Transcript The Rise and Fall of the British Empire (1688

IV. The Rise and Fall
of the British Empire
(1688-1990)
Colonial Expansion (Late 18th －Early 19th
Century)
English colonial expansion began with the
colonization of Newfoundland in 1583.
In the early 18th century, settlements were made
in North America.
Joseph Smallwood signing
Encouraged by the large quantities of wealth the document bringing
Newfoundland into
brought by the Industrial Revolution, the Confederation.
discoveries of new frontiers by men like Captain
Cook, and especially by the rising tide of
emigration, the British colonialists stepped up their
expansion in the late 18th century and early 19th
century.
James Cook's 1775
chart of Newfoundland
In the late 18th century Britain acquired vast,
unpopulated territories in Canada, Australia and
New Zealand, and in the early and middle of 19th
century, it colonized large areas in Asia such as
India and China.
By 1900, Britain had built up a big empire “on
which the sun never set”, which included 25% of
the world’s population and area.
British Empire in colored
British colonies in north America
Britain and the Two World Wars
At the beginning of the 20th century, France, Germany and America
were becoming powerful competitors for world market.
The First World War was fought from 1914 to 1918 primarily between
two European power blocs: the “Central Powers”—Germany and
Austria-Hungary which were later joined by Turkey and Bulgaria, and
the “Allies”—Britain, France and Russia, which were later joined by
Japan, Italy and the USA.
The war lasted for four years, ended by the Treaty of Versailles,
imposed on Germany, formalizing the Allied victory.
Participants in World War I
The Central Powers and their colonies
in orange, the Allies and their colonies
in green, and neutral countries in gray.
The great losses of manpower and
the disruption of economy during the
first world war led Britain into serious
social and financial problems.
By 1931, Britain was entering the
Great Depression which was to give
rise to the Second World War.
Chamberlain
declared
war
on
Germany on September 3, 1939.
Winston Churchill, the Prime Minister,
led his country to final victory in 1945.
Chamberlain
Winston Churchill
Due to the two wars, Britain lost one-quarter of her
national wealth and entered upon a period of
economic and financial difficulties, and her colonies
won their independence one after another, which led
to the collapse of the British Empire,.
Animated map showing growth and decline of the British empire
I
Vocabulary Building
Match each of the items on the left with its meaning on the right.
•1. Stonehenge
•2. Briton
•3. Renaissance
•4. King Arthur
•5. Archbishop
•6. pilgrimage
•7. Black Death
•8. monastery
•9. Winston Churchill
•10. Treaty of Versailles
•a. a document signed at the end of
World War II
•b. a journey to religious places
•c. the great ancient stone circle
during 4000BC-2000BC
•d. the top leader of Christianity
•e. an old way to call the British
people
•f. a place where people worship God
and carry out other religious
practices
•g. a legendary figure in the 5th
century AD
•h. a plague in the 14th century killing
3/4 of European population.
•i. the revival of classical literature
and artistic styles in European
history
•j. the greatest Prime Minister of
Britain who led the country into
victory during WWII
II Key Facts
Complete the following chart with the information from the text.
Time
Incidents
43-410
Main Figures
Characteristics
King Arthur
Christianity entered Britain
Roman Empire
1)
Norman Period
2)1066-1381 3) William the Conqueror
Peasants’
Uprising
4) 1381
Wat Tyler and Jack Shaw
feudal system established in the UK
5)Paved the way to capitalism for Britain
Hundred Years’
War
1337-1453
6)
War of Roses
1455-1485
7) King Richard III;
Industrial
Revolution
1780-1830
James Watt
Britain became the “Workshop of the
World”
WWI
9)1914-1918
the Central Powers and
the Allies
Victory of the Allies
WWII
10)1939-1945
Winston Churchill
hastened the collapse of the
British Empire
English were driven out of France
Joac of Arc
Henry Tudor
8)
Put the country under the
rule of the Tudors
III Discussion and Report
Discuss the following questions in groups and make
an oral report to the class.
1. Do you agree with the words that
“British history has been a history of
invasion”? Illustrate your view with the
information from the text.
2. What were the main reasons that
Britain became the “workshop of the
world” and the empire on which the sun
never sets?
3. How did the British Empire collapse?
4. What lesson can we learn from the
history of the UK?
IV Extensive Activities
Use the information from the
“Key Facts” to make a brief
report of the history of the UK.
Case Study
WORKSHOP OF THE WORLD
Population trebles
—The most visible sign of economic growth
was the steady increase in Britain's population.
Since the Romans it had fluctuated between
two and six million, but from 1750 it grew
exponentially, nearly trebling in a century to
reach 21 million by 1851. This increased to 37
million by 1901.
Industrial evolution
—Since Arnold Toynbee coined the phrase “Industrial
Revolution” in 1882, most economic historians
have emphasized the rapidity of British
industrialization during the period 1780-1830.
Currently,
however,
many
argue
that
industrialization took centuries, rather than
decades, and comprised a complex web of
changes.
Overseas trade
—Closely related to this expansion of manufacturing,
overseas trade grew in importance. During the
18th century the proportion of industrial output
exported roses from a quarter to a third, and
multiplied eight times in value. Textiles still
predominated, but cotton replaced wool and
export cargoes became much more varied.
IV. The Rise and Fall of the British
Empire (1688-1945)
Background of 18th century

