Half the World at least.

The other half gets Vegemite! Every one’s a winner!

The whole system of European alliances, the whole balance of power, would have been utterly different if Britain hadn't had an empire and had been just an insignificant island at the edge of the continent as at the time of the Spanish Armada.

How it would have been dfferent rather depends on whether we're assuming that the Spanish, Portuguese, French and Dutch had still had their overseas empires or hadn't had them either.

Evolving wrote:The whole system of European alliances, the whole balance of power, would have been utterly different if Britain hadn't had an empire and had been just an insignificant island at the edge of the continent as at the time of the Spanish Armada.

How it would have been dfferent rather depends on whether we're assuming that the Spanish, Portuguese, French and Dutch had still had their overseas empires or hadn't had them either.

And, what about the Spanish Inquisition, which no one expected?

Sendraks wrote:As long as one is prepared to consider "benefit" as "not remotely a net positive" then darnwelling's observations stack up.

Or 'eventually and coincidentally became a benefit after decades, or centuries of exploitation, when the subordinate nations became independent'.

Spearthrower wrote:

Sendraks wrote:As long as one is prepared to consider "benefit" as "not remotely a net positive" then darnwelling's observations stack up.

Or 'eventually and coincidentally became a benefit after decades, or centuries of exploitation, when the subordinate nations became independent'.

'but found their nations significantly depleted of resources, these having been leached away for the benefit of the empire (specifically England. More specifically rich landowners in England).'