5-The Rise and Fall of theBritish Empire 大英帝国的兴衰

The Rise and Fall of the British EmpireThe history of the British Empire is a tale of remarkable rise and fall, spanning over five centuries. From a small island nation, Britain emerged as a global power, dominating trade, politics, and culture across the globe. However, the empire's decline was also swift and devastating, leaving a lasting impact on the world.**The Rise of the British Empire**The early history of Britain was marked by conflict and instability. However, by the 16th century, the country had begun to consolidate its power, thanks to the establishment of the Royal Navy and the colonization of far-flung territories. Britain's geographical location, situated between Europe and the Americas, made it a natural hub for trade and exploration.The 17th and 18th centuries saw the apex of Britain's imperial ambitions. The country engaged in a series of wars, known as the Age of Discovery, to expand its territory and influence. These wars resulted in the acquisition of vast tracts of land, including India, Australia, and much ofAfrica. Britain's economic might grew with the establishment of trade routes and colonies, which provided raw materials and markets for its manufactured goods.**The Fall of the British Empire**However, the empire's decline began in the late 19th century. The industrial revolution, which had begun in Britain, had spread to other countries, challenging the country's economic supremacy. The cost of maintaining the empire became increasingly burdensome, and the population of the colonies began to resist British rule.The two world wars in the 20th century further eroded Britain's power. The country's resources were stretched to the limit, and its global influence waned. The end of the Cold War marked the final nail in the coffin of the British Empire, as the country was forced to accept the reality of its diminished status.**The Legacy of the British Empire**Despite its decline, the British Empire left an indelible mark on the world. The languages, culture, and institutions of Britain have had a profound influence oncountries across the globe. The empire's legacy can be seen in the common law system, the parliamentary system of government, and the English language, which is spoken by millions of people worldwide.The rise and fall of the British Empire is a powerful reminder of the fleeting nature of power and influence. While the empire may no longer exist in its former glory,the impact of its legacy continues to be felt across the globe.**英国帝国的兴衰**英国帝国的历史是一部令人瞩目的兴衰史，跨越了五个多世纪。

The Rise and Fall of the British EmpireAbstract:The United Kingdom is located in west Europe. It consists of Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland and over 5500 small islands.It has long coastline which great contributes to the development of its economic, and compare with others countries in the EU, it also has the most abundant energy. Now, the population of Britain is more than sixty million, and its land area is about 244,000 square kilometers. England is the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution and the first modern country that changed form agricultural civilization to industrial civilization. From the 16th century to the beginning of the 19th century, Britain constant to aggress and expand overseas, which make it become the biggest colonial power in modern history. Up to 1914, its territory even reached 33,500,000 square kilometers, which is 137 times that of the United Kingdom. The First World War is the turning point for Britain from prosperity to decline, and after the Second World War,under the impact of the national liberation movement, the powerful empire was gone forever.Key Words: colonial power; Industrial Revolution; the First World War; the Second World WarI IntroductionThe British Empire was the largest empire in human history, and now it isn’t as powerful as before. This paper aims at analyzing the factors that influence the rise and fall of the British Empire. There are four parts in this paper,colonial expansion of Britain, the Industrial Revolution, Britain in the World War I and Britain in the World War II. We will reappear the history about Britain from prosperity to decline.II Literature ReviewThe British Empire began with private exploration in the search for wealth. With no luck finding precious metals, privatized naval warfare became the norm because robbing Spanish and Portuguese ships was easiest. As sea-faring technology in Britain improved, Britain became an empire of the sea. Ferguson emphasizes the beginnings of consumer culture in early 18th century England as the ultimate driving force behind British imperialism.Britain was able to control an enormous empire. Most important was British mastering of new technology, its naval advances and accurate mapping of British territory. These factors combined enabled the British to swiftly respond to any crisis. By the turn of the 20th century, the British Empire was looking for new horizons to colonize. During this time, the so-called Scramble for Africa began,with an accompanying arms race among the European powers. Britain's expansion in Africa was a combination of financial power and military might. Ferguson explores the birth of three important modern phenomena, namely the mass media, the military-industrial complex, and a global bond market. According to Ferguson, those three factors brought the British Empire to its peak, but were also what would foreshadow its decline. Britain's military was weakened as it became less of a political priority, while global economic dominance shifted to the US. Although the era of European colonization has seemed to end, however, the rise and demise of the British world order and the lessons for global power by claiming that empire is still a reality. Today, though, empire is ruled by a single superpower, the United States, and takes an indirect, more abstract form of economic exploitation and political control.The British Empire fell because of its "Pyrrhic victory" in the two world wars remains a bit dubious, however. Certainly the financial burden held significant immediate consequences, but no one should discount the simultaneous impact of liberal social movements within European societies, rebellion against colonialist within British-occupied territory, and the push from the US and other (smaller) nations to liberate colonies. The horrors of the world wars had much to do with the shift in attitude, including the colonies where large numbers of soldiers were recruited as well as - obviously - in Europe itself. The so-called "era of democracy" in the Western world began with the fall of Nazi Germany and the development of the Cold War.III The Analysis of the rise and fall of the British Empire The British Empire began with the colonization in 16th century, and its first colony overseas is Newfoundland. Later, it controlled Canada, Australia, India and many small states in the West Indies. During the mid-19th century, the British consolidated its colonies by bringing them under the direct control of the government. Britain expand their colonies and sphere of influence in Asia at the beginning of the 19th century, British government waged the Opium War against China, and Hong Kong was ceded to Britain. Meanwhile, Britain also occupied Burma, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaya, Sarawak, Brunei and some other small states in Asia. By the end of the 19th century, the British Empire included a quarter of the global population and nearly a quarter of the world’s landmass. By the beginning of the 20th century, it occupied the Gold Coast, Niger, Sudan, Kenya, Uganda, North Rhodesia, Upper Nigeria and South Africa. On the Eve of World War I, Britain was the largest colonial empire the world had ever seen. It controlled a territory of 33.5 million square kilometers, about a quarter of the world’s landmass, about 137 times as large as Britain. It ruled over a population of 393.5 million, about eight times that of Britain itself. The British boasted that they had an empire on which the sun never set.After the Glorious Revolution, the British Parliament was made up of prosperousmerchants and entrepreneurs who supported commerce and industry. Otherwise, Britain fought and won a series of wars against France, which help it won more colonies overseas, and those colonies provided Britain with necessary raw materials and a large market for its industrial products. From the colonies in America and India, England, acquired enormous wealth with which to develop its industries. All these things resulted in the Industrial Revolution. Industrial Revolution began in the textile industry and was marked by a series of important inventions, such as the Spinning Jenny, the water frame, the spinning mule, the power loom and the steam engine. These inventions completed the mechanization of the textile industry and prepared the way for a new system of production: large scale industry. With these developments came a need for a cheap means of transportation. By 1850, Britain had established a railway system encompassing over 10,000 kilometers of track. By the middle of the 19th century, the Industrial Revolution was accomplished in Britain. It changed Britain in many ways. Its industrial productivity increased dramatically. Britain became the most advanced industrial country and also the financial center in the world.By the beginning of the 20th century, the world had entered the period of imperialism. Britain's dominance was challenged by other European nations and the United States, for they had also been industrialized and each were eager to protect their own markets and expand their influence. The power balance in Europe had undergone enormous changes. A conflict of interests and colonial rivalry divided Europe into two camps. The conflict plunged the whole world into two devastating wars. More than 32 countries were involved World War I. Though Britain won this war finally, the cost of the war was great. Britain was drained of its manpower and 70% of the merchant ships were sunk or damaged. As a result, Britain lost the sea supremacy. Business was slack, many factories were closed down and taxes soared. The great depression brought additional problems to the Britain economy and society. Britain’s position in the capitalist world was further weakened. World War II was for all intents and purposes a continuation of World War I. As the result of World War II, most of Britain’s colonies demanded and fought for independence. In the 1960s, an independence movement swept the entire British Empire. More than 20 countries won their independence. The Empire had been replaced by the British Commonwealth of Nations.IV ConclusionIt’s the contingency of the necessity that England chose capitalism and successfully founded the Britain Empire, which was once the largest empire in human history. Though there are so many events and elements contributed to the rise of the Great Britain, there are still many variables because other countries were also developing well with expansion. During the world wars, the few odds hadn’t stood with Britain though Britain was the final winner. So I think it is the wars and the Great Depression that result in the fall of the British Empire.References[1]马歇尔. 剑桥插图大英帝国史[M].北京:世界知识出版社，2004[2]李涛，姜晓东.白金汉宫的倒影——看日不落帝国的兴衰[M].北京:中国友谊出版社，2007[3]凤凰网专稿.大历史下看英国兴衰100年[EB/OL]. /zaixianjiangtang/zjjs/detail_2012_05/09/1441209 5_0.shtml,2012-05-09[4]刘中民，张宝霞.崛起与错失——海权强国兴衰的历史解读[J].海洋期刊，2007（10）：75-80[5]唐晋.大国崛起[M].北京:人民出版社，2006[6]金城，阎晓明.世界历史——英帝国的兴衰[EB/OL]. /v_show/id_XMjA1Mzc4MzY=.html?f=1355559,4年前。

