How did the British Empire last so long?

[wellard]

Originally posted by Cloudbringer: Bond, James Bond...or maybe the crumpets and tea...it's a toss up.

A desire for better food perhaps... curry anyone The tea comment is a lot closer to the mark than you realise Cloudy

[Illumina Drathiran'ar]

I'm siding with Chewie and Timber. If I could justify taking a tea break every afternoon, and use dry wit without being called an antisocial (not-nice word), I'd be pretty loyal to my country.

[Skunk]

Originally posted by Illumina Drathiran'ar: I'm siding with Chewie and Timber. If I could justify taking a tea break every afternoon, and use dry wit without being called an antisocial (not-nice word), I'd be pretty loyal to my country.

Despite what you might have heard, most of us don't take tea breaks every afternoon - and where such practices have been instigated (usually manual labour), it was because employers found that suitably refreshed employees produced more/worked harder. By the way, there are more coffe-drinkers than Tea drinkers in the UK (ratio 4:1).

As for sarcasm, it's just the British way of dealing with hardship. Laughing at ourselves is the way that we deal with problems that we can not change directly. It creates the 'war-time' style bond of "we're-all-in-this-together, so put your head down and get on with life - there are more important things to worry about, like feeding the cat."

[Donut]

Originally posted by wellard: (3) Divide and conquer! It worked in so many countries this policy. Starting with the domination of Ireland and Scotland before the union. Taking control of India for example was done by getting the natives to busy fighting amongst themselves and giving power to those that helped the British. (4) Having arrogance beyond today’s understanding that they believed they had a god given right and duty to make the world their empire. And by doing so they where helping the world. (6) Why do I get the feeling that after all this typing it is just a set up for a joke by D1

Not at all wellard - I think we're finally getting somewhere here. Nobody has mentioned the skill in maintaining the balance of power in Europe.

And if the causes of WW11 are rooted in the afermath of WW1 then surely it was Britian's refusal to allow Germany their "place in the sun" and our failure to maintain the balance of power that was the ultimate reason that the Empire fell.

[wellard]

Originally posted by Donut: Not at all wellard - I think we're finally getting somewhere here. Nobody has mentioned the skill in maintaining the balance of power in Europe. And if the causes of WW11 are rooted in the afermath of WW1 then surely it was Britian's refusal to allow Germany their "place in the sun" and our failure to maintain the balance of power that was the ultimate reason that the Empire fell.

Glad about the last one

Being a bit hard on Britain there D1, Though I’m running on memory here and can't be arsed referencing. Britain was not for punitive actions directly. Sure it took Papua new Guinea and a few African countries away from Germany but it was the very unfair French repartition demands that burdened Germany, pushing them cowering into a corner of resentment and oppression before it began to claw its way upwards (?) on the back of rampant nationalism.

And I’m not entirely convinced that WW2 itself was the end of the Empire fully. Though many pacific nations realized that Britain was never again be able to offer the protection and succor it once had.

I would focus more on the aftermath of WW2, specifically the rebuilding costs and the vast repayments of war debts to America. Germany in some ways was better off, not having to suffer the same burden after WW2 that it did in WW1, it had money to reinvest in itself. Britain however, many claim sold much technology to the USA in repayment for the arms and ammunition (and perhaps for the nuclear technology) that the US provided during the war. For example the patented jet engine, mmmm not much payment came to the UK coffers there [img]tongue.gif[/img] Many of its early jet planes, missiles and sound breaking technology just got boxed up and "reappeared" in the US.

To be continued, intresting topic though

[ 02-09-2004, 08:33 AM: Message edited by: wellard ]

[Timber Loftis]

Good fish and chips?

[Cloudbringer]

Originally posted by wellard: quote: Originally posted by Cloudbringer: Bond, James Bond...or maybe the crumpets and tea...it's a toss up.

A desire for better food perhaps... curry anyone The tea comment is a lot closer to the mark than you realise Cloudy [/QUOTE][img]smile.gif[/img] Tea, spices and Bond?

[Illumina Drathiran'ar]

Originally posted by Skunk: quote: Originally posted by Illumina Drathiran'ar: I'm siding with Chewie and Timber. If I could justify taking a tea break every afternoon, and use dry wit without being called an antisocial (not-nice word), I'd be pretty loyal to my country.

Despite what you might have heard, most of us don't take tea breaks every afternoon - and where such practices have been instigated (usually manual labour), it was because employers found that suitably refreshed employees produced more/worked harder. By the way, there are more coffe-drinkers than Tea drinkers in the UK (ratio 4:1).

As for sarcasm, it's just the British way of dealing with hardship. Laughing at ourselves is the way that we deal with problems that we can not change directly. It creates the 'war-time' style bond of "we're-all-in-this-together, so put your head down and get on with life - there are more important things to worry about, like feeding the cat." [/QUOTE]I'm talking from a historical perspective, dear one. And sarcasm is how I deal with things as well... but it doesn't always go over very well where I am. I hear "shrew" or not-nice versions thereof at least twice a month directed towards me... but I shrug it off. People who know me know I don't mean it and all that jazz.

[warnie]

truth is that cricket is the only australian game
created in england...lol

[Yorick]

Originally posted by Donut: quote: Originally posted by wellard: (3) Divide and conquer! It worked in so many countries this policy. Starting with the domination of Ireland and Scotland before the union. Taking control of India for example was done by getting the natives to busy fighting amongst themselves and giving power to those that helped the British. (4) Having arrogance beyond today’s understanding that they believed they had a god given right and duty to make the world their empire. And by doing so they where helping the world. (6) Why do I get the feeling that after all this typing it is just a set up for a joke by D1

Not at all wellard - I think we're finally getting somewhere here. Nobody has mentioned the skill in maintaining the balance of power in Europe.

And if the causes of WW11 are rooted in the afermath of WW1 then surely it was Britian's refusal to allow Germany their "place in the sun" and our failure to maintain the balance of power that was the ultimate reason that the Empire fell. [/QUOTE]But then you could argue that Bismark was a key balancer of power (for Europe was not Englands sole domain of course), and that Wilhems removal of him, followed by a jealous desire for a "place in the sun" caused the two wars. In other words, that line of thinking could lead to "It's all the Germans fault".

So I don't agree with that one.

P.S. Don't mention the war!