State area: 20,000,000 km2

Capital: Toledo (1492-1561) / Madrid (1561-1601) / Valladolid (1601-1606) / Madrid (1606-1898)

Fall of an empire: 1898

The period of Spanish world domination began with the voyages of Columbus, who opened new horizons for Catholic missionary work and territorial expansion. In the 16th century, almost the entire Western Hemisphere was “at the feet” of the Spanish king with his “invincible armada”. It was at this time that Spain was called "the country where the sun never sets", because its possessions covered one seventh of the land (about 20 million sq. Km) and almost half of the sea routes in all corners of the planet. The greatest empires of the Incas and Aztecs fell before the conquistadors, and in their place a predominantly Hispanic Latin America emerged.

3. Russian Empire

Population: 60 million

Population: 181.5 million (1916)

State area: 23,700,000 km2

Capital: St. Petersburg, Moscow

Fall of the empire: 1917

The largest continental monarchy in human history. Its roots reach the times of the Moscow principality, then the kingdom. In 1721, Peter I proclaimed the imperial status of Russia, which owned vast territories from Finland to Chukotka. At the end of the 19th century, the state reached its geographic climax: 24.5 million square meters. km, about 130 million inhabitants, over 100 ethnic groups and nationalities. Russian possessions at one time were the lands of Alaska (before its sale by the Americans in 1867), as well as part of California.

2. Mongol Empire

Population: more than 110,000,000 people (1,279)

State area: 38,000,000 sq. Km. (1279)

Capital: Karakorum, Khanbalik

Beginning of reign: 1206

Fall of an empire: 1368

The greatest empire of all times and peoples, whose raison d'être was one - war. The great Mongolian state was formed in 1206 under the leadership of Genghis Khan, having grown over several decades to 38 million square meters. km, from the Baltic Sea to Vietnam, and at the same time killing every tenth inhabitant of the Earth. By the end of the XIII century, its Ulus covered a quarter of the land and a third of the world's population, which then numbered almost half a billion people. The ethnopolitical framework of modern Eurasia was formed on the fragments of the empire.

1. British Empire

Population: 458,000,000 (approximately 24% of the world's population in 1922)

State area: 42.75 km2 (1922)

Capital London

Beginning of reign: 1497

Fall of an empire: 1949 (1997)

The British Empire is the largest state that ever existed in the history of mankind, with colonies on all inhabited continents.

For 400 years of its formation, it has withstood the competition for world domination with other "colonial titans": France, Holland, Spain, Portugal. During its heyday, London controlled a quarter of the world's landmass (over 34 million square kilometers) on all inhabited continents, as well as vast expanses of the ocean. Formally, it still exists in the form of the Commonwealth, and countries such as Canada and Australia, in fact, remain subject to the British crown.

International status of English language Is the main legacy of Pax Britannica.

Anything else interesting for you from history: remember, or for example. So much for you. maybe you didn't know what was and

The original article is on the site InfoGlaz.rf The link to the article this copy was made from is

Historically, capitalist relations in England emerged earlier than in other countries. Industry was expanding and needed sources of raw materials, money and sales. The British bourgeoisie began an active struggle for the seizure of spheres of influence, for the seizure of colonies.

English colonial policy in the 17th and 18th centuries did not yet have such a scale as it acquired in the next century. Its purpose was to ensure the profit of a relatively small strata of the commercial bourgeoisie and the aristocratic elite of English society. Profit was achieved through unequal exchange of goods between European businessmen and local residents colonies, the export of spices and valuable species of wood from Asia and Africa and their sale in Europe at high prices, as well as through direct robbery.

In England, special associations of the largest traders and industrialists were created. Their activities paved the way for the military and political establishment of England in various parts of the world.

With the help of such monopoly private enterprises, the British state penetrated Asia, America, Africa.

England took possession of numerous islands in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans and secured important strongholds on the sea shores.