了解18世纪英国工业革命，其中包括圈地运动，殖民剥削和奴隶贸易，工业革命的过程及其影响、宪章运动（1836-1848），殖民帝国的建立，英帝国的衰落与瓦解以及战后英国的概况。

1.The Whigs and the Tories2.Aricultural changes in the late 18th century3.The English Industrial Revolution and its impact on the development of Britain.4.The Chartist Movement and its significance5.The origin of the Labour Party6.The bulding of the British Empire7.Britain and the First World War8.Britain and the Second World War9.Postwar Britain10.ThatcherismThe Parliamentary Politicsin the Late 18th and Early 19th CenturiesWhigs and ToriesWhigs and Tories are the nicknames of the two political parties originated with the Glorious Revolution. Whigs was a derogatory name for cattle drivers, while Tories was an Irish word meaning thugs.The Whigs were those who opposed absolute monarchy and supported the right to religious freedom for Nonconformists. They stood for a reduction in Crown Patronage, sympathy towards Non-Conformists and care for the interests of merchants and bankers. Most Whigs were in favour of some kind of Parliamentary reform, but could not agree how far this reform should go.The Tories were traditionalists who wanted to preserve the powers of the monarchy and the Church of England. They disliked the Nonconformists and considered them a threat to Church of England's influence on people. They wanted strict maintenance of law and order. They might agree to some humanitarian reforms, but were certainly against Parliamentary reforms.The Whigs later formed a coalition with dissident Tories in the mid-19th century and became the Liberal Party. The Tories developed into the Conservative Party, which still bears the nickname today.RadicalsThe Radicals were another force in the Parliament. They wanted fundamental reforms to get to the root of the problems, and their one common aim was the thorough reform of the Parliamentary system. Small as they were, the Radicals were active in Parliament spreading their radical ideas.They were greatly influenced by Jeremy Bentham's ideals known as 'Utilitarianism'. He suggested that government's function should be to achieve 'the greatest happiness of the greatest number', and this should be done in two ways: firstly, government and administration should be made as efficient as possible; secondly, government should interfere as little as possible with the lives of the people as individuals.They advocated laissez faire, a radical idea of free trade, because they believed that the import and export duties interfered with the natural flow of trade.Agricultural Changesin the Late 18th CenturyTraditional farming system: Open field villageVillages were surrounded by 3 great hedgeless fields. Each year only two of them were cultivated, so that the fallow field recovered its richness after two years' cultivation. The farming was done on a community basis. There were also commons and wastelands used by all villages to graze livestock.This system was an ideal basis for the simple community life of the countryside and the subsistence farming before the modern industrial age. There were of course drawbacks. It wasted land, labour, and time; livestock farming was difficult in winter, and diseases spread quickly on commons; it was a barrier to experiments.Land enclosuresIn the mid-18th century the population in England increased rapidly. Demands for greater productivity made the landowners replace the small farms cultivated on the open-field system by larger, more efficient farms with hedge divided fields.During the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the open-field system ended when the Enclosure Acts enabled wealthier landowners to seize any land and divide it into enclosed fields.Enclosure became more frequent after 1740 and climaxed during the turn of the century, when the war against Napoleon meant high food prices.Changes in farming methodsA system of crop rotation was introduced. This meant land could be fully used while the cultivation of fodder crops enabled livestock to be kept through the winter months.Artificial fertilizer and new agricultural machinery, such as seed drill invented by Jethro Tull (1674-1741) also made arable farming more efficient and profitable.Selective breeding of livestock introduced by Porbert Bakewell (1725-95) made animals much heavier than ever before.The idea of encouraging tenants to introduce the changes was associated with Thomas Coke (1754-1842) of Norfolk in Southern England. George III (1760-1820), King of the United Kingdom of the House of Hanover was given the nickname 'Farmer George', because he was very enthusiastic about the agricultural changes at Windsor.Consequences of enclosuresFarms became bigger and consumer goods became more varied.Enclosure was a disaster for the tenants. They were evicted from their lands and had to look for work in towns, which rapidly became hopelessly overcrowded.In Ireland and Scottish Highlands, land enclosure led to mass emigration, partic ularly to the New World.A new class hostility was introduced into rural relationships. The labourers were forced to leave the land to survive because of concentration of land in fewer hands and loss of common land for animals.The Industrial Revolution (1780-1830)Factors leading to the Industrial RevolutionThe Industrial Revolution refers to the mechanization of industry and the consequent changes in social and economic organization in Britain in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Britain became the first country to industrialize because of the following factors:Britain is well placed geographically to participate in European and world trade. Its main towns are not too far from seaports or rivers. It also has many natural resources, such as mineral resources, and rivers useful for transport as well as for water and steam power.Britain had a peaceful society after the Glorious Revolution. Under the influence of laissez faire and 'Protestant work ethic', it was increasingly interested in overseas trade and colonies, which provided capital in large quantities for industrialization. And the Constitutional Monarchy ensured that the powerful economic interests in the community could exert their influence over Government policy.The enclosures and other improvements in agriculture made their contributions by providing food for the rising population, labour for the factories, and some of the raw materials needed by industry.Britain had many well-trained engineers and craftsmen. The inventors were respected. They solved the practical problems.England, Scotland, and Wales formed a customs union after 1707, and this included Ireland after 1807. So the national market was not hindered by the internal customs barriers.Development of the Industrial RevolutionWhile the movement to enclose the land and use new agricultural methods was at its height, similar changes took place in manufacture. New techniques and water powered machines resulted in organization of industries on a large scale. At this time population became increasingly concentrated in towns, especially in Midlands, North of England, Southern Wales and Central Scotland, which provided the desperately needed laborers for the industrialization.Changes occurred earliest and quickest in textiles, especially silk and cotton, which were first to adopt factory methods of production. By 1760, the silk industry was well established, although it was still no competition for the French and Italians. The real ‘revolution’ in the silk industry was in 1770 when power-driven machinery was introduced.Cotton had been slow to develop, because cotton was mostly imported from West Indies and America, and spinning pure cotton was difficult. Technology aided weaving at first. John Kay's flying shuttle (1733) speeded up hand weaving and created demand for faster spinning. Then spinning was revolutionized by James Hargreaves' spinning jenny (1766), which enabled one hand labourer to spin many threads at a time. Richard Arkwright's water frame (1769) and Samuel Crompton's mule (1779) replaced hand labour altogether, and required waterpower andsteam to drive them. Edmund Cartwright's power loom (1784) eventually enabled weaving to catch up with spinning. British cotton now rivaled the best products of the East.The first steam engine was devised by Thomas Newcomer at the end of the 17th century. In 1765, James Watt (1736-1819), the Scottish inventor, modified and improved the design, and produced a very efficient steam engine with rotary motion that could be applied to textile and other machinery.The most important element in speeding industrialization was Abraham Darby's success in melting iron with coke instead of charcoal in 1709, which hugely increased the production of iron that was used for machinery, railways and shipping. In the forging side of the iron industry,Henry Court's pudding and rolling processes (1840) enabled vastly increased quantities of high-quality iron to replace wood and stone in many sectors of the economy.Improved Transportation, e.g. road and canal construction, ran parallel with production. By the early 19th century, Britain had a road network of some 200,000 km.Consequences of the Industrial RevolutionAs a result of the industrialization, Britain was by 1830 the 'workshop of the world'. No other country was yet ready to compete with her in industrial production. Towns grew rapidly and became the source of the nation's wealth. The north of England was now the most advanced in Britain.The Industrial revolution created the industrial working class, i.e. the proletariat who had to work and live in extremely bad conditions. Because the working men's livelihood had been destroyed by the mechanization, the 'Luddites', led by Ned Ludd, attempted to destroy the hated machines, but were severely punished by the government.The Chartist Movement (1836-48)Factors contributing to the political change in EnglandTwo great international eventsIn the closing decades of the 18th century, two events greatly alarmed the British ruling classes. The first was the American War of Independence (1776), in which the colonists fought for equality, national identity and political representation. Their war cry 'no tax without representation' encouraged the British middle class and working class to struggle forrepresentation in Parliaments, which represented only aristocrats at that time. The second was the French Revolution (1789-93), in which people fought for liberty, equality and fraternity.The general election of 1830Political change in England did not come through revolution but through gradual reform. When the Whigs under Charles Grey (1830-34) were returned to power at the general election of 1830, they turned their minds to the problems of parliamentary reform.Parliamentary reforms (1830-34)Reasons for parliamentary reformsPower was monopolized by the aristocratsIn the 18th and 19th centuries the Lords had far more influence in Parliament than the Commons. Most important ministers were aristocrats and bishops of Church, while the Commons were elected only by a small proportion of the population, and the vote was only a privilege for a small number of male citizens. Besides, the MPs were not paid.Representation of county and town, and North and South was unfair.The county seats and borough seats were very unfairly distributed. All counties with property worth 40 shillings annually could vote two members of Parliament, although some southern villages had already been deserted; but new northern cities like Manchester had no seats, although they were densely populated.There were also so-called rotten or pocket boroughs.Rotten boroughs were those deserted market towns, which had been busy before, but they could still elect MPs. In pocket boroughs, elections were not won by political views but by influence, and the candidate could buy off the voters, so that even before the election, the seat was already 'in his pocket'.Reform Bills passed in the time of the Whigs' GovernmentThe Reform Act of 1832, also called the Greater Charter of 1832, abolished 'rotten boroughs' and redistributed parliamentary seats more fairly among the growing towns. It also gave the vote to many householders and tenants, based on the value of their property.The New Poor Law of 1834 forced the poor people into workhouses instead of giving them sufficient money to survive in their own homes.The Chartist Movement (1836-48)The London Working Men's Association and the People's Charter(1836-38)Dissatisfied with the two Reform Bills and the failure of attempts to develop trade unionism, some radicals and militant workers were determined to renew the working class fight for political equality.In 1836 a group of skilled workers and small shopkeepers, led by William Lovett, formed the London Working Men's Association, aiming to seek every legal means to place all classes ofsociety in possession of equal political and social rights.In 1838 they drew up a charter of political demands (the People's Charter), with the intention of presenting it to Parliament. It had six points: the vote for all adult males, voting by secret ballot, equal electoral districts, abolition of property qualifications for MPs, payments of MPs, annual Parliaments with a General Election every June.The Chartist groups (1838)Other working men formed Chartist groups throughout the country. In 1838 they held a great meeting in Birmingham to launch the movement officially, with the aim of pressing Parliament to accept the People's Charter.The Chartists could be roughly divided into two groups: the Moral Force Chartists and the Physical Force Chartists. The former, headed by William Lovett, wanted to realize their aims by peaceful means (‘politics of persuasion'), while the latter, headed by Feargus O'Connor, wanted to achieve their purpose by violence.The climax and the end of the movement (1839-48)In 1839, a National Convention was held in London. But it revealed conflicts within the movement and great differences between the Northerners (who were fundamentallyanti-industrialists) and the men from the Midlands and London.In November 1839, Chartist riots