Social Sciences in China (Chinese Edition)

No.9, 2013

The Historical Logic of the Rise of Britain in Earlier Modern Times

(Abstract)

Ji Qiufeng

Although Britain has always been an important country in Europe, it was not until the beginning of the Glorious Revolution in 1688 that it began to rise in the real sense and became a formidable world power in 1763, when the seven-year war ended. The causes for the rise of Britain are: the constitutional monarchy ensured the maximal reflection of the general interests of the state by national decision-making procedures, fueling the potential of Britain; the well-functioning public credit system enabled the British government to accumulate a huge amount of fund that was necessary for external expansion; the growing navy and its “Blue-Water” policy provided Britain with a powerful tool of safeguarding national security and overseas explorations; and the dual strategy oriented both to the European continent and overseas trade and colonies ensured Britain to explore overseas strategic space while maintaining European continental parity.