Essay

**Essay **

heh The British Empire was the most successful empire in world history. As an empire it was very profitable. It covered approximately a quarter of the Earth’s land and held control over 458 million people around the globe. This empire was also very manipulative because it managed to take “control” of the Chinese Empire without violence or threats. By the end of its reign the British Empire has learned much about power and managed to look “good” in the eyes of the world while decolonising its territories. __The next world empire can learn much from the reign and the fall of the British Empire__. heh During the 19th century it was said, “The sun never sets on the British Empire.” The British Empire had so many colonies around the world that at any given time it would be day in one of them. These colonies played a vital role in the British Empire; they provided the valuable resources and people that an Empire must have to flourish. Present day India was the largest colony that the British Empire ever had. It provided not only expensive goods that were valued by the European countries but also it provided one of the biggest armed forces in the world. During WWII the Indian Army provided the United Kingdom with over 2.5 million volunteers, making it the largest volunteer force in history [1]. Africa and Australia provided gold, silver and other precious metals and stones that raised the British Empires economy and allowed it to continue colonizing the world. When gold was discovered in Australia in 1851 not only did Victoria’s (a state in Australia) population increased 3 times in 10 years but also it brought in 2 tones of gold each week into the British treasury. Britain’s strategic colonisation of world regions brought it fame and power that any long-lasting successful empire must have. heh Sometimes the British Empire didn’t even have to use its large and powerful army to “take over" regions. Britain was importing large amounts of goods from China and in return was exporting silver. As the trade increased Britain began to suffer a silver deficit. At that time China had no laws against opium, so the British government decided to start an opium trade with China in 1729, to balance out the silver flow. From 1767 to 1838 the import of opium increased 40 times in China [4]. By that time over 2 million citizens were regular users. The Chinese government was startled by the silver flow out of China [2]; this lead to the First and Second Opium War. In both cases the Chinese government couldn’t stop the imports of opium into China and as result of the Treaty of Nanjing the British Empire gained Hong Kong as one of its colonies. The Chinese government was forced to keep the opium trade open not only because of the Treaty of Nanjing but also because its citizens were hooked on opium [4]. With a little brilliance the British Empire not only managed get out of the deficit but also to “take over” an entire empire without lifting a finger. No other empire has successfully achieved so much without starting a war. heh During the 1950’s Britain was poor and exhausted from WWII. The colonies saw this as a chance to get their own independence from the British Empire.  Britain had no troops and no money to fund wars with its colonies. Unlike France and Portugal, who kept waging unsuccessful wars to keep their empires intact [3 Abernethy, p 148], Britain understood this disadvantage and allowed its colonies to gain independence. The decolonisation process started with the India Independance Act of 1947. After that between 1960 and 1995 the British Empire allowed 36 countries/regions to gain independence from its rule. The British Empire ended on a very respectable note with the ceremony of returning Hong Kong to China after the 99 year lease. Unlike the French Empire, that was torn apart by civil war [3 Abernethy, p 148] and colonial war the British Empire stepped down very discreetly from its throne as the most powerful empire in the world. This feat looked very diplomatic in the eyes of the world. It gained good favour from world peoples and allowed Britain to grow and prosper right after the decolonisation. heh The British Empire had many tactics that it followed that made it one of the largest empires in the world. It chose to colonize countries/regions that were strategically profitable to it, like Africa and Australia that provided the empire with valuable stones and metals; and also like India that provided the people that were needed for the massive army of the British Empire. Not only did it use brute force to colonize the world but also used wit and trickery that forced empires to bow down at its mercy. Finally, the British Empire understood that its reign was over and resigned from world domination peacefully and quietly, something that most empires wish of. Future empires will prosper if they follow The British Empire’s example. Research - Home

1.__ World War 2 Database __. 2007. 10 May 2009 

2. Chrastina, Paul. __Emperor of China Declares War on Drugs__. < http://opioids.com/opium/opiumwar.html>

3. David B.Abernethy. __The Dynamics of Global Dominance:European Overseas Empires__. Yale University Press, 2000.

4. " **opium trade** ." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2009. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 10 May. 2009 <[]>.