Test Your Knowledge of the Rise and Fall of the British Empire

The Rise and Fall of the British Empire

• The British Empire was composed of dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states.
• It began with overseas possessions and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.
• At its height in the 19th and early 20th century, the British Empire was the largest empire in history and the foremost global power, holding sway over 23% of the world population and covering 24% of the Earth's total land area.
• The British Empire's constitutional, legal, linguistic, and cultural legacy is widespread.
• Britain's dominance was achieved during a period of relative peace (1815-1914) known as Pax Britannica.
• The empire's dominance of much of world trade meant that it effectively controlled the economies of many regions, such as Asia and Latin America.
• Military and economic tensions between Britain and Germany were major causes of the First World War, during which Britain relied heavily on its empire.
• The Second World War saw Britain's colonies in East Asia and Southeast Asia occupied by the Empire of Japan, accelerating the decline of the empire.
• India, the most valuable and populous possession of the British Empire, achieved independence in 1947 as part of a larger decolonization movement.
• The Suez Crisis of 1956 confirmed Britain's decline as a global power.
• The accelerating pace of decolonization resulted in the abolition of the Colonial Office in 1966 and its absorption into the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in October 1968.
• The transfer of Hong Kong to China on 1 July 1997 symbolized for many the end of the British Empire.