Superpowers-the rise and fall of the British empire

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  • Created by: chinwe
  • Created on: 17-02-16 12:23

the Mercantilist stage

  • from 1600-1850
  • Britain owned 1/5 of worlds population
  • Britain colonised small coastall fringes in west indies,Canada and africa.
  • Imported raw materials from the USA, which where manufactured in Britain and sold back to colonised countries.
  • Traded slaves and raw materials
  • Private trading companies in colonies were protected by british military forces
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the imperialist stage

  • 1850-1945
  • coastal colonies expanded further inland 
  • influence of cultural values onto colonised countries; religion,language,sports
  • development of technology; such as railways and telegraghs, connected distant parts of the empire
  • trade became more complex
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the decolonialisation stage

  • 1945+
  • after the second world war, Britain became bankrupt 
  • decrease in economic power, couldent support navy, protecting colonies
  • there was an increase in ani-colonialist movements;e.g, in India
  • many countries became independent 
  • Britain focused on postwar reconstuction- majority of countries become independent by 1970
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Superopower legacy?

  • it remains in controll of 14 territories 
  • the commonwealth is an association of 53 independent states (former british colonies). The cooperarte in the common interset of their people.
  • they have a series of agreements which incorparate thier values and beliefs.
  • The british empire has left a cultural legacy, as English is the mother tounge today. As more than 300million in the world people speak it.
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