The military history of the United Kingdom covers the period from the creation of the united Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707, with the political union of England and Scotland, to the present day.
From the 18th century, with the expansion of the British Empire and the country's industrial strength, Britain's military force became one of the largest and most powerful in the world, particularly its navy, with advanced technology and bases across the world. It declined during the 20th century in the wake of two world wars, decolonisation and the rise of the United States and the USSR as the new superpowers. Britain has been involved in a great many armed conflicts since the union in 1707, the majority alongside allies, on all continents except for Antarctica. Today it still remains a major power with frequent military interventions across the globe since the end of the Cold War in 1990. During its history British forces or forces with a British mandate have invaded at some point of time all but 22 of world's countries, or nine out of ten of all countries.
The British Armed Forces encompass the Royal Navy, the British Army, and the Royal Air Force.
Read more about Military History Of The United Kingdom: 18th Century, 19th Century, 20th Century, 21st Century, List of Civil Wars, Further Reading
Famous quotes containing the words military, history, united and/or kingdom:
“In all sincerity, we offer to the loved ones of all innocent victims over the past 25 years, abject and true remorse. No words of ours will compensate for the intolerable suffering they have undergone during the conflict.”
—Combined Loyalist Military Command. New York Times, p. A12 (October 14, l994)
“It is my conviction that women are the natural orators of the race.”
—Eliza Archard Connor, U.S. suffragist. As quoted in History of Woman Suffrage, vol. 4, ch. 9, by Susan B. Anthony and Ida Husted Harper (1902)
“Fortunately, the time has long passed when people liked to regard the United States as some kind of melting pot, taking men and women from every part of the world and converting them into standardized, homogenized Americans. We are, I think, much more mature and wise today. Just as we welcome a world of diversity, so we glory in an America of diversity—an America all the richer for the many different and distinctive strands of which it is woven.”
—Hubert H. Humphrey (1911–1978)
“My kingdom for a nightman!”
—Samuel Beckett (1906–1989)