Hi everyone. So I would like to share my personal list of the 5 most powerful empires or civs thorugh history, just as a way to start kind of discussion on this matter. English is not my native language, so I ask that you forgive any mistake you see.
Be free to leave any opinions on this list or share yours. I am only a fan of History but non a hard student of it, so I understand if you think I have some common mistakes.
1. Roma (509 BC - 476 AC)
Senatus PopulusQue Romanus (S.P.Q.R)
Roma, Invicta!
Maximum Extension: 6.5 million square kilometers (117 AC)
Population: 88 million people (117 AC)
I think the first one is pretty obvious. The roman civilization conquered half of Europe, north Africa and middle east, being the most larger empire if we don't count colonies or other overseas territories. The influence they got from greek civilization gave them a way of understanding politics and laws that they spread over Europe, and that is partly the base of our political and legal systems nowadays. Their technology, their capacity to organize a huge territory from a metropoli, their armies... I think is perfectly sayable that Rome was the only empire that achieved to be the unique organised state that existed in all the old world (meaning the world they knew, not the ancient world), something not other empire could tell.
It is commonly said that this empire was so powerful thanks to its armies, but I think their nationalism, the rulers that understood life as a constant fight between powers defending interests, their use of diplomacy and law to subjugate the conquered peoples, was what makes Roma so special as civilization.
The fall of this empire came during centuries IV and V AC, due to the germans pressions in northern europe, the economical crisis and, upon all, the inability of the last emperors. I think it was the lost of the old roman ideas, from the times of Cato, what made this great civilization sick. The eastern roman empire, known today as Bizantyum, survived for another 1000 years, but already in 1453 when Constantinople falls in hands of the ottomans, there was pretty nothing of the old roman civilization left.
2. The British Empire (1707 - Nowadays)
God save the King!
Maximum Extension: 29.5 million square kilometers (1922)
Population: 458 million people
The United Kingdom was born in 1707 with the Union Act, that united the Kingdom of Great Britain with the Kingdom of Scotland. Great Britain also was dominating kingdoms of Wales and Ireland, so this union act united them in a single political entity.
The sucess of this empire was due to the extension of the British colonies through the 5 continents, thanks to one of the most powerful navies of all the times. This colonial expansion made the British appear in any part of the world you can imagine. They got colonies in North America, Egypt, South Africa, Arabian Peninsula, India, Singapur, Australia, Indonesia, the Mediterranean, New Zealand, The Caribbean... And this huge colonial empires, alongside with new economic and commercial ideas that promoted free trade instead of old mercantilism, made the British the richest power in the world for 200 years. I consider XIX century can perfectly be called the british century.
I said nowadays because, they still control some overseas territories (like Gibraltar or Malvinas), but more important because Queen Elizabeth from UK is also Queen of Australia and Canada, and I think that's enough to say that this empire kind of survived until our days.
3. The Spanish Empire (1492 - 1898)
Plus ultra
¡Santiago y cierra, España!
Maximum Extension: 31.5 million square kilometers (with Portugal 1580-1640), 19.2 million square kilometers (1790)
Population: 31 million people (with Portugal 1580-1640), 27.4 million people (1790)
Be aware that I'm spanish and I may be not objective
The discover of the Americas by Columbus in 1492 opened to Spain and Europe the door to world domination. In 50 years, Spain conquered the territories of Central and South America and the Caribbean, getting a gold income that made it the richest nation in Europe. The diplomatic labour of the Catholican Kings, marrying his daughter Juana I with Phillip von Habsburg, granting an alliance with the Austrian kings, and the union between Spain in Portugal gave Spain in 1580 the hugest empire never seen before, controlling Iberia, half of Italy, the Netherlands and Belgium, the Americas, most part of southern Africa coast, Phillipines and some cities in India. During this period Spain was capital of the world, in what was named as a golden century for art.
The military power of this empire was, in one word, fascinating. Based on new military tactics introduced by the Great Captain, Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba, in italian wars, the spanish army was organised in tercios, a formation of pikes and arquebusiers that for 100 years knew no defeat. Always in numeric inferiority, the Spanish Tercios fought and win all the European powers of the time (France, England, Germany duchies, Sweeden, the Ottoman Empire, Portugal, the Dutchs...). Known for their discipline, bravery and sense of honour, the Spanish Tercios were the first professional army in Europe since Roman times. Their most brave victory was in my opinion the battle of Pavía, were 6000 spanish men could resist the siege of 30000 french until 20000 spanish reinforcement arrived, defeating the french army, capturing the France king and some of the most important nobles, humiliating their rival and ending the war. Seriously, I think only Roma can compare to us in military terms.
The fall of this Empire came because of the exhaustion after continous wars, that can no more be paid with gold from the Americas. Westfalia's peace was the beginning of the fall, that ended in 1898 with the Hispano-American war, where we lost the last territories of the first empire were sun never set.
