The word "empire" has been widely heard lately; it has even become fashionable. It is a reflection of former greatness and luxury. What is an empire?
Is it promising?
Dictionaries and encyclopedias offer basicthe meaning of the word "empire" (from the Latin word "imperium" - power), the meaning of which, if you do not go into boring details and do not resort to dry scientific vocabulary, is as follows. First, an empire is a monarchy headed by an emperor or empress (Roman Empire, Russian Empire). However, in order for a state to become an empire, it is not enough for its ruler to simply call himself an emperor. The existence of an empire presupposes the existence of fairly large controlled territories and peoples, a strong centralized power (authoritarian or totalitarian). And if tomorrow Prince Hans-Adam II calls himself an emperor, this will not change the essence of the state system of Liechtenstein (whose population is less than forty thousand people), and one cannot say that this small principality is an empire (as a form of state).
Not less important
Secondly, countries are often called empires;which is an impressive colonial possession. In this case, the presence of the emperor is not necessary. For example, the English kings were never called emperors, but for almost five centuries they headed the British Empire, which included not only Great Britain, but also a large number of colonies and dominions. The great empires of the world have forever imprinted their names on the tablets of history, but how did they finish?
Roman Empire (27 BC - 476)
Formally the first emperor in historycivilization is considered to be Gaius Julius Caesar (100 - 44 BC. e.), who was before the consul, and then declared a life dictator. Realizing the need for serious reforms, Caesar made laws that changed the political structure of ancient Rome. The role of the National Assembly was lost, the Senate was replenished by supporters of Caesar, who granted Caesar the title of emperor with the right to transfer it to his descendants. Caesar began minting gold coins with his own image. His desire for unlimited power led to a conspiracy of senators (44 BC), organized by Mark Brut and Guy Cassius. In fact, Caesar's nephew Octavian Augustus (63 BC - 14 AD) became the first emperor. The title of emperor in those times designated the supreme commander who won significant victories. Formally, the Roman Republic still existed, and Augustus himself was called a princeps (“the first among equals”), but it was under Octavian that the republic acquired the features of a monarchy, similar to the eastern despotic states. In 284, the emperor Diocletian (245-313) initiated reforms that finally turned the former Roman republic into an empire. From that time on, the emperor began to be called the Dominus - Lord. In 395, the state was divided into two parts - Eastern (capital - Constantinople) and Western (capital - Rome) - each of which was headed by its own emperor. Such was the will of the emperor Theodosius, who on the eve of his death divided the state between his sons. In the last period of its existence, the Western empire was subjected to constant invasions of barbarians, and in 476 the once powerful state would finally be defeated by the commander-barbarian Odoacer (about 431 - 496), who would rule only Italy, abandoning both the title of emperor and other possessions of the Roman Empire. After the fall of Rome, great empires will arise one after another.
Byzantine Empire (IV - XV centuries.)
The Byzantine Empire originates fromEastern Roman Empire. When Odoacer overthrew the last Roman emperor, he took from him the merits of power and sent them to Constantinople. There is only one Sun on the earth, and the emperor must also have one — something like this was attached to this act. The Byzantine Empire is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and Africa, its borders stretched from the Euphrates to the Danube. A major role in the consolidation of Byzantium was played by Christianity, which in 381 became the state religion of the entire Roman Empire. The Church Fathers argued that thanks to faith, not only man is saved, but society itself. Consequently, Byzantium is under the protection of the Lord and is obliged to lead other nations to salvation. Secular and spiritual power should be united in the name of a single goal. The Byzantine Empire is the state in which the idea of imperial power took on the most mature form. God is the lord of the entire Universe, and the emperor predominates in the kingdom of the Earth. Therefore, the power of the emperor is kept by God and is sacred. The Byzantine emperor had almost unlimited power, he determined domestic and foreign policy, was the commander-in-chief of the army, the highest judge and at the same time the legislator. The emperor of Byzantium is not only the head of state, but also the head of the Church, therefore he had to set an example of exemplary Christian piety. It is curious that the power of the emperor here was not legally hereditary. The history of Byzantium knows examples when a person became its emperor not because of a crowned birth, but as a result of his real merit.