occurred in Birmingham, Sheffield and Newport, and 24 Chartists were killed in a full-scale rising.In 1840 and 1842, two petitions were presented to Parliament, but both were rejected. At the same time, the Chartist movement was widely split.In 1848, the proposed great Chartist Demonstration ended quietly with the third petition presented to Parliament.Reasons for the failure of the Chartist MovementThe Movement failed because of its weak and divided leadership, its lack of coordination with trade unionism, and the immaturity of the working class.Significance of the Chartist MovementIt was the first nationwide working class movement and drew attention to serious problems. The 6 points achieved very gradually from 1858 to 1918, although the sixth has never been practical. Lenin considered it as the first broad, really mass, political formed, proletarian revolutionary movement.Trade Unions and the Labour PartyEarly trade unionsOwing to the Industrial Revolution, the new working class became established in the industrial towns in the late 18th century. They became aware of the power they could possess if they acted together instead of separately. So various working class organizations such as friendly societies and mutual insurance companies were formed to bring about improvements in their standards of living.However, the movements were regarded by the government as possible centers of revolution. Consequently Parliament passed the Combination Acts of 1799-1800 to forbid the formation of unions. After these laws were cancelled in 1824, the 1825 Act allowed workers to form unions but not to obstruct workers and employers. It was now illegal to strike.The Grand National Consolidated Trade Union (GNCTU)Most early trade unions were small and local. From 1825, large unions began to combine workers in different parts of the country.In 1833, the Grand National Consolidated Trade Union was established to form a national union. But it came to nothing after six Dorsetshire agricultural laborers were tried and transported in 1834 on the charge of administering false oaths.New UnionismFrom 1850, working class energies were taken up with other movements such as the Chartist Movement and the Anti-Corn Law league. And a new kind of trade unionism developed among skilled workers, such as the Amalgamated Society of Engineers (ASE), which was the model for other national craft unions formed in 1850s and 1860s.These new trade unions offered benefits for sickness, unemployment or old age to their members who had paid a certain sum of money per week. But they placed strict restriction of entry to their trades so as to avoid confrontations with employers as far as possible. As a result, this New Unionism was not favored by all workers.Trades Union Congress (TUC)In the 1860s, trade unionists began to meet regularly to discuss matters of common interests, such as regulation of hours, technical education, and conditions of apprenticeship.In 1868, the TUC was started, thus the trade unionism had a national organization capable of coordinating the interests of industrial workers.New legal security for the trade unionsTrade unions had always lacked legal rights. They had to fight two strong opponents together-employers and the State. In the time of the Liberal Government, two new laws were passed to give the movement new legal security.The Trade Union Act of 1871 legalized the trade unions and gave financial security. This meant that, in law there was no difference between collecting money for benefit purposes and collecting money to support strike action.The Conspiracy and Protection of Property Act of 1876 gave unions the right to exist as corporation, able to own property and to defend their rights cooperatively in courts of law.Formation of the Labour PartyThe Labour Party had its origins in the Independent Labour Party (ILP), which was formed in 1893, and led by Keir Hardie, a Scottish miner. The ILP was too idealistic and its leaders too individualistic to become a mass party. So the foundation of an effective party for labour would depend on the trade unions.In 1900, representatives of trade unions (TUC), the ILP and a number of small socialist societies set up the Labour Representation Committee (LRC), with the simple aim to promote the interests of labour in Parliament.In 1906, the LRC changed its name to the Labour Party in time for the General Election of that year. The Labour Party participated in the war coalition government in 1915-18, became the main opposition party in 1922, and formed majority government in 1924 and 1929-35 under Ramsay Macdonald.Colonial ExpansionThe building of the British EmpireEnglish colonial expansion began with the colonization of Newfoundland in 1583.In the early 18th century, settlements were made in North America, while commercial companies were chartered to trade with other lands, notably the British East Company in India.In the late 18th century and the early 19th century, the British colonialists stepped up their expansion, encouraged by Britain's control of the seas, the discoveries of men like Captain Cook, especially by the rising tide of emigration.By 1900 Britain had set up a big empire, 'on which the sun never set'. It consisted of a vast number of protectorates, Crown Colonies, spheres of influences, and self-governing dominions, and it included 25% of the world's population and area.The growth of dominionsCanadaCanada was ceded to Britain by the 1763 Treaty of Paris, after the Seven Years' War (1756-63) between Britain and France.French rights were guaranteed by the Quebec Act of 1774.The Canada Act of 1791 divided Canada into Upper Canada (Ontario) where the British had settled, and Lower Canada (Quebec) populated by the French.One serious revolt against British rule took place in 1837-38.The British North America Act of 1867 established Canada as a dominion. The four founding provinces were Quebec, Ontario, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.AustraliaAustralia was first discovered by the Dutch in the early 1600s.In 1770, Captain James Cook discovered Botany Bay, and claimed the east coast region for Britain, naming it New South Wales.In 1788, the English began to transport convicts to Australia.Free settlement began in 1816, and no convicts were sent to Australia after 1840.In 1851-92, the gold rushes brought more people here.In 1901, the six self-governing colonies were united in one dominion-the independent Commonwealth of Australia.New ZealandNew Zealand was settled by Maoris in about the 14th century.In 1642, the Dutch seaman Abel Tasman sighted New Zealand and named it the Netherlands province of Zeeland.In 1770s, Captain James Cook visited New Zealand and claimed it for England.In the early 19th century, missionaries became active to come here.In 1840, the systematic colonization was begun by the New Zealand Company.In 1841, the country was made a separate colony, according to the Treaty of Waitangi between Britain and the Maori Chiefs.It achieved self-government in 1852, became a dominion under the British crown in 1907, and was made completely independent in 1931.The Conquest of IndiaThe establishment of the British East India Company in 1600 was a case of economic penetration. The company took control of areas and as a result the British government becamedirectly involved in Indian Affairs. The India Act of 1784 set up a 'Board of Control' to supervise the company.Political instability and French interference promoted further intervention. By 1819, the British conquest of India was almost complete.The Indian Mutiny of 1857 was raised by the native troops of the Bengal army of the East India Company, because of resentment at the British reforms of ancient Indian institutions; fear of forcible conversion to Christianity; and the issue of cartridges greased with cow-fat and pig-fat which offended Hindus and Muslims respectively.After the mutiny, the control of India passed to the British Crown in 1858, and Queen Victoria (1837-1901) became Empress of India in 1877.The Scramble for AfricaThe South of AfricaIn1652, the Dutch East India Company established a settlement at Cape Town. Settlement extended inland to form Cape Colony in the 18th century.In 1806, Britain took the Cape Colony to protect it route to India. Increasing numbers of British settlers arrived in the 1820s.In 1835-36, in order to escape British domination, the native Boers moved northward in the Great Trek (mass migration) to Natal, the Transvaal and the Orange Free State. Britain took Natal in 1843 but recognized the independence of the Transvaal in 1852 and the Orange Free State in 1854.Relations between the British colony and the Boer republics became worse, especially when Britain took Griqualand of the Orange Free State in 1871 when diamonds had been discovered there.An attempt to take the Transvaal in 1877 resulted in war between Britain and the Boers (1880-81) in which Britain was defeated and the independence of Transvaal was recognized.The discovery of gold at Witwatersrand in1886 brought many new immigrants, known as Uitlanders, to the Transvaal. But the President of Transvaal refused to give them the right to vote. This, together with the Jameson Raid in 1895, resulted in the Boer War (1899-1902). After the British victory, the Transvaal and the Orange Free State became British colonies in 1902. In 1910, they were united with the Cape Province and Natal to form the Union of South Africa.The West and the Interior of AfricaAt the beginning of the 19th century, British possessions were confined to forts and slave trading posts on the West Coast.Over the 19th century, the interior of Africa was gradually discovered and colonized by Europeans. In 1885, the involved European countries signed a treaty in Berlin to lay down rules of conducting the scramble for Africa.By 1900, more than 9/10 had been colonized. Britain led the way in this race to take the fertile and productive areas of Africa.The North East of AfricaThe French influence in Egypt was strong since the French engineers built the Sues Canal, and the French owned half the shares in the Canal Company.In 1875, the British government bought almost all the remaining Canal shares from the bankrupt Egyptian ruler, who abdicated in 1879. In 1882-1914, the British occupied Egypt.In 1899, Sudan was put under the joint Anglo-Egyptian rule after the failure of the Mahdi revolt against Egypt in 1881.Aggression against ChinaBritain, France and Germany were also rivals in establishing trading posts and naval stations in the Far East. In the 1830s, British merchants began to smuggle opium to China from India.In 1839, the Chinese, led by the Imperial Commissioner Lin Zexu, confiscated the British opium and burnt them at Canton. This resulted in the Opium war (1840-42) between Britain and China. By the Treaty of Nanking (1842), China ceded Hong Kong to Britain, and opened ports to British trade. Britain were to receive over ￡6 million war indemnity.After the Second Opium War (1856-58), China was forced to sign the treaties of Tianjin (1858) with Britain, France, Russia and the US, by which 11 more ports were opened.Twentieth CenturyBritain before the First World War (1901-14)Reforms continued to come year by yearFactory Acts made further improvements in conditions of work.Housing Acts got rid of some of the worst slums.Education Acts brought free schools and free school meals to poor children.Women's position in society was gradually improved.In 1897 women started to demand the right to vote in national elections. Within ten years these women, the 'suffragettes' led by Mrs. Pankhurst, had become famous for the extreme methods they were willing to use. But the First World War interrupted their campaign.Thanks to this militant feminist movement before the WWI, votes were granted to women over 30 as soon as the war was over, and to all women over 21, equal with men, ten years later in 1929.The Liberal government (1905-22) carried out some reformsThe Parliament Act of 1911 severely limited the powers of the Lords and established the Commons as the supreme legislative body. The MPs were granted an annual salary of ￡400.The National Insurance Act of 1911 provided insurance against sickness and unemployment. Maternity grants and elder pensions were also established.Unions were granted protection from liability for losses caused by strikes. Labour exchanges were established and minimum wages were fixed in certain industriesThe Problem of Ireland remained unsolvedThe Home Rule Bill of 1914 set up an Irish Parliament with limited powers. But it wasn't applied until after the WWI.Britain and the First World War (1914-18)Two European power blocsAt the beginning of the 20th century, France, Germany and America were becoming powerful competitors for world markets. The new united German state was emerging as the biggest threat to Britain.The War was fought primarily between two European power blocs: the Central Powers (Germany and Austria-Hungary), and the Allies (Britain, France and Russia). In wartime, the former were joined by Turkey and Bulgaria, and the latter were joined by Japan, Italy, the U.S.A. and other countries.Beginning of the WarOn June 28,1914, the Austrian Crown Prince Franz Ferdinand was assassinated by a Serbian nationalist.On July 28, Austria, awaiting a pretext for suppressing Slav nationalism, declared war on Serbia, with Germany's blessing. Russia immediately mobilized, and France rejected Germany's demand for its neutrality.Germany declared war on Russia on August 1, and on France on August 3, then invaded Belgium, hoping to win a quick victory in the West before returning to Russia.Britain's entry into the WarOn August 4, Britain declared war on Germany.There were two reasons for Britain's entry into the war. Firstly, Britain was afraid that Germany would overrun Europe and gain control of parts of the British Empire. Secondly, Britain had a treaty with Belgium to guarantee its neutrality.End of the WarOn November 11, 1918, an armistice came into effect after the Central Powers sued for peace.。

