The Origins and History of the Commonwealth
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Once the scramble began, the British had to join in. British officials negotiated treaties with chiefs to acquire rights over their land. (There was a basic misunderstanding here: the British thought the chiefs were giving them permission to do what they liked with their land; in fact the lands belonged to the people and could not be given away.) British troops raced against the French to control strategic points. Force was frequently used. African armies often fought bravely, but the superior weaponry of the British usually won the day. The Maxim-gun, which was the first mobile modern machinegun, was particularly lethal.
In 1884, there was a conference in Berlin. European governments drew lines on the map of Africa and distributed the lands amongst themselves. Often the lines were drawn straight across the map, dividing ethnic groups into two, or joining traditional enemies into one colony. Within the space of 20 years or so, the British Empire had dramatically increased in size.
The Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria
In 1897 Queen Victoria had been on the throne for 60 years. She was head of the largest empire in the history of the world. It spread over nearly a quarter of the land mass of the world, and a quarter of its population. The occasion was marked by an enormous celebration in London, an affirmation of imperialism. Fifty thousand troops took part in the procession, coming from every corner of the Empire.
However, this mood of self-congratulation did not last. As the new century dawned, it was soon clear that the Empire was beginning to crumble.
large numbers wanted to run their own affairs. From 1897 until 1945 the leaders of these countries met regularly at Imperial Conferences. After discussion about the status of these countries the word 'dominion' began to be used. In 1926 the terms of Dominion status were agreed in the Balfour Report.
These countries and Britain were described as: ' ... autonomous communities within the British Empire, equal in status, in no way subordinate one to another in any aspect of their domestic or external affairs, though united by a common allegiance to the Crown, and freely associated as members of the British Commonwealth of Nations'. In 1931 the British Parliament passed the Statute of Westminster which allowed the Dominions to become independent nations.
The twentieth century - the end of empire
There was still some expansion to come. At the end of the First World War, Britain took on the administration of some colonies which had previously been run by countries defeated in the war. For example, it took over Tanganyika (now Tanzania) which before the war had been controlled by Germany. In 1920 the Empire was at its height.
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