September 19th, 2012
Origins modern world lie in the modern era. TO XVIII - XIX centuries from medieval world there is no trace left in Europe. A new industrial era has begun, giving birth to modern democracy. Of all the countries that have achieved positive success in the process of democratization, it is Great Britain that takes precedence.
The question arises: how small Island state within a couple of centuries it became powerful empire, “workshop of the world”?
The most seemingly simple answer was given by representatives economic history(including Marxists): it was England that became the pioneer capitalist development in Europe. It was in this country that production of the capitalist type developed most (first manufacturing, then factory, industrial), then English trading companies, being more “progressive” than others, ousted all other competitors from world markets. This is how the British monopoly on the world economic space was formed XIX V. And in order to occupy a leading industrial position, Britain needed colonies around the world to supply raw materials. They became the islands of the West Indies, the territories of North America, Africa, India, etc. Some colonies were discovered by travelers, some were conquered. Anyway, back to the beginning XX V. British Empire was the largest in the world in terms of territorial space.
Back in the 19th century For centuries, British historians have asked the question: how did it happen that it was in Britain that capitalism produced its most successful results? Liberal historiography proudly answered: parliamentary monarchy and “natural freedoms” are the main recipe English success. Subsequently, researchers supplemented these theses with the remark that it was in England of the New Age that civil society in its modern sense was first formed.
Indeed, modern parliamentarism also has its origins in England. IN XIII V. (1215) the barons, opposing the heavy tax burden on the part of the royal administration, forced King John the Landless to accept the Magna Carta - a petition demanding that the king observe law, order and guarantees of personal rights of the population in the country. Of course, basically the “Charter” reflected the interests of the feudal barons (who in the Middle Ages primarily had the right to the mentioned “personal rights”), but historical meaning of this document is that the monarchy was for the first time openly limited in its absolute power. To comply with the “Charter” by the king, an estate-representative body (parliament) was created, which was designed to help the monarch govern the state. IN XIV centenary King Edward III confirmed exclusive right parliament on taxation.
In the XVI V. The Tudor dynasty, no matter how much they were accused of absolutism, ruled the state based on parliament. American researcher R. Lachman correctly named political regime of that time “horizontal absolutism”, since the monarchy in many matters relied on the nobility represented in parliament, and a grateful parliament subsidized the monarchy with money to pursue an active foreign policy (especially under Elizabeth I).
In the XVII V. the situation is changing. The Scottish Stuart dynasty, which reigned in 1603, saw the relationship between the king and parliament differently. Yakov I and especially his son Karl I challenged parliamentarians, pulling the blanket of power over themselves. Charles I first announced the collection of taxes without the consent of parliament, and then in 1629 he completely dissolved this estate-representative body. Such a self-confident policy of the monarch could not go unanswered, and in 1640 a revolution broke out. The convened “Long” Parliament began a confident attack on the rights of the monarchy, which is why a civil war began in 1642 (1642-1646, 1648).
The revolution finally completed the long process of abolishing serfdom in England ( XV V. - 1646, abolition of knightly holdings). One of the main social results revolution has become noticeably stronger political role bourgeoisie (merchants, financiers, owners of factories). From the middle XVII V. this layer of society will have a significant place in political events (primarily related to the formation of trade, industrial, and financial interests of the state in the interests of bourgeois capitalists).
After the public execution of King Charles I in 1649 (which in itself was unique experience) in the history of England a unique historical situation arose - the victorious oppositionists proclaimed a republic headed by a unicameral parliament. However, the republic was destroyed after 4 years by one of the winners - the general and prominent political figure Oliver Cromwell, who created the dictatorial regime of the Protectorate. The military was the backbone of Cromwell's power. Main legislative document regime became the first and only written constitution of England - the “Instrument of Government”. The problem of the Protectorate regime was its shaky foundation, which was only the figure of the dictator himself. Cromwell's death in 1658 also ended the dictatorship.
