1. The most powerful empire the world had ever known

2. “The sun never sets on the British Empire”
More than 450 million people
13,000,000 square miles of territory

3. The 5 stages of the British Empire
Origins and “First Empire” ( )
“Second Empire” ( )
Britain’s imperial hegemony ( )
The Two World Wars ( )
Decolonization and Fall of Empire ( )

4. “First British Empire”
1497
1578
1603
1783
1497 King Henry VII commissioned John Cabot to discover new route to Asia
1578 Queen Elizabeth I accessed to throne
1603 Treaty of London
1783 Loss of the 13 Colonies

5. Rivalry in Asia between Britsh East India Company and Dutch Company.
Colonial Expansion
Rivalry with…
Netherlands
Rivalry in Asia between Britsh East India Company and Dutch Company.
Three Anglo-Dutch Wars in 17° century and peace in 1688 with Glorious Revolution.

6. Colonial Expansion Rivalry with… Netherlands France
Rivalry in Asia between Britsh East India Company and Dutch Company.
Three Anglo-Dutch Wars in 17° century and peace in 1688 with Glorious Revolution.
War of Spanish Succession in 1701.
British Victory in Seven Years’ War.

7. “Second British Empire”
Company in India
Competition with the Mughal Empire. After the decline of the Mughals, war between Britain and French Indian Companies.
India will be occupied in 1857

8. “Second British Empire”
Loss of the 13
American Colonies
Company in India
Competition with the Mughal Empire. After the decline of the Mughals, war between Britain and French Indian Companies.
India will be occupied in 1857
Disagreement over the colonist Rights led to the American War of Indipendence, won by the Americans in 1783
End of the “Second Empire”

9. “Second British Empire”
Loss of the 13
American Colonies
Exploration of
the Pacific Ocean
Company in India
Competition with the Mughal Empire. After the decline of the Mughals, war between Britain and French Indian Companies.
India will be occupied in 1857
Disagreement over the colonist Rights led to the American War of Indipendence, won by the Americans in 1783
End of the “Second Empire”
James Cook discovers Australia in 1770
Captain William Hobson and 40 Maori chiefs signed the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840

10. Napoleonic Wars
Military and Ideologies conflict between Britain and France.
Defeat of Napoleon in Trafalgar Battle, in 1805, and finally victory of Britain and a coalition of European countries, in 1815.

11. The Battle of Trafalgar
Napoleon combined French and Spanish fleets against Royal Navy.
Commander Nelson’s strategy was essential for the victory.

12. Britain’s Imperial Hegemony
: period called “Imperial century”
10,000,000 square miles (25,899,881 km2)
More than 400 million people
1902: “All Red Line”
Opium Wars against China ended in 1858
Last decades of 19th century, expansion in Africa
The second Industrial Revolution (19th century)

13. First World War
At the beginning of the 20th century Britain was scared of the rapid growth of Germany.
Britain declares war to Germany in 1914.
Dominions and colonies participate to the War with a significant impact.
The Treaty of Versailles, in 1919, signed the end of the War.

14. Second World War 1939 Britain declare war to Germany
1941 entrance in War of Soviet Union against Germany
1941 sign of the Atlantic Charter
1941 Japan attacked U.S.
1945 Britain loses prestige at the end of the War

15. Decolonization and Fall of Empire
After the WWII Britain is in crisis because the rivalry between the U.S. and the Soviet Union in the Cold War and the colonized countries start an anti-colonial movement.
In 1947, India gained the independence, and afterwards also the majority of the Asian colonies.
In 1956 Nasser nationalises the Suez Canal and Churchill decides to intervene militarily, but Eisenhower, scared by an intervention of the Soviet Union opposes. The UN intervention humiliates Eden, who resigns.

16. Decolonization and Fall of Empire
1982: Margaret Thatcher negotiate with the Chinese government on the future of Hong Kong.
1997: Hong Kong returns to China, establishing the end of the Empire.
Nowadays most of British colonies are member of the Commonwealth. The English language is the primary language of over 300 million people. The English parliamentary system has been taken as example for many old colonies.

17. “Webography” Wikipedia, British Empire
Stephen Luscombe, britishempire.co.uk
Andrew Lambert, bbc.co.uk/history/british/empire_seapower/trafalga r_01.shtml
Colin White, bbc.co.uk/history/british/empire_seapower/nelson_ 01.shtml

18. Written and Directed by
Produced by
Production Design
Production Coordinator
Assistant Production Coordinator
Post Production Supervisor
Projectionist
Digital Visual Effects and Titles by
Director of Photography
FRANCESCO BECCHIMANZI
MIKI FANFANI
GABRIELE SCHEPIS
GIOVANNI QUERCIOLI