Why did the UK build a large colonial empire? Is it because they

We discovered how OP we were in maritime war and trade, everything else followed on from there.

I would do the same if I would live on isles of neverending rain

Because they were a bit rich and had a fleet and army they thought they could conquer the world. Now the world is conquering them.

>>71453629
For several reasons
UK has no ressource.
To export its culture.
To rule trade.
To set up a mercantilist system.

Probably at first for money, but they realized how cool it was and how good they were at it so they doubled down because who wouldn't want to have a global empire?

What about the dutch? Weren't they in the trade business together? Was UK technology that far ahead compare to its continental neighbours?

>>71454098
British population was higher and Britain had no difficult borders to defend, unlike the Dutch.

>live on an island
>travel a bit around the world outside of Europe
>discover your tech and culture are vastly superior to every people you meet
>find out they also possess a bunch of shit that would sell for primo rates back in England

don't act like you wouldn't do the same as the Brits

>>71454098
It went like this.

The Americans learned from the British, the British learned from the Dutch, the Dutch learned from the French and Spaniards, the Spaniards learned from the Portuguese, the Portuguese learned from the Italians, the Italians learned from the Greeks, the Greeks learned from the Egyptians.

The British only became a power after the glorious revolution, when we took over London and moved large parts of our fleet and business there.

>>71453629
UK is the most fertile nation for growing food and pastures in Europe, so their population exploded, and since they were an island with a navy, they could export their huge population around the world

>>71453629
Why did China kill more than 100 million of their own citizens?
It wasn't real communism ofcourse for the 1000th time.

>>71454438
>Why did China kill more than 100 million of their own citizens?
>Implying it was bad.
Chinks are subhumans.

>>71454438
commie arent human, basically they are just poor peasant rioting against the rich and powerful people while pretending they are fighting for some kind of ideology.
It's a shame that the commie won.

>>71453629
Have you seen their women?

>>71453741
Bit rich coming from a country that has the EU holding them down while muslims fuck their asshole.

>>71453629
Because British food+British weather+British women= a nation of sailors.

>>71459252
Yeah I'm sure those guys couldn't wait to leave their nice warm cottages and families and basic amenities to spend months on a ship in the middle of an ocean, eating maggot-ridden bread and coping with a gang of lads pissed on rum, and a psychotic captain who whips your back to shreds for getting in his way, all so they could finally get to some wilderness and be pelted with spears and arrows and rocks by an army of savages.

They did it because they were "pressed" into the navy and told what to do by their captains, who were told what to do by their admirals, who were told what to do by the king, who wanted to expand the country's power, wealth and influence because that's what kings did back then, if they could.

>>71454098
>>71453629
It is simple. After the Napoleonic wars continental Europe was in shambles. Britain didn't fight a single skirmish in their soil so they had a huge advantage over everyone else at the end of the war