20th century
Britain in the twentieth century (summary)
Queen Victoria died in January 1901, and Edward VII, the son of Queen Victoria ascended the throne. Edwardian Britain was a powerful and rich country, much of its wealth coming from business abroad. By that time, British money had been invested in many countries, and British banks and insurance companies had customers and did business [...]
{More»} 19th century
Britain in the nineteenth century (summary)»
The beginning of the nineteenth century was remarkable for Great Britain for its union with Ireland. In Ireland, some of the Irish united under the and began to demand independence, being affected by the French Revolution. They formed the organization known as the United Irismen. They quickly took the lead of the whole national [...]
British Colonies in West Africa»
Britain also developed a series of colonies in West Africa: the Gambia, Sierra Leone, the Gold Coast (now Ghana), and Nigeria, by far the largest.
The British Empire»
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 other European countries — Spain, France, and Holland. During the reign of Elizabeth I, England set up trading companies in Turkey, Russia, and the East Indies, [...]
18th century
Britain in the eighteenth century (summary)»Britain under George I actually had two decades of relative peace and stability. The most significant events of that period were the internal political affairs. In fact, throughout those years a smooth transition from limited monarchy to Parliamentary government took place in Great Britain. One of the important events of that time became the appointment [...]
Reforms and Reformers»
In the wake of the American war, many old institutions were reexamined. The Economical Reform Act of 1782 reduced the patronage powers of the king and his ministers. The Irish Parliament, controlled by Anglo-Irish Protestants, won a greater degree of independence.
Consequences of the American Revolution»
Long accustomed to a considerable degree of self-government and freed, after 1763, from the French danger, American colonists resented any attempts to make them pay a share of the cost of imperial defence in the form of assorted taxes and duties. They also resented British attempts to treat colonial legislatures as secondary to the government [...]
The Early Years of King George III's Reign»
In 1760, the aged George II was succeeded by his grandson, George III. Unlike his predecessors, George III was more interested in English than German affairs. George tried to enter politics as an independent force. He did not attempt to free himself from the control of Parliament, as the time when that was possible had [...]
Short stories
The first night performance»Bernard Shaw, the famous playwright, enjoyed popularity all over the world. His plays were staged not only in Great Britain, but in many other countries too. They have been translated into many languages and in the Soviet Union Shaw’s plays are staged in many cities and towns.
Henry Hudson»
About three hundred years ago a brave sailor lived in Great Britain. His name was Henry Hudson. He was not afraid of anything. Many times he sailed in a small ship far off the coast of England. He dreamt of crossing the Arctic Ocean. Three times he tried to do so and each time he [...]
A lover of music»
A very young girl who was fond of playing the piano found out that among the guests who were invited to dinner would be a young critic whose name was Bernard Shaw. She had never met him before. At that time B.Shaw was not a famous writer yet. She learnt that he liked music and [...]
They followed his advice»
The name of George Bernard Shaw, the famous English playwright, is very popular both in Great Britain and in many other countries. His plays are often staged in various countries. The Soviet theatergoers know B.Shaw very well. His plays are always a great success.
