The outstanding events in the life of Great Britain - Выдающиеся события из жизни Великобритании There were many outstanding events in the history of Great Britain. England was added to the Roman Empire (1) in 43 AD. After the withdrawal (2) of Roman legions in 410, waves of Jutes, Angles, and Saxons arrived from German lands. They 'contended with Denmark raiders (3) for control from the 8th through 11th centuries. The last successful invasion (4) was by French speaking Normans in 1066, who united the country with their dominions in France. Opposition by nobles (5) to royal authority (6) forced King John to sign the Magna Carta in 1215, a guarantee of rights and the rule of law. In the ensuing decades (7), the foundations of the parliamentary system were laid. English dynastic claims (8) to large parts of France led to the Hundred Years War, 1338-1453, and the defeat of England. A long civil war, the War of the Roses, lasted 1455- 1485, and ended with the establishment of the powerful Tudor monarchy. A distinct English civilisation flourished. Under Queen Elizabeth I, England became a major naval power (9), leading to the founding of colonies in the new world and the expansion of trade (10) with Europe and the Orient. Scotland was united with England when James VI of Scotland was crowned (11) James I of England in 1603. A struggle between Parliament and the Stuart kings led to a bloody civil war (12), 1642-1649, and the establishment of a republic under the Puritan Oliver Cromwell. The monarchy was restored (13) in 1660, but the Glorious Revolution of 1688 confirmed the sovereignty of Parliament: a Bill of Rights was granted in 1689. In the 18th century, parliamentary rule was strengthened. Technological and commercial innovation (14) led to the Industrial Revolution. The thirteen North American colonies were lost, but replaced by growing empires in Canada and India. Great Britain went to war with France in 1793. Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson won a great victory over the French fleet at Trafalgar, off the southern coast of Spain in 1805. But after 11 months of peace, Napoleon started the war again. An allied army (15) led by Duke of Wellington defeated Napoleon at Waterloo. Britain's role in the defeat of Napoleon, 1815, strengthened its position as the leading world power. Then came the Era of Reforms. In 1831 there was introduced a Reform Bill which gave the vote to the middle classes and representation to factory towns. The British Empire reached its greatest power during the reign of Queen Victoria which brought prosperity and an expanding empire in Asia and Africa. Though victorious in World War I, Britain suffered huge casualties (16) and economic dislocation. Ireland became independent in 1921, and independence movements became active in India and other colonies. The country suffered major bombing damage in World War II, but held out against Germany single handedly (17) for a year after the fall (18) of France in 1940. Great Britain lost more than 900,000 men in World War I, and about 2,100,000 were wounded (19). From September, 1940, to May, 1941 fascist Germany attacked and damaged British cities in the Battle of Britain. In World War II Great Britain lost about 360,000 men and some 145,000 civilians (20) died on the home front. Industrial growth continued in the postwar period, but Britain lost its leadership position to other powers. Questions

1. Who were the first and the last invaders of England?

2. What do you know about the Hundred Years' War with France?

3. Why do we call the period of the reign of Queen Elizabeth I - 'the golden age' of English history?

4. When did England become the Commonwealth?

5. What was the role of Admiral Lord Nelson in the war with France?

6. What are the great documents of British freedom?

VladislavBuryy    2   15.06.2020 15:33    39