Thus, a huge chain of military and naval bases and strongholds was created, with which the British Empire subsequently encircled almost the entire world. This was how the bridgeheads were being prepared for a broad economic and military-political penetration into the depths of the Afro-Asian and American countries and the enslavement of the inhabiting peoples. The Industrial Revolution and the associated sharp expansion of the production of factory products caused a change in the views of the British ruling circles on the goals of colonial policy. The countries of the East began to acquire more and more importance not only as sources of income in the form of military booty and taxes, but mainly as profitable markets for British goods. "Colonies began to serve as a source of cheap raw materials ..."

In the second quarter of the 19th century, colonial expansion began to acquire special significance for England.

The military-political activity of the British Empire in the south of the mainland manifested itself in parallel with the expansionist activities of the British in other areas.

As a result of the aggressive actions of the colonialists, mainly British, already in the first half of 1919 the preconditions for the division of African lands between the capitalist powers and the enslavement of almost all the peoples living here were laid.

By the end of 19, England had become the largest colonial power. “From 1884-1900. England acquired 3,700,000 square miles of new colonial territories. " Her possessions were located on all continents. The British ruling circles subordinated to their dominion a number of countries and peoples of Asia and Africa, primarily India, imposed onerous treaties and agreements on China, Iran and other states, created a system of military-strategic bases and communication lines on the islands and coasts of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, as well as Mediterranean Sea.

In the last third of the 19th century, in the advanced countries of Europe and in the United States, capitalism entered its last stage, the imperialist stage. During this period, the colonial policy of the British bourgeoisie became especially active. Colonial possessions at this stage in the development of capitalism were of interest to the metropolises not only as sources of raw materials and markets for goods, but also as a sphere of capital investment and exploitation of cheap labor. "The era of industrial capital has given way to the era of finance capital."

Along with the ever-increasing importance of the economic exploitation of colonial and semi-colonial possessions, the dependent territories scattered in different parts of the globe continued to play the role of important military-political bridgeheads, as well as a source of replenishment for the so-called colored troops.

At the end of the 19th century, the British bourgeoisie developed a vigorous activity to expand its colonial empire, to spread and strengthen its influence in the East.

In 70-80 years 19 colonial expansion of England acquired a particularly large scale in Africa and the Middle East.

Colonial policy of England during the period of imperialism

The British Empire entered the First World War in full force. This war also served as the beginning of the crisis in the British Empire. Previously growing centrifugal forces burst out. During the First World War, there were uprisings in the Union of South Africa and Ireland, contradictions in Canada and Australia, and a widespread national liberation movement in India. The position of England in the capitalist world was weakening, while the balance of power between England and the dominions changed in favor of the latter. Thus, the foundations of a single foreign and military policy were undermined.

The new balance of power within the British Empire, which developed after the First World War, was reflected in the new Statute of the Dominions. The question of drafting such a statute arose already at the first post-war conferences. The Balfour report confirmed the right of each dominion, established in 1923, to independent foreign relations, to participate in international conferences, and stipulated that the dominions, concluding treaties with foreign states, should take into account the possible consequences for other parts of the empire.

The term "British Commonwealth of Nations" was first used in 1926 to refer to England and the self-governing dominions. The very term "empire" was abolished and replaced by the word "commonwealth". The use of the term "commonwealth" has made the political situation less difficult. "

Before World War II, the British Empire meant the unification of England with the dominions and colonies, and the Commonwealth meant England with the dominions. Under the Westminster Statute, the dominions became almost full-fledged subjects international relations with the rights of an independent diplomatic representation, the conclusion of treaties with foreign states, with their own armed forces, with the right to declare or not declare war. The colonies continued to be disenfranchised objects of British politics. The Dominions took part in the redistribution of the German colonies after the First World War. Thus, "the first world war 1914-1918 led to the acquisition of another one and a half million square miles."

