Miscellaneous

What was the British Empire called before?

What was the British Empire called before?

Kingdom of Great Britain

Preceded by Succeeded by
Kingdom of England Kingdom of Scotland United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland

What was the history behind British colonization?

The British Empire began to take shape during the early 17th century, with the English settlement of North America and the smaller islands of the Caribbean, and the establishment of joint-stock companies, most notably the East India Company, to administer colonies and overseas trade.

When did the British Empire begin?

In the 16th century Britain began to establish overseas colonies. By 1783, Britain had built a large empire with colonies in America and the West Indies.

Did the British Empire become the Commonwealth?

Birth of the modern Commonwealth. The Dominions and other territories of the British Empire gradually became fully independent of the United Kingdom. The modern Commonwealth of Nations was born. King George VI was the first Head of the Commonwealth, and Queen Elizabeth II became Head when he died.

When did Britain stop calling itself an empire?

1997
By 1979, the British empire was reduced to a few pockets around the world. The shrinking didn’t stop, however. When Hong Kong was transferred to China in 1997, Queen Elizabeth’s son Prince Charles himself dubbed it the “end of the Empire.” In 2015, Britain has 14 overseas territories left.

How did the British Empire get so big?

In the 16th Century, Britain began to build its empire – spreading the country’s rule and power beyond its borders through a process called ‘imperialism’. This brought huge changes to societies, industries, cultures and the lives of people all around the world.

How did British Empire fall?

The empire changed throughout its history. The First and Second World Wars left Britain weakened and less interested in its empire. Also many parts of the empire contributed troops and resources to the war effort and took an increasingly independent view. This led to a steady decline of the empire after 1945.

When was the British Empire biggest?

1919
The British Empire was at its largest in 1919, after Britain acquired Germany’s East and West African colonies and Samoa in the Treaty of Versailles, which marked the end of the First World War, 1914–18.

When did Britain let go of Africa?

In the Middle East, Britain hurriedly abandoned Palestine in 1948. Ghana became Britain’s first African colony to reach independence in 1957. By 1967 more than 20 British territories were independent. Decolonisation was a complex process.

How many countries were Colonised by Britain?

The British Empire stretched into each part of the world. Territories were held across the continents. There remain 14 British Territories Overseas.

What was the size of the British Empire in 1914?

The British Empire in 1914. The late 19th century saw the acquisition of new territories in Africa and by 1900 the British king, Edward VII, reigned over 410,000 million people.

What was the location of the British Empire?

The foundations for the empire were laid between 1750 and 1850 during which Britain acquired India, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, Rhodesia, Hong Kong, Gibraltar, several islands in the West Indies and various colonies on the African coast.

How did the British Empire change after World War 1?

Although the empire achieved its largest territorial extent immediately after World War I, Britain was no longer the world’s pre-eminent industrial or military power. In the Second World War, Britain’s colonies in East Asia and Southeast Asia were occupied by the Empire of Japan.

Where did the Battle of Britain take place?

The Battle of Britain, fought between Allied and German pilots in British skies during the summer of 1940, was the first significant defeat Nazi Germany suffered since the war had begun a year earlier. The British Empire was a shadow of its former self.