1682 is the start of Peter the Great’s reign, but he didn’t proclaim the empire until 1721 and he inherited the tsardom before it from family that had ruled it since 1613. Nothing special happened upon Peter’s accession itself. 1916 is one year early for the end of Russia as it collapsed in to civil war during the First World War, but one year isn’t much. Russia should be either 303 or 196 years depending on how you count it.
British Empire
Not sure why he picked 1700 as the start date when there’s the obvious 1707 as the actual creation of the kingdom of Great Britain. 1950 seems a fair date for the end of Britain as a leading world superpower though
All in all I don’t understand how this ever got popular when something as simple as the dates he gives for his foundational examples are so questionable. Never mind that he only uses examples from Europe and western Asia either. China and India, famously places with no large empires ever of course. How about Aksum, undisputed top dog of eastern Africa for 800 years?
Amazing write-up, thank you! I learned a lot from this.
And indeed, it seems like he started out with the number 250 and the British Empire in mind, and took it from there. Maybe an attempt for the Brits to feel better about themselves after the end of Empire.
Romanov Russia
1682 is the start of Peter the Great’s reign, but he didn’t proclaim the empire until 1721 and he inherited the tsardom before it from family that had ruled it since 1613. Nothing special happened upon Peter’s accession itself. 1916 is one year early for the end of Russia as it collapsed in to civil war during the First World War, but one year isn’t much. Russia should be either 303 or 196 years depending on how you count it.
British Empire
Not sure why he picked 1700 as the start date when there’s the obvious 1707 as the actual creation of the kingdom of Great Britain. 1950 seems a fair date for the end of Britain as a leading world superpower though
All in all I don’t understand how this ever got popular when something as simple as the dates he gives for his foundational examples are so questionable. Never mind that he only uses examples from Europe and western Asia either. China and India, famously places with no large empires ever of course. How about Aksum, undisputed top dog of eastern Africa for 800 years?
Amazing write-up, thank you! I learned a lot from this.
And indeed, it seems like he started out with the number 250 and the British Empire in mind, and took it from there. Maybe an attempt for the Brits to feel better about themselves after the end of Empire.