January 1, 1970

‘I could have defended the British Empire against anyone, except the British people.
’ (Churchill, c.1955; Anthony Montague Browne to Richard M. Langworth, in Churchill; In His Own Words)

‘If the British Empire is fated to pass from life into history, we must hope it will not be by the slow process of dispersion and decay, but in some supreme exertion for freedom, for right and for truth.’(Churchill, 20 April 1939, Canada Club, London)

The British Empire

At the beginning of the twentieth century, and for the first twenty years or so, Britain ruled over around a fifth of the world’s population and a quarter of the world’s land. This was the height of empire.The influence of the empire in culture was pervasive. Think about the lyrics to ‘Land of Hope and Glory’, which was written to celebrate Britain’s supremacy over the world. Empire Day was an annual, patriotic celebration, which was particularly aimed at children. Gradually, though, the global balance of power began to change as the US and Russia became more powerful and over the first half of the century, Britain’s empire was gradually dismantled.

2024 International Churchill Conference

Join us for the 41st International Churchill Conference. London | October 2024

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