It's a bit late, so I will update this with positions 4 and 5 tomorrow. Let me know what you think
Be free to leave any opinions on this list or share yours. I am only a fan of History but non a hard student of it, so I understand if you think I have some common mistakes.
1. Roma (509 BC - 476 AC)
Senatus PopulusQue Romanus (S.P.Q.R)
Roma, Invicta!
Maximum Extension: 6.5 million square kilometers (117 AC)
Population: 88 million people (117 AC)
I think the first one is pretty obvious. The roman civilization conquered half of Europe, north Africa and middle east, being the most larger empire if we don't count colonies or other overseas territories. The influence they got from greek civilization gave them a way of understanding politics and laws that they spread over Europe, and that is partly the base of our political and legal systems nowadays. Their technology, their capacity to organize a huge territory from a metropoli, their armies... I think is perfectly sayable that Rome was the only empire that achieved to be the unique organised state that existed in all the old world (meaning the world they knew, not the ancient world), something not other empire could tell.
It is commonly said that this empire was so powerful thanks to its armies, but I think their nationalism, the rulers that understood life as a constant fight between powers defending interests, their use of diplomacy and law to subjugate the conquered peoples, was what makes Roma so special as civilization.
The fall of this empire came during centuries IV and V AC, due to the germans pressions in northern europe, the economical crisis and, upon all, the inability of the last emperors. I think it was the lost of the old roman ideas, from the times of Cato, what made this great civilization sick. The eastern roman empire, known today as Bizantyum, survived for another 1000 years, but already in 1453 when Constantinople falls in hands of the ottomans, there was pretty nothing of the old roman civilization left.
2. The British Empire (1707 - Nowadays)
God save the King!
Maximum Extension: 29.5 million square kilometers (1922)
Population: 458 million people
The United Kingdom was born in 1707 with the Union Act, that united the Kingdom of Great Britain with the Kingdom of Scotland. Great Britain also was dominating kingdoms of Wales and Ireland, so this union act united them in a single political entity.
The sucess of this empire was due to the extension of the British colonies through the 5 continents, thanks to one of the most powerful navies of all the times. This colonial expansion made the British appear in any part of the world you can imagine. They got colonies in North America, Egypt, South Africa, Arabian Peninsula, India, Singapur, Australia, Indonesia, the Mediterranean, New Zealand, The Caribbean... And this huge colonial empires, alongside with new economic and commercial ideas that promoted free trade instead of old mercantilism, made the British the richest power in the world for 200 years. I consider XIX century can perfectly be called the british century.
I said nowadays because, they still control some overseas territories (like Gibraltar or Malvinas), but more important because Queen Elizabeth from UK is also Queen of Australia and Canada, and I think that's enough to say that this empire kind of survived until our days.
3. The Spanish Empire (1492 - 1898)
Plus ultra
¡Santiago y cierra, España!
Maximum Extension: 31.5 million square kilometers (with Portugal 1580-1640), 19.2 million square kilometers (1790)
Population: 31 million people (with Portugal 1580-1640), 27.4 million people (1790)
Be aware that I'm spanish and I may be not objective
The discover of the Americas by Columbus in 1492 opened to Spain and Europe the door to world domination. In 50 years, Spain conquered the territories of Central and South America and the Caribbean, getting a gold income that made it the richest nation in Europe. The diplomatic labour of the Catholican Kings, marrying his daughter Juana I with Phillip von Habsburg, granting an alliance with the Austrian kings, and the union between Spain in Portugal gave Spain in 1580 the hugest empire never seen before, controlling Iberia, half of Italy, the Netherlands and Belgium, the Americas, most part of southern Africa coast, Phillipines and some cities in India. During this period Spain was capital of the world, in what was named as a golden century for art.
The military power of this empire was, in one word, fascinating. Based on new military tactics introduced by the Great Captain, Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba, in italian wars, the spanish army was organised in tercios, a formation of pikes and arquebusiers that for 100 years knew no defeat. Always in numeric inferiority, the Spanish Tercios fought and win all the European powers of the time (France, England, Germany duchies, Sweeden, the Ottoman Empire, Portugal, the Dutchs...). Known for their discipline, bravery and sense of honour, the Spanish Tercios were the first professional army in Europe since Roman times. Their most brave victory was in my opinion the battle of Pavía, were 6000 spanish men could resist the siege of 30000 french until 20000 spanish reinforcement arrived, defeating the french army, capturing the France king and some of the most important nobles, humiliating their rival and ending the war. Seriously, I think only Roma can compare to us in military terms.
The fall of this Empire came because of the exhaustion after continous wars, that can no more be paid with gold from the Americas. Westfalia's peace was the beginning of the fall, that ended in 1898 with the Hispano-American war, where we lost the last territories of the first empire were sun never set.
It's a bit late, so I will update this with positions 4 and 5 tomorrow. Let me know what you think