But the position of the parliamentary opposition democrats also turned out to be precarious. Both before the Protectorate regime and after its fall, there was no single clear program among the parliamentary opposition further development countries. When is the main political goal- weakening the power of the king and strengthening the role of parliament - was achieved, a split occurred in the parliamentary opposition: some (Presbyterians) advocated a parliamentary monarchy, others (Independents and Levellers) - for a republic.
However, the significance of the English revolution in the middle XVII V. also in the fact that for the first time in the history of the country an influential political force the lower classes (soldiers, sailors, peasants, ordinary townspeople), who previously had no political power. Their political group - the Levellers ("equalizers") - went further in their demands than other revolutionaries, proposing the introduction of universal suffrage. This would mean a complete democratization of the political structure of the state and a redistribution of socio-economic conditions, the like of which has never been seen anywhere else in the world. These, of course, were slogans XIX - XX centuries. In the middle XVII V. neither the nobility nor even the bourgeoisie were yet ready for such a turn of events, and the democratic movement of the Levellers was destroyed by the dictatorship of Cromwell. The fall of the dictatorship again raised the question of future political prospects, and English society, tired of the turbulent revolutionary 20th anniversary, supported the restoration of the Stuart monarchy, which promised stability.
Charles, who took the throne of his father II Stuart turned out to be more perspicacious than his parent. He didn't cancel social achievements revolution, continued England's foreign and trade policy in the interests of the national bourgeoisie. He also understood the fact that parliament no longer agreed to play only an advisory role in the state. Parliament claimed equal participation with the monarch in matters of government (which was substantiated by the famous philosopher of that time, John Locke, in his “Two Treatises of Government”). In 1673 the first political parties- supporters of strengthening the role of parliament in politics (Whigs, they wore green ribbons as a sign of distinction, in XIX V. transformed into the Liberal Party) and supporters of strengthening the role of the king in politics (Tories, later transformed into the Conservative Party). IN XVII - XVIII centuries The Whigs fought for the expansion of the rights and freedoms of citizens, while the Tories advised not to rush into reforms. In 1679, thanks to the Whigs, an important document was adopted “ Habeas Corpus Act ”, which prohibited judging a person without investigation and proof of guilt. Thus, from now on the likelihood of prosecution of objectionable opposition politicians by the royal administration was reduced.
Youngest son of the executed Charles I James II Stewart nevertheless encroached on the claims of parliament. He made many major decisions (such as the introduction of the Declaration of Tolerance) without consulting Parliament. The king did not hide his desire to make parliament an advisory body again. Negative factor became the fact that Yakov II did not hide his affiliation with Catholicism (although official religion country was Anglicanism), and encouraged its development in England. As a result, both the Tories and the Whigs united and invited James's son-in-law to the English throne II Dutch Protestant Prince William of Orange, who during military intervention 1688 and deposed the king.
This event was called the “Glorious Revolution” (almost no one was injured during the military intervention). Its historical significance lies in the fact that political parties imposed a “Bill of Rights” on the monarch they invited, which William signed III Orange transferred full power to parliament. Since 1689, England has been a parliamentary (constitutional) monarchy. The king now reigned, but did not rule.
XVIII - XIX centuries - a time of almost unlimited control of the country by parties. Tories and Whigs alternately come to power, but often stay there for a long time (for example, the Whig party ruled England without interruption for 46 years (1714-1760), and then for almost another 70 years (with short breaks) the Tories ruled the country (1760-1832)) . It is important to understand that although democratic changes have occurred in England, they have not affected everyone. Possessed political rights until the middle XIX V. only 5% of citizens, the government was corrupt. Since a high property qualification was established, only the richest representatives of society could enter parliament. The paradox was that with the beginning of the industrial revolution in the second half XVIII V. it was the bourgeoisie, which was increasingly ousting the landowners from parliament. It was the bourgeoisie that provoked the struggle for parliamentary reform (the second half XVIII - first quarter XIX century), which ended with the reform of 1832. Subsequently, several more reforms were carried out, and by the beginning XX V. political rights Possessed by 100% of men, regardless of income and type of activity. Later, women will achieve their political rights.
