Transcript THE BRITISH EMPIRE

The most powerful empire the world had ever known
“The sun never sets on the British Empire”
1497-1997
 More than 450 million people
 13,000,000 square miles of territory
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The 5 stages of the British Empire
 Origins and “First Empire” (1497-1783)
 “Second Empire” (1783-1815)
 Britain’s imperial hegemony (1815-1914)
 The Two World Wars (1914-1945)
 Decolonization and Fall of Empire
(1945-1997)
“First British Empire”
1497
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1578
1603
1783
1497 King Henry VII commissioned John Cabot to discover new route to
Asia
1578 Queen Elizabeth I accessed to throne
1603 Treaty of London
1783 Loss of the 13 Colonies
Colonial Expansion
Rivalry with…
Netherlands
• Rivalry in Asia between
Britsh East India Company
and Dutch Company.
• Three Anglo-Dutch Wars
in 17° century and peace in
1688 with Glorious
Revolution.
Colonial Expansion
Rivalry with…
Netherlands
France
• Rivalry in Asia between
Britsh East India Company
and Dutch Company.
• War of Spanish
Succession in
1701.
• Three Anglo-Dutch Wars
in 17° century and peace in
1688 with Glorious
Revolution.
• British Victory
in Seven Years’
War.
“Second British Empire”
Company in India
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Competition
with the Mughal
Empire. After the
decline of the
Mughals, war
between Britain
and French
Indian
Companies.
India will be
occupied in 1857
“Second British Empire”
Company in India
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Competition
with the Mughal
Empire. After the
decline of the
Mughals, war
between Britain
and French
Indian
Companies.
India will be
occupied in 1857
Loss of the 13
American Colonies
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Disagreement over
the colonist Rights
led to the
American War of
Indipendence,
won by the
Americans in 1783
End of the
“Second Empire”
“Second British Empire”
Company in India

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Competition
with the Mughal
Empire. After the
decline of the
Mughals, war
between Britain
and French
Indian
Companies.
India will be
occupied in 1857
Loss of the 13
Exploration of
American Colonies the Pacific Ocean

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Disagreement over
the colonist Rights
led to the
American War of
Indipendence,
won by the
Americans in 1783
End of the
“Second Empire”
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James Cook
discovers
Australia in
1770
Captain William
Hobson and 40
Maori chiefs
signed the
Treaty of
Waitangi in
1840
Napoleonic Wars
 Military and Ideologies conflict
between Britain and France.
 Defeat of Napoleon in Trafalgar
Battle, in 1805, and finally victory of
Britain and a coalition of European
countries, in 1815.
The Battle of
Trafalgar
Napoleon combined
French and Spanish
fleets against Royal
Navy.
Commander Nelson’s
strategy was
essential for the
victory.
Britain’s Imperial Hegemony
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1815- 1914: period called “Imperial century”
10,000,000 square miles (25,899,881 km2)
More than 400 million people
1902: “All Red Line”
Opium Wars against China ended in 1858
Last decades of 19th century, expansion in Africa
The second Industrial Revolution (19th century)
First World War
At the beginning of the 20th century Britain
was scared of the rapid growth of Germany.
 Britain declares war to Germany in 1914.
 Dominions and colonies participate to the War
with a significant impact.
 The Treaty of Versailles, in 1919, signed the end
of the War.
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Second World War
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1939 Britain declare war to Germany
1941 entrance in War of Soviet Union against
Germany
1941 sign of the Atlantic Charter
1941 Japan attacked U.S.
1945 Britain loses prestige at the end of the
War
Decolonization and Fall of Empire
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After the WWII Britain is in crisis because the rivalry
between the U.S. and the Soviet Union in the Cold War
and the colonized countries start an anti-colonial
movement.
In 1947, India gained the independence, and
afterwards also the majority of the Asian colonies.
In 1956 Nasser nationalises the Suez Canal and
Churchill decides to intervene militarily, but
Eisenhower, scared by an intervention of the Soviet
Union opposes. The UN intervention humiliates Eden,
who resigns.
Decolonization and Fall of Empire
1982: Margaret Thatcher negotiate with the
Chinese government on the future of Hong
Kong.
 1997: Hong Kong returns to China, establishing
the end of the Empire.
 Nowadays most of British colonies are member
of the Commonwealth. The English language is
the primary language of over 300 million
people. The English parliamentary system has
been taken as example for many old colonies.
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“Webography”
Wikipedia, British Empire
Stephen Luscombe, britishempire.co.uk
Andrew Lambert,
bbc.co.uk/history/british/empire_seapower/trafalga
r_01.shtml
Colin White,
bbc.co.uk/history/british/empire_seapower/nelson_
01.shtml
Written and Directed by FRANCESCO BECCHIMANZI
MIKI FANFANI
GABRIELE SCHEPIS
Produced by GIOVANNI QUERCIOLI
Production Design MIKI FANFANI
Production Coordinator GABRIELE SCHEPIS
Assistant Production Coordinator FRANCESCO BECCHIMANZI