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Pax Britannica

For other uses, see Pax Britannica (disambiguation).

An elaborate map of the British Empire in 1886, marked in pink, the traditional colour for imperial British dominions on maps

Pax Britannica (Latin for "British Peace", modelled after Pax Romana) refers to the relative peace between the great powers in the time period roughly bounded by the Napoleonic Wars and World War I. During this time, the British Empire became the global hegemonic power, developed additional informal empire, and adopted the role of a "global policeman".[1][2]

Between 1815 and 1914, a period referred to as Britain's "imperial century",[3][4] around 26,000,000 square kilometres (10,000,000 sq mi) of territory and roughly 400 million people were added to the British Empire.[5] Victory over Napoleonic France left the British without any serious international rival, other than perhaps Russia in Central Asia.[6] When Russia tried expanding its influence in the Balkans, the British and French defeated them in the Crimean War (1853–1856), thereby protecting the weak Ottoman Empire.

Britain's Royal Navy controlled most of the key maritime trade routes and enjoyed unchallenged sea power. Alongside the formal control exerted over its own colonies, Britain's dominant position in world trade meant that it effectively controlled access to many regions, such as Asia, North America, Oceania, and Africa. British merchants, shippers and bankers had such an overwhelming advantage over those of other empires that in addition to its colonies Britain had an informal empire.[7][8][9]

  1. ^ Johnston, pp. 508–10.
  2. ^ Porter, p. 332.
  3. ^ Hyam, p. 1.
  4. ^ Smith, p. 71.
  5. ^ Parsons, p. 3.
  6. ^ Porter, p. 401.
  7. ^ Porter, p. 8.
  8. ^ Marshall, pp. 156–57.
  9. ^ Cameron, pp. 45–47.

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