Pax Britannica
Encyclopedia
Pax Britannica was the period of relative peace in Europe
(1815–1914) when the British Empire
controlled most of the key maritime trade routes and enjoyed unchallenged sea power. It refers to a period of British imperialism
after the 1815 Battle of Waterloo
, which led to a period of overseas British expansionism.
the British Empire's economic strength continued to develop through naval dominance and diplomatic efforts to maintain the balance of power
within a Europe that lacked a pre-eminent nation state. In 1906 it was considered that Britain's only likely naval enemy was Germany.
The Pax Britannica was weakened by the breakdown of the continental order which had been established by the Congress of Vienna
. Relations between the Great Powers of Europe were strained to breaking point by issues such as the decline of the Ottoman Empire
, which led to the Crimean War
, and later the emergence of new nation states in the form of Italy
and Germany
after the Franco-Prussian War
. Both of these two wars involved Europe's largest states and armies. The industrialisation of Germany
, the Empire of Japan
, and the United States of America further contributed to the decline of British industrial supremacy following the late 19th century.
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
(1815–1914) when the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
controlled most of the key maritime trade routes and enjoyed unchallenged sea power. It refers to a period of British imperialism
Imperialism
Imperialism, as defined by Dictionary of Human Geography, is "the creation and/or maintenance of an unequal economic, cultural, and territorial relationships, usually between states and often in the form of an empire, based on domination and subordination." The imperialism of the last 500 years,...
after the 1815 Battle of Waterloo
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...
, which led to a period of overseas British expansionism.
History
Following the Congress of ViennaCongress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of European states chaired by Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, and held in Vienna from September, 1814 to June, 1815. The objective of the Congress was to settle the many issues arising from the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars,...
the British Empire's economic strength continued to develop through naval dominance and diplomatic efforts to maintain the balance of power
Balance of power in international relations
In international relations, a balance of power exists when there is parity or stability between competing forces. The concept describes a state of affairs in the international system and explains the behavior of states in that system...
within a Europe that lacked a pre-eminent nation state. In 1906 it was considered that Britain's only likely naval enemy was Germany.
The Pax Britannica was weakened by the breakdown of the continental order which had been established by the Congress of Vienna
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of European states chaired by Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, and held in Vienna from September, 1814 to June, 1815. The objective of the Congress was to settle the many issues arising from the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars,...
. Relations between the Great Powers of Europe were strained to breaking point by issues such as the decline of the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
, which led to the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
, and later the emergence of new nation states in the form of Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
after the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
. Both of these two wars involved Europe's largest states and armies. The industrialisation of Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, the Empire of Japan
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
, and the United States of America further contributed to the decline of British industrial supremacy following the late 19th century.
See also
- British EmpireBritish EmpireThe British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
- Imperial FederationImperial FederationImperial Federation was a late-19th early-20th century proposal to create a federated union in place of the existing British Empire.-Motivators:...
- Pax AmericanaPax AmericanaPax Americana is an appellation applied to the historical concept of relative peace in the Western hemisphere and, later, the Western world, resulting from the preponderance of power enjoyed by the United States of America starting around the turn of the 20th century...
- Pax Europaea
- Pax MongolicaPax MongolicaThe Pax Mongolica is a Latin phrase meaning "Mongol Peace" coined by Western scholars to describe the stabilizing effects of the conquests of the Mongol Empire on the social, cultural, and economic life of the inhabitants of the vast Eurasian territory that the Mongols conquered in the 13th and...
- Pax RomanaPax RomanaPax Romana was the long period of relative peace and minimal expansion by military force experienced by the Roman Empire in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD. Since it was established by Caesar Augustus it is sometimes called Pax Augusta...
- Pax SinicaPax SinicaPax Sinica is the time of peace in East Asia, maintained by Chinese hegemony, usually the period of rule by the Han Dynasty, Tang Dynasty, early Song Dynasty, Yuan Dynasty, Ming Dynasty and early Qing Dynasty...