At the same time, the contradictions between Britain and the Dominions manifested themselves with increasing force on the basis of the development of independent local-imperialist aspirations of the Dominions, on the basis of the general crisis of imperialist policy in the period between the two wars. England took steps to strengthen the unity of the empire.

In economic terms, this goal was served by the system of imperial preferences established at the Ottawa Conference in 1932, and the creation of the sterling zone in the 1930s, which contributed to the development of intra-imperial ties, the growth of trade and investment.

At the first stage of the general crisis of capitalism in the empire, centrifugal forces were already making themselves felt. Ireland was freed from British rule and renounced the military obligations imposed on it. The Indian subcontinent shook under the powerful blows of the national liberation movement. “Mass political actions of industrial workers and peasants were noted in 1918-22 in many regions of India. The Anglo-Indian government responded to these speeches with brutal repression. " The "British Middle Eastern Empire" created by the First World War began to crack. “In 1919, as a result of the Anglo-Afghan war, Afghanistan achieved the elimination of unequal treaties imposed by Britain, becoming a sovereign state. Turkey's political independence was secured by the abolition of all legal and economic privileges granted to the foreign Turkish sultan. England had to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan, Turkey, Iran. "

These revolutionary, destructive processes for the British Empire were fully developed during and as a result of the Second World War, at a new stage in the general crisis of capitalism. At the first stage of the general crisis of capitalism, the British Empire expanded greatly at the expense of the German colonies and parts of the disintegrated Ottoman Empire. “By the end of the First World War, the British Empire was at the height of its power. A dangerous enemy - Germany - was defeated, and its colonial possessions were divided between the Entente powers. England received under this section in direct possession under the cover of the League of Nations mandate South-West Africa, part of Cameroon and Togo, Tanganyika and a number of islands in Oceania. " Thus, "on the eve of World War II, the British Empire with protectorates and dependent territories occupied an area equal to a quarter of the entire surface of the globe, with a population of ¼ of the world's population."

British Empire - what kind of state is it? It is a power that included Great Britain and numerous colonies. The largest empire that has ever existed on our planet. In the old days, the territory of the British Empire occupied one quarter of the entire earth's land. True, almost a hundred years have passed since then.

When did the British Empire start? Determining the time frame is not easy. We can say that it arose during the time of Elizabeth I, who ruled in the second half of the 16th century. It was then that England found an excellent Navy which allowed her to turn into Yet true story The British Empire begins with the emergence of the first English settlement in the New World.

What allowed this power to become the largest in the world? First of all, colonization. In addition, the plantation economy and, alas, the slave trade were actively developing in the British Empire. For two centuries, these factors were the most important in the country's economy. Nevertheless, England became the state that first opposed the slave trade. So, let's take a closer look at the most important events in the history of the British Empire. Let's start with the first colonial conquests.

Challenge Spain

Christopher Columbus, as you know, spent a long time convincing the monarchs to equip an expedition. He dreamed of reaching the countries of the East, but found support only from Queen Isabella of Castile. So the pioneers in the development of America were the Spaniards, who immediately conquered vast territories. The British Empire later became the most powerful. However, she did not immediately enter the struggle for the colonies.

In the second half of the 16th century, the crown of the British Empire belonged to Elizabeth I. It was during the years of her reign that the power acquired a powerful fleet capable of challenging Spain and Portugal. But for the time being, it was only a dream of colonies. The question was not so much in technical capabilities as in legal aspects. Portugal and Spain divided the undiscovered lands at the end of the 15th century, drawing a line from south to north across the Atlantic. Closer to XVI century the monopoly of these states has finally begun to provoke a murmur.

An important step in the formation of the British Empire was the so-called Moscow campaign. Captain Richard Chancellor received an audience with Ivan the Terrible. The result of this meeting was the Tsar's permission to trade with English merchants on the territory of Russia. It was in those terrible times when it belonged to a Catholic woman who, due to her vigorous struggle against heretics, received the nickname "Bloody". We are talking about Mary, the eldest daughter of Henry VIII.

