How did Great Britain have so much power and influence considering how small it is? How did they manage to colonise the entirety of India so easily?
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I love this question because the high school historians always come in with “Island = navy! Navy = power!” If that were true, why wasn’t Japan a colossal naval power in the East before 1890? And put away any notion that England didn’t become involved in continental conflicts. England invaded France, continually, for half a millennium.
Also remember that Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands were all huge naval powers before England became one. What did England have that those countries lacked? The answer is durable, stable institutions. These started with the Magna Carta and got stronger as time went on.
England was able to maintain its naval power for longer than its rivals because Parliamentary representation granted the country increasing stability. Over time power drifted away from the monarch and towards the electorate. If you look at England’s rival monarchies, they frequently reversed course and drastically changed policies. England did this less often, which resulted in the government wasting less money on crazy projects. England’s stable government institutions also created the perfect business climate for the Industrial Revolution. Industry was the real secret behind England’s globe spanning empire. They were just richer than everyone else, and that wealth didn’t all belong to a series of fickle kings.
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