1066 William, Duke of Normandy, crossed the sea to conquer England and established the Normandy dynasty. 1536 merger of England and Wales. /kloc-the bourgeois revolution broke out in 0/640, and 19 announced the establishment of the * * * Republic in May. 1660 dynasty restoration. 1668 A "glorious revolution" took place and a constitutional monarchy was established. 1707 the merger of England and Scotland. 180 1 merged with Ireland.
From the 1960s of 18 to the 1930s of 19, it became the first country in the world to complete the industrial revolution. 19 14 years, the occupied colony was 135 times larger than the mainland, and it was the first colonial power, calling itself "the sun never sets". 192 1 year, 26 counties in southern Ireland established a "free state", and 6 counties in the north still belonged to Britain.
After World War I, it began to decline, and its hegemonic position in the world was gradually replaced by the United States. World War II severely weakened its economic strength. With the independence of India and Pakistan in 1947, the British colonial system began to collapse. At present, there are still 13 overseas territories in Britain. 1973 65438+ 10 joined the European body in October. 1997 the British labour government came to power.
The vikings and the British
The earliest English people couldn't speak English. Around 3000 BC, Iberians from the Mediterranean landed in Brittany, then Celts from the European continent, and then Romans. None of them can speak English. Today's British claim that they are descended from Anglo-Saxons. They come from northern Europe and belong to Germanic people. They speak the earliest old English. These vikings were farmers, fishermen, businessmen, soldiers and navigators. They fought bravely and drove the Celts back to the mountains of Scotland and Wales.
About the eighth century, another group of Vikings invaded Brittany. They came from Norway and Denmark in northern Europe (Scots and English people have some ancestors today) and defeated one Anglo kingdom after another. Finally, at the end of the tenth century, the king of Denmark became the master of England, and the king of England fled to Normandy, laying the groundwork for Norman invasion. 1 1 At the beginning of the century, Normandy invaded and conquered England on the pretext of helping the king of England. The normans themselves were a group of vikings.
1588, Britain defeated the Spanish Armada in the English Channel, paving the way for British maritime hegemony. With the invention of Watt's steam engine, Britain started the earliest industrial revolution in the world and became a veritable "world factory". With the strengthening of economic strength and the demand of overseas raw materials and markets, Britain has carried out large-scale colonial expansion. By the end of19th century, Britain had become an unprecedented empire.
Commonwealth countries (Commonwealth countries)
Britain used to be the most powerful country in the world, with colonies all over the world, so-called "the sun never sets". Including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Egypt, India, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Israel and so on, were once its colonies. English has spread all over the world.
After World War II, the British colonies became independent one after another, but after independence, the colonies established the Commonwealth, which helped each other politically and economically. Commonwealth countries recognize the Queen of England as the highest head of state. The Queen of England also regularly sends governors to some Commonwealth countries, as the Queen's representative, to manage these territories in name. For example, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and so on.