Why did we give Hong Kong and America back? How did we lose so much power?

Why did we give Hong Kong and America back? How did we lose so much power?

Serious question?

We didn't give America back, the 'Americans' revolted and were heavily aided by the French (for obvious reasons), there were several large battles/conflicts which concluded in the British being trapped in the Yorktown and surrendering, due to world wide commitments the British government decided that it was a war that could not be won and the Treaty of Paris was drawn up which effectively started the ball rolling into American independence.

As for Hong Kong, it came off the back of the Opium Wars between Britain and China. As parts of Britain's defeat of China in the second opium war there was an agreement to 'lease' Hong Kong for 100 years (99 to be exact). the lease ran out in 1997 and Hong Kong rejoined China although I believe they retained self control for about 50 years?

As for losing power, we gained our 'power' by being at the cutting edge of technology for those times and being culturally advanced. We were and are a small country so it was only a matter of time before the World became too big for us, and it has.

Serious question?

We didn't give America back, the 'Americans' revolted and were heavily aided by the French (for obvious reasons), there were several large battles/conflicts which concluded in the British being trapped in the Yorktown and surrendering, due to world wide commitments the British government decided that it was a war that could not be won and the Treaty of Paris was drawn up which effectively started the ball rolling into American independence.

As for Hong Kong, it came off the back of the Opium Wars between Britain and China. As parts of Britain's defeat of China in the second opium war there was an agreement to 'lease' Hong Kong for 100 years (99 to be exact). the lease ran out in 1997 and Hong Kong rejoined China although I believe they retained self control for about 50 years?

As for losing power, we gained our 'power' by being at the cutting edge of technology for those times and being culturally advanced. We were and are a small country so it was only a matter of time before the World became too big for us, and it has.


I refuse to believe we were beaten. May have thought **** this not worth it but we were never beaten.

So big balls how do we get our land BACK?

economically the UK was very strong until the end of 2nd world war the pound was what the dollar is today and the worlds economy was based around the pound, we also tightly controlled trade in the empire meaning we had advantages over America and others. Are huge navy also help to maintain control over the empire. All of this was destroyed after the war are economy was ruined we were forced to open up trade to other country's within the empire and the pound was destroyed in the 1948 crisis and was no longer the main currency of the world. We could no longer afford to maintain the navy, and are image as an unbeatable power was tarnished after the war and country's were much more willing to rise up against us.
If the 2nd world war had not happened we may well still be a superpower.

So what are we now? This is ****ing degrading. We're like a Mike Tyson comeback, once great but now fat and finished.

This is why we need the Tories back in power. These ****ing labour numbnuts are the reason this country is the way it is.

I think Cameron is a bit of a twat but not as much as Brown.

you guys didn't give back ****, we beat your ***** asses all the way back across the pond son. you oppressive bastards have always throughout history tried to take **** that don't belong to you. but just as in boxing now, you guys are inferior as a country

ffs stop living in the past we need to stop thinking of what we once had a look to become stronger in the future.

you guys didn't give back ****, we beat your ***** asses all the way back across the pond son. you oppressive bastards have always throughout history tried to take **** that don't belong to you. but just as in boxing now, you guys are inferior as a country

**** OFF arsehole.

Not here to hate on the old British regime. But damn, the way the old Brits carved up the Middle East and lumped competing tribes in the same border is just now coming back to haunt everyone.

Britain became like a council estate scrounging mother.
When the brood got too big she lost control.

Britain is only a small country, how can small country hold onto a quarter of the worlds land mass and a 3rd of it's population indefinitely? It's impossible. And the world wars really took it out of us, especially WW2, we were struggling financially before it and weren't ready for a war. Afterwards we were in massive debt to the Americans and just didn't have the power to keep these countries happy, they wanted independence and we couldn't stop it.

On America, strictly speaking we didn't give it away, but we didn't exactly fight tooth and nail to keep it either. America just wasn't a priority at that time, perhaps it should have been though, hindsight is a wonderful thing. If the British Empire had fully committed to that war i think there is no way the French and Americans would have won.

you guys didn't give back ****, we beat your ***** asses all the way back across the pond son. you oppressive bastards have always throughout history tried to take **** that don't belong to you.

Hilarious coming from a Yank. :lol1: :lol1: :lol1:

I refuse to believe we were beaten. May have thought **** this not worth it but we were never beaten.

So big balls how do we get our land BACK?

I knew it would get out eventually.

As for the question, **** knows and to be honest we have enough trouble managing our own country as it is.