Probably some of London's tall Victorian building is sometimes a reflection of some of the former imperial glory, but in the end the sun never sets despot is gone forever. Now show in front of us does not seem a powerful British empire Zhuang Sheng contrary, it is more like a green sloping hills, full of rustic, pastoral calm and peaceful country.
In 1879, Queen Victoria ascended the throne held in honor of her 60-year celebration. Guard of honor at a huge triumph in the streets of London at the moment, the UK and a strong self-confidence seems to be beyond doubt. A small island located between the
North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean - the United Kingdom, even conquered the territory and a quarter of the people on the planet land. Britain's wealth and power to make a lot of jealous envy powers, Britain's trade and industrial strength to dominate the global economy. The British general was confident that the
British Empire represents the highest human civilization of that era.
In 1901, Queen Victoria died at his funeral, the guard of honor marched in huge hearse after the queen no longer seems to show the kind of aggressive imperial self-confidence. Because in Europe, increasingly powerful after the reunification of Germany, and across the ocean, American industry is constantly rising, it seems also issued a challenge to the British Empire in the economic and military.
The heyday of the British Empire, its colonial on five continents around the world. But in the colonial administration, different regions have different ways. Overseas territories such as Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, because there are a large number of white settlers, these areas are called "autonomously." These government leaders are usually generated autonomously by local residents vote. These regional government usually with their sovereign, that the British government regarded as an equal footing.
Britain, given the lessons of the American War of Independence, to autonomously (taking on the management of many liberal appeasement policy, these dominion as their children. So then they became dominion of the British Empire from the first batch of countries, while the British Government will These countries are independent, as their children have grown up, so I did not take the time to treat the use of the American military intervention.
In addition dominion, the British governor to take the system in most of the territories of Africa, and the Far East. For example, in Africa before independence, many countries, such as Ghana, Kenya did not exist. Kenya belongs to the British East Africa, Ghana belongs to the British West Africa, and these earthly governor must be appointed by the London. In the Far East, Malaya, Burma and other places, the situation is the same.
In the United Kingdom among all overseas territories, India occupies a very special position.
British India, in fact, including today's Pakistan and Bangladesh, it demobilized vast, populous, not only to provide food, tea and a variety of industrial
raw materials for the British, but also to the British transport a large number of cheap labor.
In the period of British rule in India, the official language of up to 15 in some areas, officials sent by the direct jurisdiction of the United Kingdom, while the rest belong to the semi-autonomous region, the local soil help master (Nawab) to jurisdiction. The main fact in the British empire established a state within a state. They and the British government to work together to divide up the wealth of India. Each side will have a main fact the British government sent a military attache to help train its army. In 1912,
George V, that Queen Victoria's princes, during a visit to India, India witnessed a grand parade honor guard. This huge Indian army is trained by instructors from the United Kingdom. Then British troops in India less than a thousand people, plus all administrative staff together, British expatriate in India, but also about two thousand people. But
more than two thousand Britons ruled at that time, but the actual management of more than 200 million of India's 50 million people.
In the heyday of the British Empire, often has a kind of mission for world domination, they are convinced that their country is the world's strongest. The decline of many empires like an overturning of the building, the rapid rise, the rapid fall. The British Empire is not the same. Decline and Fall of the British Empire, like an old man, he was not sudden illness to death, but its ever-worsening physical condition, organ failure constantly.
The sun never sets Empire led to the decline was not unexpected by what accident, but collection is made by the numerous historical events. It seems so many years of British colonial administration was tired, and World War II by the first loss, the British finally not so sure of herself. So the sun never sets on the empire entered into a slow but inexorable decline ......
Many historians believe that the sun does not lead to the decline of empire is the first step from the Boer War began. When the Boers and the British gold and diamonds in South Africa because of a conflict of interest, war broke out in 1899. The thought sent against the British victory at hand, but the Boers of the guerrilla tactics to make them a headache. Although the British spent including the establishment of concentration camps and various other means, eventually it took two years to suppress the uprising Boers. Costly war, especially the Japanese Empire of the invincible image severely damaged.
War broke out in 1914, the British immediately felt the pressure from the German real. Britain is also heavily dependent on the operation of the war to support its colony. British and colonial each autonomous region, including South Africa, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and India are to provide a considerable amount of manpower to help their war.
During the war, the myth of invincibility of the British hit again mercilessly. British Army had not good to fight in a variety of complex terrain, while the British Navy is always invincible. But in a war, the first use of the German submarine, in this new situation, the Royal Navy seems to be no way, it is a war totally ineffective. And after the war, due to the severe UK deficit, funding problems forced the British had to cut the number of its naval base throughout the world, and its overall strength has been the US Navy quietly catch up.
In 1919, the Versailles contract has been signed, the UK overtook Germany to control the East Africa Tanzania, but also replace the Ottoman Empire gained the majority in the
Middle East, including Palestine jurisdiction. On the surface of the British Empire in growth, in fact, at this time of the British Empire is weak, perilous. At the same year, also appeared in the United Kingdom internal trouble, under the leadership of Sinn Fein in Ireland seek independence. Followed by the outbreak of the Irish war of independence. IRA guerrilla tactics effectively against the British, eventually forced the British government recognized the independence of Southern Ireland, leaving only its jurisdiction over 13 counties of Northern Ireland. This is now to go to Northern Ireland we still have to use the pound, while in Southern Ireland is by reason of the euro. This is no war of independence, both north and south love or had to use pounds.
Meanwhile, in order to honor prewar commitments, Britain agreed to South Africa, Australia, Canada and other autonomous independent state requirement, many historians believe that the British move is forced by the pressure of reality and the lessons learned during the American War of Independence. India then see the machine, also demand independence, because in India, also contribute a lot of war, want Britain to be able to let an independent way to its return, but the United Kingdom has not been ignored India's demands. British Prime Minister Chamberlain 1930s, has said Britain would consider at the appropriate time of India's independence, the time is about 1980. India is a full time real independence 33 years earlier.
Since World War I the British heavy losses, coupled with the 1930s economic crisis sweeping the globe, the British still have not seen improvement in post-war economic recovery, a gradual decline of the British Empire had become a foregone conclusion.
Important reasons for the Second World War, the collapse of the empire the sun never sets another colonial system restricting US thereof. The United States is believed in free trade, the US consortium has always believed that the British colonial control on overseas markets prevented US commercial trade expansion in the world. Coupled with the war, Britain owed a bunch of money in the United States, everywhere in the United States under pressure from Britain also had to relax its control over the colony. For example, in the Suez crisis, the United States not only did not support the British occupation of the Suez Canal, but the pressure allowed to evacuate. Although on the surface, relations between the Anglo-American promoted as kinship, in fact, the British people to know that the United States secretly is constantly trying to undermine the British do little tricks Britain, the United States after the war, the disintegration of the empire the sun never was play a catalytic role.