England was continually at war with France
e.g. the Battle of Waterloo (the most famous
victory: Duke of Wellington over Napoleon);
 The Industrial Revolution;
 The loss of American colonies: the independence
of America.
IV. The Rise and Fall of the British
Empire (1688-1945)



The Industrial Revolution (1780-1830)
It refers to the mechanization of industry and
the consequent changes in social and economic
organization in Britain in the late 18th and early
19th century.
Agricultural and home based trade and
industries gradually gave way to factory-based
industries with complex machinery;
Britain was the first country to industrialize,
beginning with the textile industry.
IV. The Rise and Fall of the British
Empire (1688-1945)
Consequences of The Industrial Revolution
Britain was by 1830 the “workshop of the world”;
 Towns grew rapidly and became the source of
the nation’s wealth;
 Mechanization destroyed the livelihood of those
who could not invest in it. The working men
worked and lived in an appalling conditions;
 The industrial revolution created the industrial
working class, the proletariat, and it later led to
trade unionism.

IV. The Rise and Fall of the British
Empire (1688-1945)
The Atmosphere of Victorianism





The longest reign (20 June 1837-22 January
1901) in British history: the great Queen Victoria
(24 May, 1819 – 22 January, 1901);
Victorianism is an age of national development
and national optimism;
Victorian family life: stable;
The children: strictly disciplined;
The family virtues: religious Bible or God versus
The Origin of Species (Charles Darwin).
IV. The Rise and Fall of the British
Empire (1688-1945)
Britain and the First World War

The World War I (1914-1918) was primarily
between two European Power blocs:
 the “Central Powers” (同盟国): Germany and
Austria-Hungary;
 the “Allies” (协约国): Britain, France and
Russia.
 During the war, the Britain lost much. Apart
from the loss of manpower, there had been
considerable disruption of the economy and
society.
IV. The Rise and Fall of the British
Empire (1688-1945)
Britain between the two World Wars

The First World War had great effects on British
society:
 Great unemployment: by 1921 there were over 2
million unemployed;
 Political unrest: Political unrest led to 4 general
elections in just over 5 years;
 The Great Depression: the effects of the New
York Stock Market crash of 1929 soon spread
throughout Europe and by 1931 Britain was
entering the Great Depression.
IV. The Rise and Fall of the British
Empire (1688-1945)
Britain and the Second World War (19391945)

The 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.
IV. The Rise and Fall of the British
Empire (1688-1945)
Britain and the Second World War (19391945)

One of the most far-reaching consequences of
the war was that it hastened the end of British
Empire;
 Britain founded the “Commonwealth of Nations”
or “the British Commonwealth” to replace the
“Empire”.
Questions for Thought

Please illustrate the Structure of
British Government and Parliament.
 Please explain Judicial System of the
UK.
Reference
余志远，《英语国家概况》，外语教
学与研究出版社，2000年。
 吴斐，《英国社会与文化》，武汉大
学出版社，2003年。
 来安方，《英美概况》，河南人民出
版社，2005年。

Queen
Victoria
 her reign lasted more than 63 years.
great expansion of the British empire/reached its
zenith
 the empire on which the sun never sets

3.1 The Formation of the British Empire

On the Eve of World War I, Britain had the
largest colonial empire the world had ever
seen.
› a territory of 33.5 million square kilometers
(1/4 of the world’s total land).
› a population of 393.5 million (8 times as
large as that in Britain)
3.2.1 World War I
By the beginning of the 20th century, Britain’s
dominance was challenged by other European
nations and the US
Two camps in Europe:
 Central Powers: Germany, Austria-Hungary,
Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria
 Allied Powers: Britain, France, Russia, Italy and
US
 The immediate cause—assassination in Sarajevo
3.2.1 World War I
Over 32 countries were involved, 28 of which
support the Allies Powers and Allies Powers
won
The cost of the war for Britain was great:
drained of its manpower
lost the sea supremacy
a huge national debt
3.2.2 World War II
 Germany—plan to conquer Europe
 Britain—appeasement
 declare war on Germany on September 3, 1939
 alliance with the Soviet Union and the United
States
 Germany surrendered unconditionally on May 7,
1945
 great cost—lose its naval supremacy and in debt to
the United States.
Winston
Churchill
 Greatest British leader of the 20th century
Courage, decisiveness, political experience,
vitality
 Knighthood of the Garter


