Table of Contents
Why did the British give up their empire?
The empire changed throughout its history. The First and Second World Wars left Britain weakened and less interested in its empire. Also many parts of the empire contributed troops and resources to the war effort and took an increasingly independent view. This led to a steady decline of the empire after 1945.
How the British Empire changed the world?
As with other great imperial constructs, the British empire involved vast movements of peoples: armies were switched from one part of the world to another; settlers changed continents and hemispheres; prisoners were sent from country to country; indigenous inhabitants were corralled, driven away into oblivion, or …
Why was the British Empire negative?
On the downside, people living in countries taken into the Empire often lost lands and suffered discrimination and prejudice. Countries in the Empire were also exploited for their raw materials. Slavery was another negative because despite the enormous profits made, the suffering of the slaves was terrible.
Is Britain responsible for the world’s historic problems?
David Cameron has suggested that Britain and the legacy of its empire was responsible for many of the world’s historic problems. But is that view fair? Answering questions from students in Pakistan on Tuesday, the prime minister said: “As with so many of the problems of the world, we are responsible for their creation in the first place.”
Did the British Empire promote the Arab-Israeli conflict?
Furthermore “The British Empire laid the foundations of the Arab-Israeli conflict by promising Palestine both to Arabs and to Jews.” Sazak illustrates other problems with roots in European colonialism. “The overthrow of Egypt’s King Farouk and Syria’s Shukri al-Quwatli created the Baath and its oppressive nationalisms.”
Why did Britain not embrace ethnic diversity at home?
Despite its multi-ethnic empire, Britain did not embrace ethnic diversity at home. There was the rhetoric of an inclusive imperial citizenship for the peoples of all Commonwealth countries. But in reality in post-war Britain there was little desire to promote integration for immigrants from the likes of the West Indies and the Indian subcontinent.
What is imperialist bigotry and why is it bad?
The belief that our moral values are somehow meaningless unless they are enforced upon those who do not share them is imperialist bigotry. It also leads to absurd biases. Iraq is now thought of as “bad interventionism”, as opposed to Afghanistan’s “good” version.