British dominance was unrivalled during the period of 1850-1929. How far do you agree with this statement?

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British dominance was unrivalled during the period of 1850-1929. How far do you agree with this statement?

The extent in which Britain dominated during the period of 1850-1929 is an ambiguous field of exploration, as well as the word dominance itself. The impact that Britain played throughout this time does perhaps, suggest that countries across the world portrayed a vast amount of subservience in areas such as economic strength, the Empire that is infamous for its widespread supremacy, and the complementary military which as a defence mechanism, efficiently earned Britain its powerful status. Britain also thrived in its political and social stability, its power covering most aspects of a dominant country. However, it’s possibly the ever-growing nations such as Germany and the United States which undermined Britain’s ability and deprived them of the majestic title in which they may have inhibited otherwise; or as some would propose, the economic and naval decline which hindered this status to a limited expense.

One thing in favour for the dominance of Britain was the fact that it became the place in which situated the world’s first urban industrialised economy, as early as by 1850. To a further extent, Britain was so powerful and unrivalled in this area that it accounted for a massive 50 per cent of the world’s trade in coal, cotton and iron, something that would clearly have earned Britain a respected and admirable title. As well as this, its gross national product (GNP) accumulated to more than the combination of China and Russia, countries which were physically larger by an extreme amount. Enhancing the strong authority even more, this steady expansion was proposed with a miniscule two per cent of the worldwide population, something which some would class as a miraculous, yet praiseworthy achievement. The fact that the British population increased by 27 million in just one hundred years (1801-1901) stated that Britain would not let its limited size undermine its possible future accomplishments. As a nation, it also managed to create an influence in the newly found banking and financial system based in London, unearthing prosperity and uniqueness for the country, as well as the rest of the world. Despite its size, Britain managed to become the workshop of the world and the world’s banking house by 1870.

Although the thriving situation within both the population and economic status seemed to express inevitable dominance for a healthy period of time, by the time the twentieth century took its toll, Britain’s economic position was no longer appearing to contract the stability it once obtained, and it was certainly not remaining unrivalled for much longer. This may not have been due to decline within Britain, but the inclination of power that Germany and the United States were gaining at a rapid pace. In sectors such as motor car production and electrical good production, Britain was limited and began to slowly fall behind these two powerful nations. This is believed by some to be due to the lack of knowledge exemplified in the applied science, and the inadequate investment within this field. Despite the pessimistic views of many Britons, the British economy was not as weak as it may have been exposed as in the twentieth century. This is backed up by the fact that its merchant fleet obtained one half of the entire world’s sea-borne traffic by 1914. Britain was clearly heading in a prosperous direction once again, excluding the close rivalry for dominance by the USA and Germany. Regardless of problems issued by competition, London was able to maintain its status as the world’s financial centre. Britain was able to remain at a high level above the close competition within the technological side of power and dominance. Between the periods of 1876- 1900, around 15 percent of the significant and impacting inventions were originated in Britain, including the telephone. Scientific and technological instruction improved to a significant extent, as the government soon began to fund the vital university research and expansion. The government also channelled large amounts of money into scientific projects which were designed to improve armed services. For example, the Admiralty subsidised the development of wireless technology. Taking each of these facts into account, despite the slight economic decline which occurred by 1900, and the rivalry of the USA and Germany, Britain managed to hold  onto the dominance by the tip of their fingers through the struggle, and fought back at a stronger rate to maintain that status across the world.

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The Royal Navy radiated such mightiness and distinctiveness throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth century that their dominance in this field was unquestionable, let alone was there any form of rivalry to even be considered. The Royal Navy did in fact, rule the waves and protect Britain in pride and strength. The Navy preserved the trade routes with the Empire and with other commercial partners, as well as doing the most obvious job; providing Britain with security and stability. It was most definitely a vital factor within European politics, providing invaluable in a vast amount of colonial campaigns, providing safe ...

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