I have recently met some british people and I am utterly astonished that these people could conquer the world. It seems totally out of character with the people I met.

And yet they did it.

Do any of you Englanders have any thoughts on the subject ?

Is there something in the british psyche which a foreigner does not understand ? Or are the days of empire long past ?

One major reason for the colonisation of Africa.


THE MAXIM GUN. DEVASTATOR OF MEN AND ALL THAT LIE BEFORE IT.

THE MAXIM GUN. CONQUEROR OF AFRICA.


Some articles on the gun:

Invented by American Hiram Maxim (1840 - 1916) in 1885, it used the energy of each bullet's recoil force to eject the spent cartridge and insert the next one. Trials showed it could fire 500 rounds per minute, equivalent to the firepower of about 100 rifles. Compared to many modern machine guns, the Maxim was bulky and awkward, typically requiring a four to six man team to operate it. However, at the time it was the only alternative to slow firing bolt action rifles, and its extreme lethality was employed to devastating effect against obsolete charging tactics.


It was adopted by the British Army in 1889, and first used by Britain`s colonial forces in the Matabele war in 1893-1894. In one engagement, 50 soldiers fought off 5,000 warriors with just four Maxim guns. The Maxim gun played a major role in the swift European colonization of Africa in the late 19th century. As it was put in a well-known jingle by Hillaire Belloc,


Whatever happens, we have got The Maxim gun, and they have not.

A later, lighter model of the five man Maxim was ominously nicknamed the "Devil's Paintbrush" in reference to the sight of whole rows of charging soldiers being cut down in a line.
Creator, Sir "Hiram Stevens Maxim"

INDIA

Source of the British empires wealth in the early days and many of their soldiers thereafter.

Read about the British East India company. They first went in as trading partners before they tricked their way into being conquerors. Then they had an army. Don't forget the masses of wealth that the trans-atlantic slave trade brought them too.

The size of the nation is not the point. Japan did more or less the same thing. How on earth would one think Japan could takeover China? But they did. There are many factors involved.

Mostly it comes down to opportunity, circumstanceand greed. You'll have to read more about it because there are too many things to go into here.

Good topic look forward to seeing the responses.

@Stick-up-Kid.

In addition to the gun theBritish Navy were also key towards the building of the Empire. Anyone seen the film Master and Commander-Russell Crowe?

What made me laugh about those days was ANY ship in site was up for the blasting regardless of who they were. Those European white men were killing themselves to get to our souls first.....amazing.

Oh and don't sleep on the culture of violence that is centuries old in this Island nation. There is nothing English people love more than a fight or a war. If there isn't one, they go make one. From football hooligans to Friday nights in a town centre to the armies. Look at the history sections in the bookshop. Full of wars and famous battles or generals. It's the most treasured thing.

Interesting topic considering what I watched on Tv the other day.

The english from 1250 - 1300 + were m bent on dominating and subjagating the Welsh and Scottish who were separate distinct cultures with their own national identities. In fact when one of the 'Edward' Kings invaded Wales theirsoldiers commited mass slaughter and took a cultural symbol ( a religious/political object) and put it in Westminster. In fact the commentator said verbatim that Edward long understood that to defeat your enemy you must destroy his culture. So the Welsh were reduced to looking at English castles surrounding the Atlantic coast cutting them off from help from the Irish and ever present symbols of English power in their land.

When there was a dispute of leadership in Scotland around Robert the Bruce family time/around 1300..The English King went up there and demanded soveigneity and homage from the future Scottish King. The Englishtook a seat of arms/ or crown and put in in Westminster as a symbol of domination over the Scottish and to break Scottish spirits. Similar to what they done with the Ashanti stool.History tells the rest of the story

The point is the English in particular have long been imperilists and have practiced cultural superiority among their neighbours to great effect from before the translatlantic slave era. This / and the mastery of the seas (and world trade routes) set them up for their eventual emipre and the tactics used for conquest which were centuries old before they even touched Africa.

Football hooliganism/ the willingness of English abroad to enforce their supposed Britishness / remnants of a lost Empire and history of going to foreign lands and practicing brutality/ many young English have no legitimate outlet for such pleasures now. English are hated on the continent and are noted as trouble makers.

Dont mek one or two people fool you.

boredom is just one of many factors. there is also avarice and envy which comes into play.