Great Britain's Imperial Expansion

Rachel Zdor

Great Britain's Imperial Expansion

        Great Britain's greatest imperial expansion was the British Empire. It is known to be the largest empire in history and for over a century it carried the most global power. Their country's aspiration to expand their power and land was probably what most benefited their reason for imperialism. In the early twentieth century, it had about 482 million citizens, which at that time, was one fifths of the Earth's population. Though throughout the late nineteenth century was when it began to be considered the most wealthy and powerful country in the world. Starting from the Industrial Revolution, they were able to produce and manufacture more goods. Although, throughout that time their size was decreasing and their choice was to turn to imperialism. Imperialism is the act of forcing a nation’s authority over other countries. They used this method to ensure that their country size would continue to grow.

Their population continued to grow, increasing through the alliance that was first created by Queen Elizabeth I as a trading company. Where most of Britain’s merchants joined together to trade along with the East Indies and Southwest Asia which formed the East India Trading Company. Though the Company first main purpose was a trading route, throughout time Great Britain began to gain more political control in India which started imperialism for Great Britain in India. They first started by preventing other companies from trading with India. They managed to do this by have focused most of their trade and security over in India, allowing other parts of Asia to be controlled by other companies instead. After they gained more political control over India, they took military and administrative control as well. By the Company, Britain was able to control these areas inserting their own laws that benefitted themselves.

Great Britain managed to convince other companies to associate with them through their East Indian company. If those companies did not comply, they used their imperial power, which at that point was their military forces. Britain gained control of almost all of India, controlling an estimate of two-hundred million people through using their imperial power. They chose to occupy this land for one that it had great amounts of natural resources, which accounted to twenty percent of all of Britain’s trades. Also by being able to control most of India, they had access to their army. Where they fought in almost all of Britain’s major wars, including WW1 and WW2.

Social Darwinism is what Great Britain used for the survival of the fittest implies that the strong will succeed and the weak shall perish. Great Britain took control of weak countries. They first started of with Africa, which was also used for there natural resources. Since Africa wasn’t able to defend itself, they gained control. When other countries tried to obtain this land as well, Britain continued to buy more of it. Which led them to buy out competing countries, such as Egypt. It shows that they used Social Darwinism that any strong country could survive and stand for themselves, but if they’re weak, another country may take control over it. Or countries can use imperial power only over the weaker countries.