Famous speeches
I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.
You ask, what is our policy? I will say: It is to wage
war, … You ask, What is our aim? I can answer in
one word: Victory – victory at all costs, victory in
spite of all terror, victory, however long and hard the
road may be; for withour victory, there is no
survival … and I say, Come, then, let us go
forward together with
our united strenghth.
We shall fight on the
beaches, we shall fight
on the landing grounds,
we shall fight in the
fields and in the streets,
we shall fight in the hills.
We shall never surrender!
3.3 The Fall of the Empire
Independence movement—India, Pakistan, Burma,
Malaya and Egypt
British Commonwealth of Nations (a loosely
organized community of former British colonies)
IV
Britain since World War II
4.1 “Three Majestic Circles”
4.2 “Special Relationship” with the US
4.1. “Three Majestic Circles”
One of the Big Three after WWII
Foreign Policy: Three Majestic Circles
less involvement in the Commonwealth
circle
close cooperation with the United States
an isolationist policy towards Europe
4.2 “Special Relationship” with the US
Margaret Thatcher
 Reestablished “special relationship” with the USA
against European integration
Tony Blair
 more positive towards
Europe (but refuse to join
the Euro)
 further strengthened the
close relationship with the
United States
Cartoon: The Special Relationship
Between Britannia & Uncle Sam
Targeted vocabulary
有关 “登基”的词语
crown the queen/king
加冕女王、国
王
succeed to the throne
继承皇位
inherite the throne
继承皇位
put sb. on the throne
把…送上皇位
ascend the throne
登基
be advanced to the throne
被推上王位
at one’s coronation
在加冕典礼上

有关“王”的表达
crown prince
crown land
the British Crown
heir to the throne
a constitutional monarch

王储
王室领地
英国国王/女王
王位继承人
立宪制君主
有关英国“爵位”的单
词
Duke
Marquis/ Marquess
Earl
Viscount
Baron
Baronept
Kinght

公爵
侯爵
伯爵
子爵
男爵
准男爵
爵士/骑士
Colonial Expansion
1. The growth of dominions
 English colonial expansion began with
the colonization of Newfoundland in
1583. Encouraged by Britain’s control of
the seas, especially by the rising tide of
emigration, British colonialists stepped up
their expansion to Canada, Australia,
and New Zealand, in the late 18th and
the early 19th centuries.


By 1900, Britain had built up a big empire,
“on which the sun never set”. It consisted
of a vast number of protectorates,
Crown colonies, spheres of influence,
and self-governing dominions. It included
25% of the world’s population and area

Canada was ceded to Britain by the
1763 Treaty of Paris. French rights were
guaranteed by the Quebec Act of 1774.
The Canada Act of 1791 divided
Canada into Upper Canada where the
British had settled, and Lower Canada
populated by the French. The British
North America Act of 1867 established
Canada as a dominion.

English began to transport convicts to
Australia in 1788. Free settlement began
in 1816, and no convicts were sent to
Australia after 1840. The gold rushes
(1851-1892) brought more people to
Australia, and in 1901 the six selfgoverning wer united in one dominionthe independent Commonwealth of
Australia.

New Zealand became a separate
colony of Britain in 1841, achieved selfgovernment in 1857, became a
dominion under the British crown in 1907
and was made completely independent
in 1931.

The Conquest of India
The British East India Company
established in 1600. By 1819 the British
conquest of most India was almost
complete. After the muting of Bengal
army in 1857, the control of India passed
to the British Crown and Queen Victoria
became Empress of India in 1877.
5. Colonial Expansion


English colonial expansion began with the
colonization of Newfoundland in 1583.
Encouraged by Britain’s control of the seas,
especially by the rising tide of emigration, British
colonialists stepped up their expansion to
Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, in the
late 18th and the early 19th centuries. By 1900,
Britain had built up a big empire, “on which the
sun never set”. It consisted of a vast number of
protectorates, Crown colonies, spheres of
influence, and self-governing dominions. It
included 25% of the world’s population and
area.
p36

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II
(since 6 February 1952); Heir
Apparent Prince CHARLES (son of the
queen, born 14 November 1948)