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Why was the British Empire Successful?
How the UK controlled a fourth of the planet.
FYI: This article is available in video form here.
Why was the British Empire Successful? There is no single reason. Things like population, geography, and countless other factors all come into play. But a good place to start is by exploring why other would-be empires failed. Let’s start with China.
China has had one of the largest populations and economies in the world. This dates back thousands of years. Even Romans and Greeks indirectly traded their coins for goods from China. They sold silk, salt, sugar and much more.
After all, the Yellow River provided some of the best farming land in the world. So, they had a large, mostly united population. Made a lot of money trading. And were surrounded by comparatively weak neighbors. But when you look at a list of the largest empires in the world, they’re not one of them. Surprisingly. Nowhere close actually. But you know who is? A small island-nation where it rains all the time and everyone hates each other.
The British ruled a lot of territory…