第五章英帝国的兴衰Ⅰ.辉格党人和托利党人这两个政党名称皆起源于1688年的光荣革命，皆以绰号命名。

辉格是对牧牛人的贬称，而托利是爱尔兰语歹徒的意思。

泛泛而言，辉格人是指那些反对绝对王权、支持新教徒享有宗教自由权利的人们。

第一位沙夫茨伯雷伯爵(1621-1683)被视为辉格党首任领袖。

托利党人是指那些支持世袭王权、不愿去除国王的人。

辉格党人在19世纪中叶与持不同意见的托利党人结盟组成自由党。

托利党则为保守党的前身，至今还保留托利党这个绰号。

在19世纪初，辉格党没有特定的纲领，也不是现代意义上团结一致的政党。

他们还没有组建政党结构，例如没有政党基金。

辉格党人主张：(1)削弱王权(比如任命政府重要官员的权力)；(2)同情非国教教徒(即已脱离国教的卫理公会及其他新教派别)；(3)保护商人和银行家的利益。

大多数辉格党人赞同某种形式的议会改革，但就改革的深度不能达成一致。

(例如:允许商人投票吗?或者允许所有的男性有选举权吗？)托利党人是一批持传统观点的人。

他们主张保留君主和英格兰教会的权力。

他们不喜欢非国教教徒，认为他们是对英格兰教会的一大威胁。

他们想严格地维护法律与秩序，害怕下层造反。

他们并不总是赞同改革，尤其坚决反对议会改革，他们只同意某些人道主义改革。

议会中还有另一派观点，支持者较少。

他们是激进派分子，认为只有彻底的改革才能解决根本问题。

议会成员中只有少数激进派分子，但在18世纪末、19世纪初他们非常活跃，广泛散播激进观点。

他们的一个共同目标是彻底改革议会制度。

激进派分子深受杰拉米·本汉姆"功利主义"哲学的影响。

本汉姆认为政府的功能应是"取得最大多数人的最大幸福"。

他认为有两种办法做到这一点：(1)政府和行政应尽可能高效。

任何低效和无用的事情都应改革(例如，教育制度，监狱制度和议会)；(2)政府应尽可能少地干涉人民的个人生活。

激进派分子倡导"不干涉主义"，这是一种激进的自由贸易观点，因为他们认为进出口关税干涉了贸易的自然流通。

大英帝国到年在南非英文作文The Rise and Fall of the British Empire: A Reflection on its Legacy in South AfricaThe British Empire, once the largest and most powerful global superpower, left an indelible mark on the world, particularly in its colonial territories. One such region that bore the brunt of the Empire's expansionist policies was South Africa, a land rich in natural resources and cultural diversity. The story of the British Empire's presence in South Africa is one of both triumph and tragedy, a complex narrative that continues to shape the country's present-day landscape.The British first set their sights on South Africa in the early 17th century, drawn by the strategic importance of the Cape of Good Hope as a vital stopover on the trade route to the East Indies. The Dutch had established a settlement at the Cape in 1652, but the British soon recognized the value of this strategic location and set about securing it for their own interests. The ensuing conflict between the British and the Dutch settlers, known as the Boers, would ultimately lead to the Anglo-Boer Wars, a series of brutal conflicts that would have lasting consequences for the region.The First Anglo-Boer War, fought from 1880 to 1881, saw the Boers emerge victorious, dealing a significant blow to British imperial ambitions. However, this triumph was short-lived, as the British returned in 1899 with a larger and more well-equipped force, determined to subjugate the Boers and assert their dominance in the region. The Second Anglo-Boer War, which lasted until 1902, was a protracted and bloody affair, with the British employing tactics that would later be condemned as war crimes, such as the use of concentration camps to imprison Boer civilians.The British victory in the Second Anglo-Boer War marked a significant turning point in the history of South Africa. The country was now firmly under British control, and the stage was set for the implementation of the infamous system of apartheid, a policy of racial segregation and discrimination that would cast a long shadow over the nation for decades to come.Under British rule, South Africa was transformed into a key component of the Empire's global economic and strategic interests. The discovery of vast mineral resources, particularly diamonds and gold, fueled the expansion of the British economy and solidified the country's position as a vital hub for the extraction and export of raw materials. This economic exploitation, however, came at a heavy price for the indigenous population, who were systematicallymarginalized and denied basic rights and opportunities.The legacy of the British Empire in South Africa is a complex and often contentious one. On the one hand, the British introduced a system of governance, infrastructure, and economic development that laid the foundations for the modern South African state. The establishment of railways, roads, and ports, as well as the integration of the country into the global trade network, undoubtedly contributed to the country's economic growth and development.However, the cost of this progress was borne by the indigenous population, who were subjected to a brutal system of colonial rule and oppression. The apartheid system, which was heavily influenced by the racial ideologies of the British Empire, entrenched a deeply unequal and unjust society, denying the majority of the population basic rights and opportunities.The impact of the British Empire's legacy in South Africa can still be felt today. The country's political and social landscape continues to be shaped by the lingering effects of colonialism and apartheid, with ongoing efforts to address the deep-seated inequalities and injustices that have been ingrained in the system.As South Africa grapples with the complex legacy of the British Empire, it is important to acknowledge both the positive andnegative aspects of this history. The introduction of modern infrastructure and systems of governance undoubtedly contributed to the country's development, but this progress was achieved at the expense of the indigenous population, who were subjected to a brutal and oppressive regime.In the end, the story of the British Empire in South Africa is a cautionary tale, a reminder of the dangers of unchecked colonial ambition and the lasting impact of systemic oppression. As the world continues to grapple with the legacies of colonialism, it is crucial that we learn from the mistakes of the past and work towards a more just and equitable future, one that recognizes the inherent dignity and rights of all people, regardless of their race, ethnicity, or national origin.。

