The Decline of the British Empire

In 1839 the idea of empire was simple: it meant control. Although there was considerable variety in the forms of government throughout the Empire and a number of Departments of State (Treasury, Board of Trade, Foreign Office and Army) shared imperial responsibilities with the Department of Colonies, the basic trend since 1783 had been to centralize control as much as possible in Downing Street. No colony had been given control of its internal affairs by 1839.

By this time there were three main kinds of imperial possessions: India, an exceptional case, ruled jointly until 1858 by the British Government, and the East India Company; settlement colonies in which the population was mainly British or British-European in origin; and the dependencies acquired by treaty, conquest or international agreement, in which a British minority ruled a majority of native people or former slaves. All were subject to legislation passed by the Imperial Parliament; but only the last two groups were the primary responsibility of the Colonial Office.

The Commonwealth idea developed first in the settlement colonies where it was predictable that the colonists would resist control and demand self-governing institutions similar to the constitutional forms of government in the mother country.

Since 1919 the British Empire declined into a number of scattered and comparatively small dependencies. The Commonwealth of twenty states including Britain linked in a mostly informal association with each other replaces most of the Old Empire.

The process of change from Empire to Commonwealth represents a decline in British power.

There has been a tendency in bourgeois Britain to regard the Edwardian era as a Golden age, but it is now clear that the British Empire, in spite of appearances, was past her zenith when Queen Victoria died. Britain’s commercial and industrial rivals were slowly overtaking her, particularly in the United States. In the earlier part of Queen Victoria’s reign, Britain had been not only the world’s workshop and factory but also its banker, carrier, clearing-house, insurance broker and shipbuilder. Until 1870, she had produced half of the world’s coal, but in 1900 her output was surpassed by that of the United States. America, Germany and Japan were the new rivals in mass production. And by the end of the Edwardian era the progress of scientific development and the industry of her competitors were seriously to undermine Britain’s position as the world’s workshop, and even her claim to be mistress of the seas was soon to be doubtful, while the danger of her land’s naval forces in the face of growing military and maritime expansion in Germany was to be apparent.

The twilight of British imperialism set in. When Britain started out on the imperialist road, the world was open before her. There were no competitors. Colonies were seized in all parts of the globe with modern weapons against bows and arrows and spears. The ground was cleared for investment. The “Opium War” in China, the Zulu war, the Abyssinian war, the bombardment of Alexandria, the Boer war, wars in India and Afghanistan. These wars opened up the way for British imperialism, for lucrative British investments. The situation is entirely different today. Firstly, a large part of the world has been removed from capitalist exploitation altogether. Secondly, in the colonies a decisively new factor is operating. The colonial peoples everywhere, in different manners, are in revolt against imperialist gangsterism and are determined to achieve independence for their respective countries and freedom to live their own lives and develop their own culture. Guns, tanks and bombs are used against them. But the revolt can never be suppressed. Now that they have risen to their feet the colonial people will never be forced to their knees again.

Commentary:

· throughout– пред.

1. 1) через; по всему (о физическом пространстве, объеме и т. п.)

cities throughout Russia — города по всей России

2) на всем протяжении (о времени)

throughout her life — на протяжении всей ее жизни

· until- пред.

1. до

Brooks's comet may be visible until the end of the year. — Комету Брукса можно будет наблюдать до конца года.

He did not write to us until last week. — Он написал нам только на прошлой неделе.

You should stay on the train until Manchester and then change. — Вам нужно доехать до Манчестера, а потом сделать пересадку.

until now — до сих пор

until then — до тех пор

Syn: till

Until – союз

1. 2. (до тех пор) пока (не)

wait until I come — подожди, пока я приду

The unfitness of man's soul to go to heaven until cleansed from every smallest speck of sin. — Неспособность человеческой души попасть в рай до тех пор, пока она не очистится от мельчайших пятен греха.

Syn: till 2.

Until recently – до недавнего времени

Until the present – до сих пор, до настоящего времени

· in spite of - несмотря на

He hired her in spite of the fact that she had never sung on stage. — Он заключил с ней контракт, несмотря на то, что она никогда не пела на сцене.

In spite of cancellations and interlineations, the original words can easily be distinguished. — Несмотря на зачеркивания и вставки, исходный текст можно было легко различить.

She was deeply moved and in spite of herself could not help showing it. — Она была глубоко тронута и не смогла скрыть этого.

In spite of all precautions information was seeping out. — Несмотря на все предосторожности, информация просочилась в прессу.

I smiled in spite of myself –Я невольно улыбнулся.

· past – пред.

1) выражает пространственные отношения

а) мимо

б) за, по ту сторону

2) выражает временные отношения за, после

half past three — половина четвертого

He is past seventy. — Ему за семьдесят.

3) выражает выход на пределы чего-л. свыше, сверх; за пределами (достижимого)

He is past cure. — Он неизлечим.

It is past endurance. — Это невыносимо.

· (The) Treasury – министерство финансов в Англии;

· (The) Board of Trade – министерство торговли в Англии;

· (The) Foreign Office – министерство иностранных дел в Англии;

· Downing Street – улица в Лондоне, где находится резиденция премьер-министра Великобритании;

· the Colonial Office – министерство по делам колоний Англии;

· the Edwardian era – время правления короля Эдуарда VII (1841-1910), английский король с 1901 г.

· Queen Victoria – королева Виктория (1819-1901), королева Великобритании с 1837 г.

· the «Opium War” – англо-китайская война 1840-1842 г. (первая «опиумная» война), вторжение английских вооруженных сил в Китай (захват ряда приморских городов), положившее начало превращению его в полуколонию. Закончилась Нанкинским договором в 1842 г.

· the Zulu war – англо-буро-зулусская война 1838-1840 г., захватническая война английских и бурских колонизаторов против зулусов, в результате которой последние вынуждены были уступить бурам значительную территорию (в 1842 г. на этих территориях создана английская колония Наталь).

· the Boer war – англо-бурская война 1899-1902 г., захватническая война Великобритании против бурской республики в Южной Африке-Оранжевого свободного государства и Трансвааля. В результате войны обе республики в 1902 г. стали английскими колониями, а коренное африканское население оказалось под двойным гнетом – буров и английских колонизаторов.

Glossary

· to gain self-government – to obtain or achieve self-government;

· to rally – to come together;

· to be subject to legislation – to force to legislation;

· to pass legislation – to accept legislation;

· clearing house – a central office that deals with financial affairs;

· lucrative – profitable.