The United States took the top slot as the world's super power, while Britain took the only Global Power slot, bringing her in second behind America. Regional powers include France, India and Germany, while local powers were those such as Italy, Brazil, and Turkey.
Nevertheless, the United Kingdom today has retained global soft power, including a formidable military. The United Kingdom continues to have a permanent seat on the UN Security Council alongside only 4 other powers, and is one of the nine nuclear powers.
Yet despite all of this global power and the emergence of Britain by the beginning of the nineteenth century as the world's first true superpower, the British Empire had very humble, small-scale origins.
After defeating Napoleonic France in 1815, Britain became the world's only superpower for more than a century. The empire became even larger. The empire continued to expand during the 19th century.
United States. The United States of America is a North American nation that is the world's most dominant economic and military power.
The Empire of the French (1804–1814), also known as the Greater French Empire or First French Empire, but more commonly known as the Napoleonic Empire, was also the dominant power of much of continental Europe and, it ruled over 90 million people and was the sole power in Europe if not the world as Britain was the only ...
The United States remains the most powerful country in the world, followed by China and Russia. However, the balance of power may shift in the coming years as countries like India and Brazil continue to grow economically and assert themselves on the global stage.
Britain had become the first truly global power in history. Unlike any earlier empire, it got most of its wealth not from plunder or tax but from its dominance in trade, and used its military and economic muscle to protect free trade and open markets.
Straight off the bat, France has a much larger combined military force with 203,000 active personnel, this includes those serving in the French army, air force and navy. Compare this with the UK which currently has just 150,000 active personnel across its three branches.
The growth of the British Empire was due in large part to the ongoing competition for resources and markets which existed over a period of centuries between England and her Continental rivals, Spain, France, and Holland.
In the 16th Century, Britain began to build its empire – spreading the country's rule and power beyond its borders through a process called 'imperialism'. This brought huge changes to societies, industries, cultures and the lives of people all around the world.
As economic historian Adam Tooze writes in his book The Deluge, for a century, the British Empire had been the largest economic power in the world; in 1916, its output was overtaken by that of the United States.
It covered around 25% of the world's land surface, including large swathes of North America, Australia, Africa and Asia, while other areas - especially in South America - were closely linked to the empire by trade, according to the National Archives.
Britain is the world's largest exporter of financial services. The UK's multiculturalism enables its financial services to diversify. There are a handful of factors that make this the case. Britain straddles Europe (and until recently, the EU) and the Anglophone world, especially the USA, crossing a cultural divide.
Peers of the Realm
The ranks of Peers are as follows: Duke (and Duchess), Marquess (and Marchioness), Earl (and Countess), Viscount (and Viscountess), and Baron (and Baroness) together with Scottish Lord (and Lady) of Parliament.
In her book Day of Empire, American professor Amy Chua suggests that the Achaemenid Empire, the Tang dynasty, the Roman Empire, the Mongol Empire, the Dutch Empire, and the British Empire were successful examples of historical hegemons; the Spanish Monarchy, Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, and Third Reich were ...
Today, France's GDP per capita is back on top, though just barely (by 0.6% to be precise). Worse, British inequality remains widespread: In terms of purchasing power, the poorest 10% in the UK have disposable incomes that are 22% lower than their French counterparts.
Battle of Agincourt, (October 25, 1415), decisive battle in the Hundred Years' War (1337–1453) that resulted in the victory of the English over the French.
While the French were initially unable to break the string of British victories, the combined actions of American and French forces, and a key victory by a French fleet over a British rescue fleet, forced the British into a decisive surrender at Yorktown, Virginia, in 1781.
Some would say the empire officially came to an end in February of that year when—utterly drained by the two world wars—the British cabled Washington that they no longer had the money or troops to defend Greece or Turkey as the Soviet Union threatened to extend its influence in the early Cold War.
Britain gained dominance in the trade with India, and largely dominated the highly lucrative slave, sugar, and commercial trades originating in West Africa and the West Indies. Exports soared from £6.5 million in 1700, to £14.7 million in 1760 and £43.2 million in 1800.
As of 1 January 2023 the British Armed Forces are a professional force with a total strength of 190,170 personnel, consisting of 147,620 UK Regulars and Gurkhas, 34,280 Volunteer Reserves and 8,260 "Other Personnel".
The world's 12th largest economy
Strong growth in 2021 solidified Australia's position as the world's 12th largest economy in 2021. Nominal GDP was around A$2.2 trillion (US$1.6 trillion) in 2021. Australia is home to just 0.3% of the world's population, but accounts for 1.7% of the global economy.
If the projections used in the above video prove to be accurate, the largest economy in 2030 will be China with $64.2 trillion in GDP after adjusting for purchasing power parity (PPP). That's nearly $20 trillion more than India, which will be the second largest by that time.
1. United States Of America. US Military has the biggest defence budget in the world. They are known for their most powerful Air Force on the planet, named as United States Air Force (USAF).