The Rise and Fall of the British EmpireAbstract:With the Olympic Games in London is not satisfactory ending, people over the world has reminded the British decline.Review the history, the British had been referred to as the "Empire", the colonies were all over the world. The industrial revolution led the country had the rapid development of economy, colonial expansion make it have a land and labour, but also because of the two world war it was hurt seriously.In human history, once successively appeared many "powers", such as the ancient Greece and Rome, Britain, France and the United States today, etc. In these powers, England is the only ever established a single world hegemony countries, other countries are either regional powers, or once shared world hegemony with other country. From the 19th century, Britain have completely established the hegemony of advantages in the global scope, almost lasted for a century. However, being called "day falls empire", Britain will never escape the fate of dominating a century later, Britain began gradually to decline and become a second-tier national. Former radiance, although never to return, Britain for the world influence really should not be neglected, it involves political, economic, cultural and other aspects. For Britain's rise and fall, scholars always have different views. There are many books about Britain’s rise and fall.Next I will specifically introduce the rise and fall of the British EmpireKey W ords:The industrial revolution; British Empire; Colonial; World War; Decline1 IntroductionIn the middle of the nineteenth Century, the British Empire was on its peak and it was also the first world country. Britain's first place maintained the balance of power objectively. Due to The United States, France, Germany and Japan’s rise, especially the first World War and the October revolution and other major events, the British lost its dominance, and thus began a limit allowed the British Empire in the context of some early colonial self-government, finally led to the establishment of the commonwealth. After the Second World War, Britain has been reduced to the second status and its colonial system began to collapse. Britain has been reduced to a European country when the British asked to participate in the EC.II Literature Review<The British Empire > is one of books about the rise and fall of the world empire. The book elaborates the rise and fall of the British Empire in detail.(chen,2005;22485).< Dominate the world -- from Britain to return to Europe >, the book 's emphasis is on the industrial revolution to England in nineteenth Centuryto dominate the world, and then developed the "British disease ",at last it went to the decline of this history in the UK. The book also introduces the period of internal chaos to rise and fall history and explores its track and summarizes its experience and lessons.(qi,2005 )III The Analysis of the rise and fall of the British empireIn eighteen forties ,with the British Industrial Revolution had finished, England began to extend further outwardly its colonies. In addition with the revolution of science and technology in other fields widely used ( especially in the field of military ) Britain maintained a world-class most advanced navy, which for its overseas colonial expansion and consolidation of the " empire " to provide a strong backing of the force. To 1860 time, about 1/4 of the world's land is " the Empire ". But 50 years later it was on the decline, the beginning of the twentieth Century two world war left " empire " era is gone further. In its reasons I personally opinions is mainly British after the eighteen seventies failed to keep pace with the development trend of the world and the British economy owing to the limitations of conservative thought has not been much development. Britain in the world economy dominant position is shaken, and between 1929 to 1933 the world economic crisis and 6 years later ( 1939) the outbreak of the Second World War brought the British declined from " dominate the world " to " return to Europe ".Finally the empire became the history.I will introduce the reason of Britain’s decline in detail.The first, British is the world’s capitalism pioneer, but does not mean that it will be the leading forever. As far as the system, other countries follow the British established emerging capitalist system, and according to their actual situations to develop their economy. If methods are useful, overtaking the United Kingdom is possible.The second, the international situation was changed. Early capitalist, capitalist international market has not yet formed, was also developed, therefore, has not been perfect market only by expanding the consumer 's land area, plunder of raw materials to maintain and develop. When the United States, Germany, Japan and other emerging capitalist countries like France and old capitalist countries to catch up, the international market basically perfect, has formed a stable supply of raw materials and consumer groups. At this time the competition between each country depends on national industrial system technology, capital strength. At this time, the British capitalists are not good for the nation plays an important role in the industry, but more take a fancy to gain easier to overseas trade, many capital outflow to the colonies led to the domestic industry a general lack of funds, will not be able to update the technology, the industrial system tends gradually aging. At the same time, Germany,the United States, Japan and other emerging capitalist countries because of not so much of the colony, so are efforts to update technology, to achieve more market share, access to income. Finally, the British have stronger instead began to lag behind, while other countries on the rise.The third, the t wo World War ‘s combat. The two world war are basic to Europe as the main battlefield, the long war was a great drain on Britain's national power during the war, and many of his original sphere of influence and economic and political influence is the United States of America replaced, this is also a very important reason.The last one, the colonial independence movement was happened. The colonies became independent gave the declining empire a heavy destroy, and due to it lost a number of previous origin of raw materials and the overseas market. The recession and exogenous shocking led to the decline of the British empire.IV ConclusionRise and fall of the British Empire, is a hot topic in academic circles. It is from a small ocean island to dominate the world's " empire ", in the now regression second-rate European countries, its development history is full of legendary color. Its decline in a sense also marks the western hegemony for a period in the history of the war end and represents the decline of hegemony color.From the development history of Britain's rise and fall, we can draw some lessons: timely to face up to themselves, to straighten out his own position, seize opportunity, advance with the times. Timely adjust their international and domestic policy, in order to better adapt to the trend of world development, change the unreasonable economic and political system, make their own country more prosperous and powerful.References[1] 罗志如、厉以宁：《二十世纪的英国经济——“英国病”研究》[M]，人民出版社1982年版，第59页。

题目The Rise and Fall of British Empire要求Write an article of around 400 words. Try to cover the factors accounting for colonization and overseas expansion, important monarches, major colonies, how the Empire declined and its effect. You can make use of resources but need to condense(压缩) the content and limit the words.The Rise and Fall of British EmpireGreat Britain, a small island which lies in the Atlantic Ocean, was once little-known and had several millions of people. What's more, her territorial resources were also limited. However, she is the first country to open the door to the modern world and had once been the leading power of the western countries; also she branded an indelible mark on the human civilization.With the decline of the feudalism and the increase of the influence of the new-born bourgeoisie, she began her capitalist development. During the Tudor Monarchy, the clothing industry developed very fast, so landowners expelled their tenants and enclosedtheir field so that they could have more profit. Meanwhile, the discovery of New Lands and adventures voyages broke the old traditional mentality, provided a large market for commodity production. After the Britain Bourgeois Revolution, Parliament secured the dominant position in political life in Britain, so its policies would promote the Industrial Revolution greatly. The British Industrial Revolution was a great result of the social development in Britain. It marked the beginning of a new era in the history of mankind. In 1588, Britain beat the Armada, which not only established the position of England as a major sea power but also paved the way for its foreign expansion; the brutish just drove away or killed off the natives to make room for Britain colonies.All these factors enabled Britain to be the workshop of the world and London became the financial centre of the world trade. However, in the late 19th century, with the rise of America and German and other factors, Britain began declining……During the second industrial revolution, Britain was experienced the disadvantages of having been the first nation to industrialize: their machinery and equipment was old and in some cases obsolete whereas the Americans and Germans could start with the latest technology available. With the two world wars over, Britain had faced the fact that it was no longer a major power. It would no longer keep up pretences: its cities had been damaged, its navy and army stretched to the limit, itswar debt enormous. The October Revolution led to a national liberation movements in British colonies. Within two decades, most of British colonies became independent. Therefore, Britain suffered a decided in production and foreign trade relative to its prewar status.Looking back from her rise to her decline , it is not difficult to see that Britain can become the most powerful country because of creating a new system of civilization, however, her decline is also because her system cannot adapt to the development of the new age. Whether the British disease can cure or not is still to be seen in the future.。

Chapter 5 The Rise and Fall of the British Empire(1688-1990)第五章英帝国的兴衰I.Whigs and Tories辉格党人和托利党人这两个政党名称皆起源于1688年的光荣革命，皆以绰号命名。

