In the 19th century and for much of the 20th century, the British empire was so large that it was truly the world’s superpower. Much of Africa, Asia and America had been colonized. British tentacles had spread everywhere. British concepts of culture, religion, health, sexuality, law and order were imprinted in colonized countries.

There is considerable debate as to whether or not British rule over its colonies was beneficial. There is also considerable debate as to whether the colonies contributed substantially to the British economy. Both points are disputed, but there is very little literature available on the impact the British Empire had on the average British citizen.

The British Empire is a fact of history that cannot go away. The main architects of this empire were the British middle class. Doctors, scientists, geologists, explorers, soldiers, administrators, businessmen got an opportunity that normally would have been denied them. This middle class was articulate in promoting British interests and, at the same time, also had a reason to move on. The middle class supported the aristocracy, which in turn gave the middle class unrestricted access to the colonies to work and earn. Many also did a lot of good. One can think of Dr. David Livingston in Africa and the countless explorers and scientists who flocked to India to map the nation and establish new businesses. Basically, the colonies gave Britain’s middle class a chance to express themselves.

The Empire instilled a sense of pride in the average Briton. He began to feel that he was part of the chosen race to rule the world. Thus Kipling’s comment on the colonies as the “white man’s burden” gained popularity. For almost 100 years until 1939, which can be considered the hay day of the British Empire, the average Briton, especially the middle class, felt that God had given them the right to rule the world. As a spin-off, a lot of good things for the colonies cannot be questioned. It cannot be forgotten that all of Tibet was mapped by brave entrepreneurs guided by the Raj officials.

However, the working class in England was not very involved with the empire. With the industrial revolution sweeping Europe, the working class did not have much time to think about the empire, entangled as it was in its attempt to survive. That is the reason why Karl Marx and his theory gained strength.

In 1939 the first cracks appeared in the Empire with the consolidation of power by Adolf Hitler. Hitler lost the war, but he did enough to break the British psyche and destroy the British economy, where maintaining the colonies and the Empire became an extremely delicate task. The middle class cracked and Lord Attlee decided that the time had come to dismantle the empire.

In 1945, Britain still harbored hope that the Empire could be saved, but a strong nationalist movement, coupled with a poor economy at home, turned the coin in favor of dismantling the empire. Many in Britain did not realize at the time that the age of imperialism was over and the sun had set on empire.