Opinion: The British Empire: A legacy of violence?
The British Empire: A legacy of violence?
The British Empire was arguably the most profitable capitalist experiment of the 20th century. To be sure, there were some flaws in its governance, from ‘land grab’ to its involvement in colonialism; there were crimes and misdeeds and bad governance, but its success was nonetheless clear. In the 20th century, the British Empire encompassed more than 500 million people: 60% Asians, 30% Europeans, and a quarter were from other, non-European/African communities. However, a century ago, there were only 1 million, and only 600,000 in the United States.
However, a century ago, there were only 1 million, and only 600,000 in the United States.
The British Empire was, for all its flaws, a global economic powerhouse. In 1914, British foreign trade reached just $9 million, and British exports reached $7 billion.
British foreign trade reached just $9 million, and British exports reached $7 billion.
As a percentage of world trade, Britain’s primary trading partner was the United States. Yet, the United States was an important colonial power in its own right: “When the United Kingdom came into existence it was the third largest nation in the world, behind only Mexico and Germany.” By 1920, the United States, with its massive population and resources, was a major colonial power in its own right. Over the previous century, it had annexed vast chunks of North and South America; more recently, it had expanded its reach to include the Indian subcontinent and the Pacific islands of the Far East. The United States was, to a considerable extent, the world’s only colonial superpower. The British Empire, by contrast, was an economic superpower, and one with far more economic power than the United States.
Yet, the United States, by contrast, was an important colonial power in its own right: “When the United Kingdom came into existence it was the third largest nation in the world, behind only Mexico and Germany.” By 1920, the United States, with its massive population and resources, was a major colonial power in its own right.
By 1914, Britain was the