辉格是对牧牛人的贬称，而托利是爱尔兰语歹徒的意思。

泛泛而言，辉格人是指那些反对绝对王权、支持新教徒享有宗教自由权利的人们。

第一位沙夫茨伯雷伯爵(1621-1683)被视为辉格党首任领袖。

托利党人是指那些支持世袭王权、不愿去除国王的人。

辉格党人在19世纪中叶与持不同意见的托利党人结盟组成自由党。

托利党则为保守党的前身，至今还保留托利党这个绰号。

(Whigs and Tories) these two names originated with the Glorious Revolution (1688).Loosely speaking, the Whigs were those who opposed absolute monarchy and supported the right to religious freedom for Nonconformists.The Whigs were to form a coalition with dissident Tories in the mid-19th century and become the Liberal Party.The Tories were the forerunners of the Conservative Party, which still bears the nickname today.在19世纪初，辉格党没有特定的纲领，也不是现代意义上团结一致的政党。

他们还没有组建政党结构，例如没有政党基金。

辉格党人主张：(1)削弱王权(比如任命政府重要官员的权力)；(2)同情非国教教徒(即已脱离国教的卫理公会及其他新教派别)；(3)保护商人和银行家的利益。

The Rise and Fall of the British Empire高分子113 11402320 宁义才Abstract: The Rise and Fall of the British Empire includes two periods -The Rise of British Empire(1688-1900) and The Fall of British Empire(1914-1945). The Rise of British Empire mainly consists of Glorious Revolution ,Industrial Revolution and Colonial Expansion . The Fall of British Empire mainly consists of World War I,World War II and Great Depression. And the two periods witness the British Empire from weak to strong and slowly fading from powerful . It also reflect the change of world’s pattern.Keywords:Industrial Revolution ,Colonial Expansion , World War.British Empire , a small island which lies in Atlantic Ocean , was one litter known and has several millions of people . But to our surprise, she is the first country to open the door to the modern world and had once been the leading power of the western countries, and branded an unforgettable memory on the human civilization. From the rise and fall of the British Empire , we can know the process of the Britain development and its influence to world .It happened in 1688 to 1945. According the chronological order , sech things happen in turn : In 1688, British bourgeoisie and new nobility launched the Glorious Revolution to overthrow the reign of James II, and preventing the restoration of Catholic. After then the British Empire began to become more and morepowerful from the Glorious Revolution on . In 1780 , Britain firstly started the Industrial Revolution and continuously to develop their economic in order to became strong and ruled the world .At the same time , they crazily expanded their colony. Britain conqueredIndia ,Africa,China in succession and get lots of profits from it . From the Industrial Revolution and Colonial Expansion , the British Empire became the most powerful country in the world and once called the Empire the sun never set . On the country, the British Empire began to move towards to decadence. And in 1931 ,Britain was entering the Great Depression by the effects of the New York Stock Market Crash of 1929.And the World War II was the of the British Empire.LiuJun once said “ British overseas colonial expansion of the British , Colony not only to Britain but the world has an important historical significance “ on his analysis of History of Cambridge illustrations of the British Empire . It tells us that the Colonial Expansion is very important to Britain and the British Empire would not exist without the Colonial Expansion. British colonial expansion began with the colonization of Newfoundland in 1583 and quickly encroached Canada, Australia, and New Zealand in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Absolutely , the British Empire had got lots ofmoney ,resources, labor force to develop their own economy.So the colonial expansion is very important to the rise of the British Empire.Marx once pointed out that the using of machine is the beginning of the Industrial Revolution .This sentence tells the importance of the Industrial Revolution and let we know that the Industrial Revolution had a very huge influence to the rise of British Empire . When the World War I began, the British Empire began slowly be the way of decadence .During the two World War , the British Empire even lost all of its colony and its economic and industry was at a standstill.Finally the British Empire was end .As to the Rise and Fall of British Empire ,the author thinks that it may divide into two periods ,one is the rise of the British empire and the other is the fall of the British empire .And the rise of British empire may consists of two most important things-Industrial Revolution and Colonial Expansion .The fall of the British Empire mainly consists of the three parts-World War I and World War II and Great Depression . The Industrial Revolution refers to the mechanization of industrial and the consequent changes in social and economic organization in Britain in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It had greatly promoted the development of the industry of Britain .After Industrial Revolution , Britain was by 1830 the workshop of the world , in addition ,the towns of Britain grew rapidly and became the source of the nation’s wealth .By means of Industrial Revolution , the British Empire had gained lots of wealth and many new techniques to expand its military strength and economy andcolony. After half a centry’s Industrial Revolution ,the military ,the land and the economy of the British Empire developed to its peak .the British Empire got lots of profits from the Industrial Revolution ,so we can say that the Industrial Revolution was one of the most thing in the process of the Rise of the British Empire. As important as the Industrial Revolution , the Colonial Expansion also made difference to the rise of the British Empire .Britain began its colony in 16th century .Its colony mainly included the conquest of India ,the scramble for Africa and aggression against China .Britain invaded the economic of India by established the British East India Company in 1600, Britain plunder lots of gold and sources through the British East India Company and transported the wealth to its own country to develop its own economy and military strength .At the same time, Britain spread out the scramble for Africa,they got lots of free manpower by sold slaves so that its Gardens economic developed quickly. It is known to us, Britain invaded China in 1840 by launched the first Opium War and later occupied many cities of China. And Britain robbed lots of silver and source by signed many unfair treaties with China. Judging from some degree , the history of the rise of the British Empire was a history of invasion. The Fall of the British Empire from the beginning of the World War I. Britain as the identity of Allies to join the World War I and lost much in the war .Britain was defeated by the German and the country was damaged a lot .And by theeffects of the war the economy and industry was seriously hit . Apart from the loss of manpower ,there had been considerable disruption of economy and society. After the World War I , British economy had downturned. Followed by, Britain was entering the Great Depression in 1931 by the effects of the New York Stock Crash of 1929 and its economy was severely hit .There are many works lost their job and can not make a living by themselves ,the industrial and economy bogged down and was lagged behind the other capitalist countries .In 1939, the World War II broke out and it hastened the end of the British Empire .In the World War II ,Britain lost even his all colony and was destroyed a lot by the war ,so its economy was at a standstill in a long time . After the World War II , British Empire thoroughly moved towards decadence and the time of Empire sun never set was over.The Rise and Fall of British Empire corves the modern history of Britain .We can know about the process of the rise and fall of the British Empire by study it .And the paper thinks that we should know about it through two periods and divide it into some important parts to study.On the one hand , The rise of the British empire began with the Glorious Revolution and mainly consists of the Industrial Revolution and the Colonial Expansion . The long time colonial robbery brought lots of manpower ,money, sources and land to Britain and the country used the money and sources to develop their own economy and industry .And thispoint promoted the development of the Industrial Revolution, after half a century’s Industrial Revolution ,the economy, industry and land developed to its peak and became the most powerful country in the world On the other hand ,the fall of British Empire began with the World War I through the Great Depression and the British Empire was end after the World War II. From 1914 to 1918, the World War I broke out in Europe and Britain lost much in the war. Britain lost lots of manpower and the economy and industry were seriously damaged . Followed by ,Britain was entering Great Depression by the New York Stock Market Crash of 1929 in 1931.The economy was slumped. In 1939, the World War II broke out and Britain was forced to join the war . Britain thoroughly backward the emerging capitalist countries and the World War II promoted the end of British Empire. The time of British Empire was over after the World War II and the history of the Rise and Fall of the British Empire was at an end too.Reference: [1]. yfy1987 第五章大英帝国的兴衰The Rise and Fall of the British Empire_百度文库[OL]./view/a53ac3fff705cc17552709ee.html2012 11 22[2]. 爱得浩然The Rise and Fall of British Empire(压缩版)_百度文库[OL]./view/903172d3360cba1aa811da43.html。

Chapter 5 The Rise and Fall of the British Empire (1688-1990)I Multiple choice1. In the 18th century, there appeared _____ in England, which owed a great deal to the invention of machines.A.the Industrial RevolutionB.the Bourgeois RevolutionC.the Wars of the RosesD.the Religious Reformation2. English colonial expansion began with the colonization of _____ in 1583.A.CanadaB.AustraliaB.India D. Newfoundland3. By the Treaty of _____ of 1842, China ceded to Britain.A. Nanjing, Hong KongB. Tianjin, Hong KongC. Nanjing, MacauD. Tianjin, Macau4. By _____, Britain had built up a big empire which included _____ of the world's population and area.A.1800,25%B.1900,25%C.1800,15%D.1900,15%5. After the First World War, _____ was established.A. the United NationsB. the Central PowersC. the AlliesD. the League of NationsII. Fill in the blanks1. The two parties originated with the Glorious Revolution were _____ and _____. The former were the forerunners of the Liberal Party, the latter were of the Conservative Party.2. During the late 18th and early 19th centuries the "open-field" system ended when the _____ Acts enabled wealthier landowners to seize any land.3. In 1765, the Scottish inventor James Watt produced a very efficient _____ that could be applied to textile and other machinery.4. After the Industrial Revolution, Britain became the "_____ of the world".5. In 1838, the workers led by William Lovett drew up a charter of political demands, known as _____.III. Explain the terms1. Whigs and Tories2. James Watt3. the Industrial Revolution4. the People's charter of 1838补充练习答案I. Multiple choice1. A2. D3. A4. B5. DII. Fill in the blanks1. Whigs, Tories,2. Enclosure3. steam engine4. workshop5. the People's Charter。