England tried to reach the shores of China, but these attempts failed. However, cooperation with the Russian tsars made it possible to develop new trade routes to Bukhara and Persia, which brought considerable dividends. However, despite the development of trade, America was of considerable interest to the British.

English pirates

How did the British Empire begin developing the lands of the New World? The origin of English colonization followed an interesting pattern. The subjects of the British Empire initially wanted only to establish trade relations with America. But the Spanish queen would not let them. The English sailors were upset, but not taken aback. They retrained into smugglers, and then even into pirates.

Since 1587, the Queen of England has kept the ambitious aspirations of her subjects at the official level. Each of the pirates was issued a certificate of permission for sea robbery against representatives of hostile states. By the way, pirates with a special document were called privateers. Pirate is a more general concept. A privateer is someone who has combined a career in the Royal Navy with sea robbery. Excellent shots were selected. Among the robbers-sailors were John Davis, Martin Frobisher - people to whom many pages in the annals of navigation are dedicated.

First colony

But the British Empire needed its own colonies. Why are the rich vast lands Should the New World go to the Spaniards? This question finally matured by the end of the 17th century. The founder of the first colony was Sir Walter Raleigh - a philosopher, historian, poet, favorite of the queen. His brother became the leader of the expedition in 1583. Sir Raleigh himself remained in London. As a result of the storm, one of the ships was wrecked. However, Gilbert, the head of the English expedition, managed to reach the coast and a large fishing village (now the Canadian city of St. John). Here he saw the flags of various states waving. Gilbert immediately installed the banner of the British Empire, confiscated the catch, and passed several questionable laws. However, things were not going well for him. The sailors began to grumble, complain about the terrible climate. Some weighed anchor.

Gilbert decided to return to England. However, as a result of another storm, his frigate sank. Sir Raleigh mourned his brother, and then began to prepare for a new expedition. Finally, the British managed to get their way. They reached the shores of the New World, that part of it where there were no Spaniards yet.

It had a wonderful climate and fertile soil. And most importantly, they are very nice and hospitable natives. Sir Raleigh decided to call this colony Virginia. However, another name stuck - Roanoke (the territory of the northern part of Carolina). The outbreak of war between the British Empire and Spain upset the colonial plans. In addition, almost mystical story, testifying to the fact that the natives are not so hospitable. Fifteen settlers are missing. The bones of one of them were found at the aboriginal hut.

English slave trade

In 1664, the province of New Amsterdam, later renamed New York, became part of the British Empire. The colony of Pennsylvania was founded in 1681. The British began to master such a lucrative business as the sale of slaves around the 70s of the 17th century. The Royal African Company has a monopoly on this activity. Slavery was at the heart of the economy of the British Empire.

Asia

In the 16th century, trading companies were founded that exported spices from India. The first belonged to Holland, the second to the British Empire. The close contacts between Amsterdam and London and their intense competition led to serious conflict. However, as a result, it was the British Empire in India that was firmly and permanently entrenched. However, in the 17th century, Holland still held a strong position in the Asian colonies. At the beginning of the 18th century, the British Empire managed to overtake Holland in terms of economic development.

France and England

In 1688, a treaty was concluded between Holland and the British Empire. The war that began the same year made England a strong colonial power. At the very beginning of the 18th century, a war began against France and Spain, which resulted in the Utrecht Peace Treaty. The British Empire expanded. After the conclusion of the peace treaty, she received Arkady and Newfoundland. From Spain, which lost most of its possessions, she got Minorca and Gibraltar. The latter at the beginning of the 18th century became a powerful naval base, which allowed the British Empire to control the exit to the Atlantic from the Mediterranean.

