Britain has completely established its hegemonic advantage on a global scale, which lasted for almost a century. However, Britain, known as the "empire that never sets", can never escape the fate of dominating for a century, and Britain began to decline gradually and became a second-rate country.
Although the glory of the past is gone forever, Britain's influence on the world can not be ignored. It involves politics, economy, culture and other aspects. Scholars always have different views on the rise and fall of Britain.
In the first period, from Queen Elizabeth's accession to the throne to the end of the glorious revolution, it experienced about three times. British colonization began at sea, and defeated the Spanish Armada and the Dutch navy successively. Since then, British maritime power has risen and become a member of Europe. After the glorious revolution, Britain formally established a constitutional monarchy. Therefore, in terms of system, other countries follow the example of Britain to establish a new capitalist system and develop their economies according to their own actual conditions. If the method is correct, it is possible to catch up with Britain.
. The second period is from the end of the glorious revolution to the first industrial revolution. During this period, Britain successfully annexed Scotland and won the seven-year war between Britain and France.
The third period, from the first industrial revolution to the nineteenth century. The first industrial revolution brought rich raw materials, vast domestic market, ever-changing technology and great ideological achievements-Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations was published.
Britain is a pioneer of world capitalism, but the international situation is changeable. In the early stage of capitalism, the capitalist world market has not yet formed and is very underdeveloped.
Without a perfect market, consumers can only maintain and develop by expanding land area and plundering raw materials. When Germany, the United States and Japan rise, France and other emerging capitalist countries and established capitalist countries catch up, the fundamentals of the international market have improved, and a stable group of raw material suppliers and consumers has been formed. This change is not more, but begins to lag behind Britain, while other countries are rising.
Fight two world wars. The two world wars were basically European battlefields, which consumed a British national for a long time.
In the war, many of his original spheres of influence and economic and political influence were replaced by the United States, which is a very important reason
The British Empire is the largest colonial empire in the world and has been envied by the world for more than a century. The formation of the British Empire was the result of 300 years of trade, immigration and military conquest, which was also a period of peace and the shrinking of imperial commercial diplomacy. The empire's territory covers seven continents and four oceans, including Antarctica, and it is described as an "empire where the sun never sets"
At the same time, his decline is inevitable.
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