Empire - is this a form of state? The greatest empires of the world

The word "empire" has been widely heard recently, it has even become fashionable. On it lies the reflection of former grandeur and luxury. What is an empire?

Is it promising?

Dictionaries and encyclopedias offer basicthe meaning of the word "empire" (from the Latin word "imperium" is power), whose meaning, if not to go into boring details and not resort to dry scientific vocabulary, boils down to the following. First, the empire is a monarchy headed by an emperor or empress (the Roman Empire, the Russian Empire). However, in order for the state to become an empire, its ruler does not just need to be called an emperor. The existence of the empire presupposes the presence of sufficiently extensive controlled territories and peoples, strong centralized power (authoritarian or totalitarian). And if tomorrow Prince Hans-Adam II calls himself emperor, this will not change the essence of the state system of Liechtenstein (whose population is less than forty thousand people), and it can not be said that this small principality is an empire (as a form of state).

Not less important

Secondly, empires are often referred to as countries,which have impressive colonial possessions. In this case, the presence of the emperor is not necessary. For example, English kings were never called emperors, but almost five centuries led 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 end?

The Roman Empire (27 BC - 476)

Formally the first emperor in historycivilization is considered Guy Julius Caesar (100-44 BC), who before that was consul, and then declared a life-long dictator. Realizing the need for serious reforms, Caesar passed laws that changed the political system of Ancient Rome. The role of the National Assembly was lost, Caesar's supporters were reinforced by the Senate, who gave Caesar the title of emperor with the right to transfer to his descendants. Caesar began to mint gold coins with his own image. His striving for unlimited power led to the conspiracy of senators (44 BC), organized by Marc Brutus and Guy Cassius. In fact, the first emperor was Caesar's nephew - Octavianus Augustus (63 BC - 14 AD). The title of emperor in those days denoted the supreme commander, who scored significant victories. Formally, the Roman Republic still existed, and Augustus was called the princeps ("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, Emperor Diocletian (245 - 313 gg.) Initiated reforms that finally turned the former Roman Republic into an empire. Since then, the emperor has come to be called the dominus - master. In 395 the state was divided into two parts - the Eastern (the capital - Constantinople) and the Western (the capital - Rome) - each of which was headed by its own emperor. This was the will of 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 incursions of the barbarians, and in 476 the once powerful state would finally be defeated by the commander-barbarian Odoakr (about 431-496), who would rule only Italy, and renounced the title of emperor, and from others possessions of the Roman Empire. After the fall of Rome, the great empires will arise one after another.

Byzantine Empire (IV - XV centuries).

The Byzantine Empire dates back toEastern Roman Empire. When Odoacre overthrew the last Roman emperor, he took from him the dignity of power and sent them to Constantinople. There is only one Sun on earth, and the emperor must also be one - about this value was attached to this act. The Byzantine Empire was located at the junction 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 Fathers of the Church claimed that faith not only saved man, but society as well. Therefore, Byzantium is under the protection of the Lord and is obliged to lead other nations to salvation. Secular and spiritual power must be united in the name of a single goal. The Byzantine Empire is a state in which the idea of ​​imperial power has taken on the most mature form. God is the master of the whole Creation, and the emperor dominates in the kingdom of the earth. Therefore, the power of the emperor is preserved by God and is sacred. The Byzantine emperor had practically unlimited power, he defined domestic and foreign policy, was the commander-in-chief of the army, the supreme judge and at the same time a legislator. The emperor of Byzantium is not only the head of state, but also the head of the Church, so he was to be an example of exemplary Christian piety. It is curious that the power of the emperor here was not hereditary from a legal point of view. The history of Byzantium knows examples when its emperor became a man not because of a crowned birth, but by the results of his real merit.

The Ottoman (Ottoman) Empire (1299 - 1922)

Historians usually count the1299, when the Ottoman state arose in the north-west of Anatolia, founded by its first sultan Osman, the founder of the new dynasty. Soon Osman will conquer the whole west of Asia Minor, which will become a powerful platform for the further expansion of the Turkic tribes. We can say that the Ottoman Empire is the Turkey of the Sultan period. But strictly speaking the empire was formed only in the 15th-16th centuries, when the Turkish conquests in Europe, Asia and Africa became very significant. Its flowering coincided with the collapse of the Byzantine Empire. This, of course, is not accidental: if it has diminished somewhere, then in another place it will certainly increase, as the law of conservation of energy and power on the Eurasian continent says. In the spring of 1453, as a result of a prolonged siege and bloody battles, the Ottoman Turks 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 to come. The capital of the Ottoman Empire will be Constantinople (Istanbul). The Ottoman Empire will reach its peak of influence and prosperity in the 16th century - during the reign of Suleiman I the Magnificent. By the beginning of the 17th century, the Ottoman state would become one of the most powerful in the world. The Empire controlled virtually the whole of South-Eastern Europe, North Africa and West Asia, it consisted of 32 provinces and many 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 fail, in 1922 the Sultanate will be abolished, and in 1923 Turkey will become a republic.

The British Empire (1497 - 1949)

The British Empire is the largest colonialstate in the whole history of civilization. In the 30-ies of the twentieth century, the territory of the United Kingdom was almost a quarter of the earth's land, and its population - the fourth part of people living on the planet (it is no accident that English became the most authoritative language in the world). The European conquests of England began with the invasion of Ireland, and the intercontinental conquest by the seizure of Newfoundland (1583), which became a springboard for expansion in North America. The success of British colonization was promoted by the successful imperialist war that England was waging with Spain, France, and Holland. At the very beginning of the XVII century, the penetration of Britain into India will begin, later England will take up Australia and New Zealand, North, Tropical and South Africa.

Britain and the colonies

After the First World War, the League of Nations will awardThe United Kingdom has a mandate to manage some 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 issue. Britain, although it was among the winners, was forced to take a huge loan from the US to avoid bankruptcy. The USSR and the US - the largest players in the political arena - were opposed to colonization. And in the colonies, meanwhile, liberation sentiments have 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 dominate over 14 territories.

The Russian Empire (1721 - 1917)

After the end of the Northern War, whenThe Moscow state secured new lands and access to the Baltic, and Tsar Peter I took the title of Emperor of All Russia at the request of the Senate, the supreme body of state power established ten years earlier. In its area, the Russian Empire became the third (after the British and Mongolian empires) of ever existing state formations. Before the appearance of the State Duma in 1905, the power of the Russian emperor was not limited to anything, except for Orthodox norms. Peter I, who strengthened the vertical 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 had increased to 78. Russia was an empire composed of a number of modern sovereign states (Finland, Belarus, Ukraine, the Baltic countries, the Caucasus and the Middle Asia). As a result of the February Revolution of 1917, the rule of the dynasty of the Russian emperors of the Romanovs ceased, and in September of the same year Russia was proclaimed a republic.

Centrifugal tendencies to all fault

As you can see, all the great empires collapsed. The centripetal forces that create them sooner or later are replaced by centrifugal tendencies, leading these states, if not to complete collapse, then to disintegration.