Chapter 5Rise and Fall of the British Empire(1688—1990)教学课时：4H目的和要求：了解18世纪英国工业革命，其中包括圈地运动，殖民剥削和奴隶贸易，工业革命的过程及其影响，宪章运动（1836-1848），殖民地国的建立，英帝国的衰落与瓦解以及战后英国。

教学方法：问题讨论、互动交流教学手段：课件演示教学重点和难点：1、Whigs and Tories2、Agricultural changes in the late 18th century3、the Industrial Revolution (1780-1830)4、the Chartist Movement (1836-1848)5、Trade Union and the Labor Party6、Colonial Expansion7、the Twentieth Century课堂讨论:Agricultural changes in the late 18th century;The far reaching effects of the Industrial Revolutionyour comment on land enclosures in England考核目标：1、the Whigs and the Tories2、Agricultural changes in the late 18th century3、The English Industrial Revolution and its impact on the development of Britain4、The Chartist Movement and its significance5、The origin of the Labor Party6、The building of the British Empire7、Britain and WWI and WWII8、Postwar Britain9、Thatcherism教学过程及内容：I. Whigs and Tories （辉格党和托利党）1. Parliamentary politics in the late 18th and early 19th centuriesWhat were the Parliamentary politics like in the late 18th and early 19th centuries?(1)The Constitutional MonarchyThe Glorious Revolution in 1688 resulted in the constitutional monarchy, in which parliament played an important role in the British politics.(2)Parliamentary politicsIn the late 18th and early 19th centuries, two political parties, the Whigs and the Tories, controlled Parliament.2. The Whigs and the Tories(1) The Whigs and the ToriesThey refer to the two parties originated with the Glorious Revolution.(2) the evolution of the Whigs and ToriesThe WigsA. Whigs was a derogatory name for cattledriversB. The Whigs formed a coalition with dissidentTories in the mid-19th centuryC. Become the Liberal Party that disintegratedand disappeared after WWI.The ToriesA. Tories an Irish word meaning thugs.B. The Tories were the forerunners of the Conservative PartyC. The Conservative Party still bears thenickname today.(3) Different ideasThe WhigsA.o pposed absolute monarchyB.s ympathy towards NonconformistsC.d emanded greater freedom (religious) and less government controlThe ToriesA.s upport hereditary monarchy and were reluctant to remove kingsB.w anted to preserve the Church of EnglandC.i n favor of maintaining social orderII. Agricultural changes in the late 18th century1. Importance of farming in England in the 18th century(1) What kind of society was England in the 18th century?Agricultural society.(2) What was the most important occupation in an agricultural society?Farming was an important occupation in England then.(3) What was considered the backbone of the nation in the 18th century?Farm village and agriculture were the backbone of the nation.(4) What did changes in farming methods imply?Changes in farming methods would affect lives of millions.2. Agricultural Revolution in the late 18th and early 19th centuriesWhy were the agricultural changes in the late 18the and early 19th centuries termed “revolution”?(1) What were the features of the traditional farming in England?A. Traditional farming involved the open field villagea. Villages were surrounded by hedgeless fields which centered all the arable land.b.These fields were divided into strips shared out among the villagers.c.Much was done on a community basis.B. Large pieces of field left …fallow‟each year (unused/unsown) so that the soil wouldrecovered its richness after 2 years‟ cultivation.This meant only 2/3 of the land was cultivated.C. Simple community life of the countrysideBesides the fields there were commons and wastelands used by all villagers to grazelivestock.This system was an ideal basis for the simple community life of the countryside and subsistence farming before the modern industrial age.(2) What were the Drawbacks of such a system?A.it was wasteful for labor and timeB.fallow fields caused shortage of foodC.the open field system was a barrier to experiments(3) Agricultural revolutionA. Causes of the revolutiona. In the mid-18th century the population in England increased rapid, and most of thisincrease was in the towns, depending on the countryside for food.b. Greater productivity meant handsome profits, so the small farms on the “open-field”system were replaced by larger and more efficient farms with hedge-divided fields.B. The revolutiona.The “open-field” system was replaced by enclosed fieldsThe “open-field” system ended with the Enclosure Acts, and wealthierlandowners seized the land and divided it into enclosed fields.b. A system of crop rotation was introducedc.Artificial fertilizer and new agricultural machinery were invented and used3. The result of land enclosures in EnglandThe enclosures had good as well as bad results:(1)Farms became bigger and bigger as the great bought up the small, and farming becamemore efficient.(2)The living standard was improved. More vegetables, milk, and dairy produce wereconsumed, and diet became more varied.(3)Enclosure was a disaster for tenants who made a living on the land.(4)Urbanization was increased as more and more people migrated to towns and became wagelaborers.III. The Industrial Revolution (1780-1830)1. What was the industrial revolution?It refers to the mechanization of industry and the consequent changes in social and economic organization in England in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.Or it means the invention and appliance of various machines in production and the changes that transformed Britain from a rural and agricultural country into an urban and manufacturing one.2. Why was Britain the first country to initiate industrial revolution?(1) Political conditionsA. Parliament became dominant in political life after the 1688 Palace coup (GloriousRevolution)The limited monarchy resulted from the Glorious Revolution ensured that the powerful economic interests could exert their influence over government policy.B. It represented the interests of the bourgeoisie and its demand for development andexpansion.(2) External conditionsA.The British-Spanish War enabled Britain to be a sea powerB.English capitalists could expand foreign markets and plant overseas colonies.(3) Primitive CapitalThe capitalists accomplished their “primitive accumulation of capital” through plunder and exploitationPlunder: church property; Africa and America by triangle tradeExploitation: the peasants(4) Cheap laborThe enclosures drove peasants off their land and they had to seek employment(5)Mentality changesMaking money and profit was no longer a sin; interests became moral(6)Theoretical basisFree competition and free trade(7)Scientific basisScientist like NewtonFor the contributing factors of Britain as the first country to witness Industrial Revolution, also refer to pp. 66-67 in the book.3. How did the English Industrial Revolution proceed?(1) Which industry did the Industrial Revolution begin with?The Industrial Revolution began with the textile industry.(2) What was the characteristic of it?It was characterized by a series of inventions and improvements of machines, such asJohn Ray‟s flying shuttle (飞梭),James Hargreaves‟ spinning Jenny（詹妮纺纱机），Richard Arkwright‟s waterframe（水力纺纱机），and Samuel Crompton‟s mule（走锭纺纱机）.The Scottish inventor James Watt produced a very efficient steam engine in 1765, which could be applied to textile and other machinery.（3）What was the most important element in speeding industrialization?The most important element in speeding industrialization was the breakthrough in smelting iron with coke（焦炭）instead of charcoal（木炭）in 1709.Similar developments occurred in the forging side of the iron industry（铁的锻造领域）which enabled iron to replace wood and stone in many sectors of the economy.(4) How about transportation?Improved transportation (road and canal construction) ran parallel with production.(5) What was the result of the Industrial Revolution?As a result of the industrial revolution, Britain was by 1830 the “workshop of the world”. No other country was yet ready to compete with her in industrial production. IV. The Chartist Movement (1836-1848) 宪章运动The Chartist Movement is also called The People‟s Charter.1. Background of the Chartist MovementAppalling living and working conditions(The working men worked and lived in appalling condition, e.g. workers in factories were treated badly, working 15 hours a day in poor light and deafening noise. They began to destroy the hated machines.) ↓The working class, the Proletariat came into being.↓Organized as trade unions, as an independent class↓Fight for higher wages and better living conditions↓Defend their interests, reform of Parliament(Representative in Parliament)2. Parliament ReformWhat do you know about parliament reform?(1)Political change in England did not come through revolution but through gradual reform.(2)Reasons for the reformA. Power was monopolized by the aristocrats.a. In the 18th and 19th centuries the Lords had far more influence than it has today andthe Commons were also really “gentry” on edge of aristocracy.b. The Commons were elected only by a very small proportion of the population.d.The vote was a privilege for a small number of male citizens. No females wereallowed to vote.B. Representation of town and country, and North and South was unfair.Today the country is split into equal sized units for voting, but in the 19th century itwas not.C. There were also various so-called rotten or pocket boroughs.（衰败选区和口袋选区）Rotten boroughs: had been busy market towns, and were deserted, but they could still elect Members of Parliament.Pocket boroughs: elections were not won by political views but by influence or money（英国旧时由个人或家族操纵的选区）. At that time, there was no secretballot. V oters were recorded in poll-books for all to see. Candidates could buyoff or bully voters. So voters were already so intimidated by the great locallandowner that even before the election the seat was already “in his pocket”.(3) Result of the reformA.Between 1832 and 1884 three Reform Bills were passed.B.The Reform Act of 1832 (also called the “Great Charter of 1832”) abolished “rottenboroughs”, and redistributed parliamentary seats more fairly among the growingtowns.C.It also gave the vote to many householders and tenants, based on the value of theirproperty.3. The Chartist Movement(1) What do you know about the Chartist Movement?A. Nature: It was an industrial working class political movement.B. Duration: It happened in England from 1836 to 1848.C. Participants: In 1836, a group of skilled workers and small shopkeepers formed theLondon Working Men‟s Association.