What if the British Empire became a federation?

The federation would have a common parliament and would be governed as a superstate. Thus, Imperial unity could be maintained while still allowing for democratic government. The colonies would increase their influence while Britain would be able to share the costs of imperial defence.

Could the British have kept the Empire?

Yes, but only for longer. Britain was bankrupted by cost of WW2 and really could not afford to keep a loss making empire. The costs were considerably increased by the Cold War that gave financial and military support to independence movements in the Duropean colonies.

What was the federation scheme?

A federation scheme was a British plan to bring all the whites in South Africa together under the British rule. This would bring together Natal, Orange Free State, Transvaal and the Cape under British control. The plan was initiated by Sir George Grey a British governor of the Cape between 1854-1858.

How did the British Empire gain so much power?

With land, with trade, with goods, and with literal human resources, the British Empire could grab more and more power. With more power came more money, more influence and more cultural capital.

When did Great Britain’s imperial might waned?

Later, we’ll talk about why and how Great Britain’s imperial might waned in the twentieth century. Some historians point to the end of the Second World War, which triggered a wave of independence movements across the Empire, whilst others say that the Empire formally ended in 1997, when Hong Kong was returned to China.

What are some of the greatest superpowers in history?

Here are five of the greatest superpowers in history: Roman Empire. The Roman Empire—which reached the height of its power in the second century—was by far the dominant power in most of the ancient world. Though its power did not reach as far as India and China, the Roman Empire’s prowess was unquestioned in the Middle East and Europe.

How big was the British Empire?

The British Empire grew out of the colonial and trading ventures of Great Britain in the eighteenth century, and by the early twentieth century, it had become history’s largest empire, covering a quarter of the world’s surface—so large that the “sun never set” on it. At its height, over a fifth of the world’s population lived in it.