Pax Britannica, or the British Peace, describes the roughly century-long period from the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815 to the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, during which the United Kingdom's naval supremacy and vast colonial empire allowed it to act as the dominant arbiter of international order, particularly through control of global sea lanes and trade. Britain used this dominance to spread free trade policies, suppress the Atlantic slave trade through Royal Navy patrols, and expand its formal empire and informal economic influence across Asia, Africa and the Americas, a period that also encompassed the Scramble for Africa and Britain's deepening rule over India following the 1857 rebellion. Historians distinguish Pax Britannica, describing Britain's own dominant role in the international system, from the Age of New Imperialism, describing the broader multi-power scramble for colonies in the same era, though the two overlap closely in time and are closely intertwined.
Facts
Geographic ScopeGlobal reach anchored in control of key maritime trade routes and access to regions in Asia, South America, Oceania and Africa 1 Connections
Associated With
Victoria reigned through most of the Pax Britannica
In Era
Placed in its broad period by the atlas SubLabel and dated range
In the Other Atlases
Found In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Sources
1. Pax Britannica - Wikipedia
History section, opening sentence
From the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815 until the First World War in 1914, Britain was the global hegemon.
History section, concluding sentence
The start of the First World War in 1914 marked the end of the Pax Britannica.
History section, description of British global reach
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 in Asia, South America, Oceania, and Africa.
In Group: Eras Beginning from 1765 to 1815 CE, Article text
Between 1815 and 1914, a period sometimes referred to as Britain's "imperial century", around 26,000,000 square kilometres (10,000,000 sq mi) of territory and roughly 400 million people were added to the British Empire.
View the SourceFrequently Asked Questions
When did the Pax Britannica begin and end?
It ran from 1815 to 1914.
Sources date the Pax Britannica from the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815 to the start of the First World War in 1914. Throughout that span Britain was the global hegemon, and the outbreak of war in 1914 marked the end of the period.
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