War of Independence in the United States

From 1775, the colonists fought hard for their independence. Ultimately, the British Empire had no choice but to recognize the States as an independent state. During the war, the Americans attempted to invade British Canada. However, due to the lack of support from the French-speaking colonists, they failed to achieve their goals. Historians perceive the British loss of strategically important territories in the New World as the border between the first and second periods in the history of the British Empire. The second stage lasted until 1945. Then the period of decolonization of the Empire began.

Why India was called the pearl of the British Empire

It is not known exactly who this metaphor belongs to. There is a version that this phrase was first uttered by the British politician Benjamin Disraeli in the 19th century. India was undoubtedly the richest English colony. There were many natural resources, which were highly valued all over the world: silk, cotton, precious metals, tea, grain, spices. However, India did not generate income only from its abundance of natural resources. There was, moreover, a cheap labor force.

Thirteen colonies

What does this term mean? These are the colonies of the British Empire in North America. In 1776, they signed the Declaration of Independence, that is, they did not recognize the authority of Great Britain. This event was preceded by the War of Independence. List of colonies:

1. Province of Massachusetts Bay.
2. Province of New Hampshire.
3. Colony of Connecticut.
4. Colony of Rhode Island.
5. Province of New Jersey.
6. Province of New York.
7. Province of Pennsylvania.
8. Colony and dominion of Virginia.
9. Province of Maryland.
10. Colony of Delaware.
11. Colony Virginia.
12. Province of South Carolina.
13. Province of North Carolina.
14. Province of Georgia.

abolition of slavery

At a time when the debate on the abolition of serfdom was just beginning in Russia, the fight against the slave trade was already in full swing in the British Empire. In 1807, a ban was issued on the export of African slaves. Eight years later, a congress was held in Vienna, during which England proposed to impose a final ban on the slave trade as a form of business. And soon the International Maritime Organization was established, the purpose of which was to prosecute violators.

On Vienna Congress it was only about the export of African slaves. That is, everyone continued to exploit free labor within the state. In 1823, an anti-slavery society was created. Ten years later, a law came into force that prohibited not only the slave trade, but also slavery in all its manifestations.

East India Company

In the politics of the British Empire, the main goal for a long time was to retain possessions in India. As already mentioned, the richest resources were concentrated here. The East India Company was the main instrument of expansion in the 19th century. And in the thirties, she developed a business of exporting opium to China. After the Chinese authorities confiscated several thousand cases of a strong drug, the British Empire launched what is known in history as the "First Opium War."

In 1857, an uprising of mercenary soldiers took place in India. Around this time, the East India Company was liquidated. At the end of the 19th century, India was gripped by a famine caused by poor harvests and unsuccessful regulation of trade duties. About 15 million people died.

XX century

At the beginning of the century, Germany became one of the largest military states, which the British viewed as a dangerous enemy. That is why the British Empire had to go for rapprochement with Russia and France. During the First World War, England managed to consolidate its status in Cyprus, Palestine, and some regions of Cameroon.

In the period between the First and Second World War, the UK economy was strengthened by exports. The States and Japan posed some threat. In addition, revolutionary movements in Ireland and India developed during this period.

England had to choose between an alliance with the United States or Japan. Initially, the choice was made in favor of Japan. In 1922, the Washington Naval Agreement was signed. However, in the thirties, militarists came to power in Japan, and therefore friendly relations with this state had to be terminated.

Great Britain played an important role in World War II. After France was occupied, the empire was formally left alone against Nazi Germany and its allies. This continued until 1941, until he entered the war Soviet Union.

The collapse of the British Empire

It was a long process that began in 1945. The British Empire became one of the victors in World War II. Nevertheless, the consequences of this massive armed conflict were dire for her. Europe came under the influence of two states - the USSR and the USA. The British Empire narrowly escaped bankruptcy. Its complete collapse as a world power was publicly demonstrated by the Suez Crisis.

Most of the British colonies were located in new territories, which were leased in 1898. The lease was 99 years. The British government made unsuccessful attempts to retain power in these lands. Yet in 1997, one of the world's greatest empires was gone.