(2) What do you know about the People‟s Charter?They drew up a charter of political demands (known as the Peop le‟s Charter) in 1838, which had 6 points:A.Vote for all adult males;B.Voting by secret ballot;C.Equal electoral districts;D.Abolition of property qualifications for members of Parliament;E.Payment of members of Parliament, andF.Annual Parliament, with a General Election every June.(3) What about the result of the Chartist Movement?A.Support for these 6 demands was loudly voiced all over the country.B.Other workingmen formed Chartist groups throughout the country to pressParliament to accept the 6 points.C.But Parliament rejected them three times.D.In the end, the Chartist Movement failed.(4) Two groups of the ChartistsThe Chartists could be roughly divided into 2 groups:A. The Moral Force Chartists: wanted to realize their aims by peaceful means (politicalpersuasion)B. The Physical Force Chartists: wanted to achieve their purpose by violence.(5) What is your comment on the failure of the Chartists? (Reasons for the failure andsignificance)A.Chartism failed because of its weak and divided leadershipB.Its lack of coordination with the trade-unionism.C.The working class was still immature, without the leadership of a political partyarmed with correct revolutionary theory.D.However, it was the first nationwide working class movement and drew attention toserious problems.E.As Lenin put it the Chartism was “the first broad, really mass, politically formed,proletarian revolutionary movement.”V. Trade Unions and the Labor PartyHow did the Labor Party come into being?1. Unity is strength. The new working class was established in the industrial town in the late18th century, and they became aware of the power which they could possess if they actedtogether instead of separately. So various working class organizations were formedwhich brought about the formation of a political party, the Labor Party.2. Origin. The Labor Party had its origins in the Independent Labor Party (ILP), which wasformed in 1893.3. Labor Representation Committee (LRC). The foundation of an effective party for labordepended on the trade unions. In 1900, representatives of trade unions, the ILP, and anumber of small societies set up the Labor Representation Committee (LRC)4. The LRC changed its name to the Labor Party in time for the general election whichwas called for 1906.5. The Labor Party remains one of the 2 major parties in Britain until today.VI. Colonial ExpansionWhat was the colonial expansion like during the 19th century?1. English colonial expansion began with the colonization of New-foundland in 1583.2. the British colonialists stepped up their expansion in the late 18th century and the early 19thcentury.3. the colonial expansion included the following aspects:(1) The growth of dominions.（自治领的发展）In the late 18th century Britain acquired vast, underpopulated territories: Canada,Australia, and New Zealand.(2) the conquest of India.The establishment of the British East India Company in 1600 was a case of economicpenetration. By 1819 the British conquest of India was almost complete.(3) The scramble for Africa.At the beginning of the century British possessions were confined to forts and slavetrading posts on the west coast. Over the 19th century the interior of Africa wasgradually discovered and colonized by Europeans. Britain led the way in the race. Apartfrom the colonies in the South and West, Britain was also involved in the North East inEgypt and the Sudan.(4) Aggression against China.4. By 1900 Britain had built up a big empire, “on which the sun never set”. It consisted of a vastnumber of protectorates, Crown Colonies, spheres of influence, and self-governing dominions; and it included 25% of the world‟s population and area.VII. Twentieth Century1. Britain and the First World War(1) Competition of the imperialist powersAt the beginning of the 20th century, France, Germany and America were becoming powerful competitors for world markets. Germany was emerging as the biggest threat to Britain.(2) The First World WarA.Duration: 1914-1918B.Two Parties: The war was primarily fought between 2 European power blocs:a.the “Central Powers” （同盟国）: Germany and Austria-Hungaryb.the “Allies” （协约国）: Britain, France and Russia.C. Why Britain involved?Britain was afraid that Germany would overrun Europe and gain control of parts of theBritish Empire.C.The result: The war lasted 4 years. Finally the Central Powers sued for peace, and anarmistice came into effect on November 11, 1918. The Treaty of Versailles imposed onGermany formalized the Allied victory.D.Influence:a.During the WWI, Britain lost over a million people.b.Apart from this, there had been considerable disruption of the economy andsociety.c.Out of the war settlement came the establishment of the League of Nations(国际联盟).2. Britain between the two World WarsThe First World War had great effects on British society.(1) Great unemployment: by 1921 there were over 2 million unemployed.(2) Political unrest: Political unrest led to 4 general elections in just over 5 years. In 1926 ageneral strike paralyzed the country.(3) The Great Depression: the effects of the New York Stock Market crash of 1929 soonspread throughout Europe and by 1931 Britain was entering the Great Depression.3. Britain and the Second World War(1) BackgroundThe harsh terms of the Treaty of Versailles after WWI had left Germany embittered（怨愤已极）and unstable. With the coming to power of Adolf Hitler and Nazism in Germany, the Versailles arrangements began to crumble.(2) WWIIThe German troops invaded Poland on September 1, 1939. The British, who found that the policy of appeasement（绥靖政策）of German aggression was no longer tenable, was forced to declare war on Germany on September 3.It was not until 1945 that Britain won final victory.(3) Social influence in BritainA.Britain suffered far fewer military casualties in WWII than in WWI. Some 250,000were killed, with a further 110,000 dead from Empire and Commonwealth forces.B.Britain, having devoted her entire strength to the war, was left gravely impoverished.She lost 1/4 of her national wealth and entered upon a period of economic andfinancial difficulties.German bombing raids destroyed many cities. The Blitz (air attack, lightning war) radically changed the face of London. Many London families spent their nights in theunderground stations.4. Postwar Britain(1) Return from Conservative government to Labor governmentA.At the general election of 1945 Winston Churchill was heavily defeated.B.The people had suffered the Blitz, evacuation, rationing and the total technologicalwarfare.（人们遭受了闪电战袭击、逃离家园、定量配给和完全技术战争之苦）Theywanted to put the war behind them and as Churchill had symbolized the war effort thatmeant he too was now past history. The Conservative Party‟s traditional principlesseemed old-fashioned. People did not want Britain to return to the politics of the 1920sand 1930s and hoped that the Labor Party would be able to sort out the problems of thewar-torn country.（人们渴望工党政府能解决因战争使国家支离破碎的各种问题）（2）Founding of welfare stateThe foundation of the welfare state was laid during these years, providing free medical care for everyone and financial help for the old, the sick and the unemployed.(3) End of the empireOne of the most far-reaching consequences of the war was that it hastened the end of Britain‟s empire.India gained independence in 1947, Burma in 1948; Newfoundland joined the Dominion of Canada in 1949; several British colonies in Africa won their independence.Soon few of Britain‟s old colonial possessions were left.(4) Leading industrial powerBy the mid-1950s things were definitely looking up.A.Unemployment was lowB.Wages were far higher than they had been beforeC.More and more people were buying cars and going on holidaysD.By the 1960s Britain was one of the world‟s leading industrial as well as nuclearpowers.(5) The Permissive Age（自由放任的年代）A.What does it referred to?The 1960s were the Swinging Sixties（活跃的60年代），or the Permissive Age.B.What were the reflections in life?a.Writers wrote about working class life in a way no one had done before.b.Actors achieved huge success, and films became big box-office attractions（取得极好的票房）c.Pop music underwent a revolution and the Beatles（甲壳虫乐队）became worldfamous（风靡全球）d.As a result of relaxation of attitudes there was a sexual revolution.(6) European Economic Community（欧洲经济共同体）（now European Union 欧盟）In January, 1973, Britain finally became a full member of the European Economic Community which was established in 1957.(7) ThatcherismA. The background----deterioration of economicsa.The optimism of the 1960s disappearedb.Rising oil prices pushed up the cost of living,c.Unemployment was risingd.And the IRA bombing campaign brought home the seriousness of the situation inNorthern Ireland.e.The election of 1979 returned the Conservative Party to power and MargaretThatcher became the first woman Prime Minister in Britain.B. What are the main contents of Thatcherism?a. Mrs Thatcher firmly believed in self-reliance and privatization. Her policies arepopularly referred to as Thatherism.b. It included (A) the return to private ownership of state-owned industries, (B) the useof monetarist policies to control inflation, (C) the weakening of trade unions, (D)the strengthening of the role of market forces in the economy, (E) and an emphasison law and order.c. All this made the 1980s a decade of increased prosperity.课后思考与练习：1、Answer the following questions:1) What were the Parliamentary politics like in the late 18th and early 19th centuries?2) What is your comment on land enclosures in England?3) What was the Industrial Revolution? Why was Britain the first country to start the industrial revolution?4) How did the English Industrial Revolution proceed?5) What do you know about parliamentary reforms?6) What do you know about the Chartist movement and the People‟s Charter? What is your comment on them?7) How did the Labor Party come into being?8) What was the British colonial expansion like during the 19th century?9) What are the main contents of Thatcherism?2、Explain the following terms:1) the “workshop of the world”2) the Chartist Movement3) the permissive age教后附记：---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------。