Ottoman (Ottoman) Empire (1299 - 1922)
Usually historians count its existence from1299, when the Ottoman State emerged in the northwest of Anatolia, founded by its first Sultan Osman, the founder of the new dynasty. Soon Osman will conquer the entire west of Asia Minor, which will become a powerful platform for the further expansion of the Turkic tribes. It can be said that the Ottoman Empire is the Turkey of the Sultan period. But strictly speaking, the empire here was formed only in the XV - XVI centuries, when the Turkish conquests in Europe, Asia and Africa became very significant. Its heyday coincided with the collapse of the Byzantine Empire. This, of course, is not accidental: if somewhere diminished, then in another place it will certainly increase, as the law of conservation of energy and power on the Eurasian continent reads. In the spring of 1453, as a result of a long siege and bloody battles, Ottoman Turkish forces under the leadership of Sultan Mehmed II occupied the capital of Byzantium Constantinople. This victory will lead to the fact that the Turks will secure a dominant position in the eastern Mediterranean for many years. The capital of the Ottoman Empire will be Constantinople (Istanbul). The Ottoman Empire would reach the highest point of its influence and prosperity in the 16th century, during the reign of Suleiman I the Magnificent. By the beginning of the XVII century, the Ottoman state would become one of the most powerful in the world. The empire controlled virtually all of Southeast Europe, North Africa and West Asia, it consisted of 32 provinces and a multitude of subordinate states. The collapse of the Ottoman Empire will occur as a result of the First World War. As allies of Germany, the Turks will be defeated, in 1922 the Sultanate will be abolished, and in 1923 Turkey will become a republic.
British Empire (1497 - 1949)
The British Empire is the largest colonialstate in the whole history of civilization. In the 30s of the twentieth century, the territory of the United Kingdom was almost a quarter of the earth sushi, and its population - a quarter of the people living on the planet (it was not by chance that English became the most authoritative language in the world). The European conquest of England began the invasion of Ireland, and the intercontinental - the capture of Newfoundland (1583), which became a springboard for expansion in North America. The success of the British colonization contributed to the successful imperialist war, which England waged with Spain, France, Holland. At the very beginning of the XVII century, the penetration of Britain into India would begin, and later England would take on Australia and New Zealand, North, Tropical and South Africa.
Britain and the colony
After World War I, the League of Nations will awardThe United Kingdom has a mandate to manage some of the former colonies of the Ottoman and German empires (including Iran and Palestine). However, the results of the Second World War significantly shifted the emphasis in the colonial question. Britain, although it was among the winners, was forced to take a huge loan from the United States to avoid bankruptcy. The USSR and the USA - the major players in the political arena - were opposed to colonization. Meanwhile, in the colonies, liberation moods intensified. In this situation, it was too difficult and expensive to maintain its colonial domination. Unlike Portugal and France, England did not do this and transferred power to local governments. To date, the UK continues to maintain domination over 14 territories.
Russian Empire (1721 - 1917)
After the end of the Northern War, whenThe Moscow state secured new lands and access to the Baltic, Tsar Peter I took the title of Emperor of All-Russia at the request of the Senate, the highest state authority established ten years earlier. In terms of its area, the Russian Empire became the third (after the British and Mongolian empires) of state structures that had ever existed. Before the appearance of the State Duma in 1905, the power of the Russian emperor was not limited by anything except for Orthodox standards. Peter I, who strengthened the vertical of power in the country, divided Russia into eight provinces. At the time of Catherine II, there were 50 of them, and by 1917, as a result of territorial expansion, their number increased to 78. Russia is an empire that included a number of modern sovereign states (Finland, Belarus, Ukraine, the Baltic States, Transcaucasia and Central Asia). As a result of the February Revolution of 1917, the dynasty of the Russian emperors of the Romanovs ceased, and in September of the same year Russia was proclaimed a republic.
Centrifugal trends around the fault
Как видим, все великие империи рухнули.Centrifugal tendencies that lead to these states, if not to complete collapse, then to decay, sooner or later come to replace the centripetal forces creating them.
