The Rise and Influence of the British Empire

Описание: วิดีโอเรื่อง "The Rise and Influence of the British Empire" สรุปประวัติศาสตร์การก้าวขึ้นสู่อำนาจและอิทธิพลของจักรวรรดิอังกฤษไว้ดังนี้ (อธิบายเป็นภาษาอังกฤษ):

The video provides a comprehensive overview of how the British Empire became the largest empire in history. Here are the key points:

1. Origins and Expansion
The Age of Discovery: The empire began in the late 16th and early 17th centuries with the establishment of overseas colonies in North America and the Caribbean.

Mercantilism: The growth was driven by trade and the establishment of powerful trading companies, most notably the East India Company, which laid the groundwork for British rule in India.

2. Naval Supremacy
The video emphasizes that the Royal Navy was the backbone of the empire. By controlling the seas, Britain could protect its trade routes, transport troops, and enforce its political will across the globe.

3. The "Empire on Which the Sun Never Sets"
By the 19th century, the empire reached its territorial peak. It controlled approximately one-quarter of the world's land area and governed one-fifth of the global population.

Significant territories included India (the "Jewel in the Crown"), Australia, Canada, and large parts of Africa.

4. Global Influence and Legacy
Language and Law: The empire spread the English language, the British legal system (Common Law), and parliamentary democracy, which remain the foundations of many modern nations.

Infrastructure: The British built extensive railway networks, telegraph lines, and postal systems in their colonies to facilitate trade and administration.

Controversies: The video also addresses the darker side of the empire, including the exploitation of resources, the transatlantic slave trade, and the suppression of local cultures.

5. Decolonization and the Commonwealth
Following World War II, economic exhaustion and rising nationalism led to the process of decolonization.

The empire gradually transformed into the Commonwealth of Nations, a voluntary association of independent states that share historical ties to the United Kingdom.
Source Video:    • The Rise and Influence of the British Empire