"Nobody had properly analysed the root cause of imperialism. but everybody recognised the prime characteristics of the phenomenon: aggression was necessary to its spirit, whether it be aggression for bad or good causes, and when the empire lost its aggressiveness then the excitement of imperialism itself…was lost."
"Farewell the Trumpets", by James Morris
It is extraordinary that so few Americans study or even know anything about the British empire, which, for all its faults was the biggest empire the world had ever seen, kept the world peace for a hundred years, and allowed the US to develop in peace as a major power behind the shield of the Royal Navy. Add to that, the British were responsible for some of the greatest technological and scientific discoveries and advances in technology and communications ever.
And yet…and yet…. A recent advertisement in the New York Times advertised a course on World History. The syllabus went back to ancient Assyria and covered everything, but without a single mention of the British Empire, which was dismissed with the casual "The long 19th century".
There is so much the Americans could learn from the good and the bad of the British Empire, but for some psychological reason that escapes me they ignore it , hoping it will go away (detracts from American glory?). Were they to have studied British history some more they might have paused before invading both Iraq and Afghanistan, to mention but two forays. Those who actually know the history have been unanimously horrified by those two decisions, believe me.
Maybe the fact that the British experience is ignored has something to do with the fact that the U.S (along with others) assiduously undermined it and did everything to end it, short of physical assault. I happen not to mourn the British empire and am glad it’s gone, but Roosevelt’s policy in the Second World War was, to say the least, duplicitous and the laughable idea that Uncle Sam came galantly riding to the rescue of democracy with the sole idea of liberty in mind is the phantasm of the innocent mind. Maybe it is the knowledge of real US policy that makes professional historians a wee bit uncomfortable. After all, there is the compliant UK, like a little lapdog doing the will of America, shafted time and time again. Oh well, that’s politics.