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'Tis common beleif (well, every one seems to be of the opinion that) had niether world war happened britain would not have lost the empire, and may have stayed a world Super Power.
I think its the other way round, if the Wars hadn't happend, Britain would have declined MUCH sooner.
WW1:
This war effectivly destroyed Germany as a great power and destroyed its potential to create imperial mischeif (building ups its own colonial empire). before WW1, germany was britains biggest rival, and was a growing industrial (already surpassed britain by 1914) and economic, and miliary power. so had it not been for WW1, Germany would have probably surpassed britain by the 20's.
WW1 also effectivly destroyed France, and in the interwar period never had any potential to be a power.
Combined with US isolationism then, Britain was, in many ways, at it MOST powerfule between 1919-1936, simply because there was no rivals, and no one to stop them. Even though cash was short, it wasnt as bad as post WW2.
WW2:
well, this did see the final end of British empire, but it did destroy every nation in the worlds potential to be a great power ('cept USA) so since then Britain, through peacfule decolonization = better realations with commonwealth nations, since then britain has managed to stay a factor (even if a tiny factor) in world affairs.
So, if it hadnt been for WW1 and 2, britain would have probably fought violently to keep the colonies when they finally rebbelled (a la France), would have declyined economicly, and left other nations to surpass it, which due to war never reached their full potential.
whatcha think?
I think its the other way round, if the Wars hadn't happend, Britain would have declined MUCH sooner.
WW1:
This war effectivly destroyed Germany as a great power and destroyed its potential to create imperial mischeif (building ups its own colonial empire). before WW1, germany was britains biggest rival, and was a growing industrial (already surpassed britain by 1914) and economic, and miliary power. so had it not been for WW1, Germany would have probably surpassed britain by the 20's.
WW1 also effectivly destroyed France, and in the interwar period never had any potential to be a power.
Combined with US isolationism then, Britain was, in many ways, at it MOST powerfule between 1919-1936, simply because there was no rivals, and no one to stop them. Even though cash was short, it wasnt as bad as post WW2.
WW2:
well, this did see the final end of British empire, but it did destroy every nation in the worlds potential to be a great power ('cept USA) so since then Britain, through peacfule decolonization = better realations with commonwealth nations, since then britain has managed to stay a factor (even if a tiny factor) in world affairs.
So, if it hadnt been for WW1 and 2, britain would have probably fought violently to keep the colonies when they finally rebbelled (a la France), would have declyined economicly, and left other nations to surpass it, which due to war never reached their full potential.
whatcha think?
.......just felt like being an @ss for a second. There was one colonial war where someone said "first we will win this war and then we will give them what they want" pretty much sums up the British way, kick the sh1t out of em then divide their country up in a way that will have them fighting each other and running home to mummy all the time.
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