The victorious march of the bourgeoisie to parliament led to the fact that merchants and industrialists actively promoted two ideas: a). Creation legal framework for conducting business and protecting property (“the right to life, liberty and property” by John Locke); b). non-interference of the state in business affairs (as Adam Smith wrote about). Strict observance by the state (represented by the king and parliament) of the first and second points created the most favorable conditions For Industrial Revolution. Businessmen invested in the development of trade and industry without fear of pressure from the state (represented by the royal government). This allowed the British economy to become the first in the world.
However, the rapid development of the economy (and the events of the Great French Revolution end XVIII c.) put another one on the agenda important question- social. From the middle XVIII V. appears in England middle class, which, in addition to political demands, also puts forward socio-economic ones - decent wages, quality medicine and education, legal development and so on. And the development of industry gives rise to another class - workers, who until the middle XIX V. worked in the most difficult conditions. It was in England at this time that Karl Marx developed his idea of the proletarian revolution.
The situation required changes. It became clear that political democratization would not succeed, but would only worsen if only the rich elite of society had decent living conditions. The solution to this problem was the municipal reform of 1835 and labor legislation in subsequent years. Victorian era became the “Golden Age” of England also because it significantly improved social conditions life of all classes. The state delegated part of its powers to society (represented by municipalities), which led to the development of infrastructure, healthcare and education. Housing, transport, medicine, education have become accessible to ordinary resident Britain.
conclusions:
Great Britain XVIII - XIX centuries was based on:
1). Gradual democratization (from the Magna Carta of 1215 to the municipal reform of 1835)
2). The gradual withdrawal of the state from the economy;
3). The growth of legal awareness of society (the struggle for individual and property rights);
All this led to the emergence of civil society in Great Britain, where politicians responsible to their voters.
Optimistic conclusions for Russia :
The successful British experience has been studied in our country over the years. XIX - XX centuries To achieve similar success in Russia, you need to:
1). Provide sufficient legal framework necessary to protect the personal rights and property of citizens.
2). Create real mechanisms that work to protect the individual rights and property of citizens (courts and prosecutors independent of administrative pressure).
3). Increase the legal awareness of citizens. Civil society cannot appear under conditions of right-wing nihilism.
4). Eliminate administrative pressure on the country's economy as much as possible. State support only for large monopolies (as was the case in England on the eve of the mid-century revolution) XVII c.) leads to stagnation in the economy, the destruction of small and medium-sized businesses and the absolute impossibility of any innovative development.
5). Fight the paternalistic worldview Russian society. As long as the president and the government keep in their hands all the threads of control (no matter what political forces neither ended up at the helm), society will place all responsibility and hopes on the state. Successes and failures will be associated only with the Kremlin, and society will not see the need to do anything on its own. At the same time, the conditions of the capitalist economy in which Russia finds itself today are aggravating economic situation states. For example, in times of crisis, the Kremlin distributes expenses not in favor of the social sector. Business could help with this problem, but it is also highly dependent on the state.
6). Carry out municipal reform and transfer some administrative functions (and comfortable economic conditions) municipalities. This could solve the problems of the social sector, develop small and medium-sized businesses, and make society more responsible.
Pessimistic conclusions for Russia :
Any success is always based on a unique historical situation, which exists only in exact time V specific country, and is never repeated exactly anywhere else.
1). In England, from the very formation of the state, the power of the king was not absolute. Monarchical dynasties (unlike Russia), as a rule, were foreign (the French Plantagenets, the Welsh Tudors, the Scots Stuarts, the Germans Hanover), and were forced to cooperate with the British. Cases of John the Landless, Charles I, James II represented exceptions, a departure from the tradition of the union of the monarchy and the nobility. In Russia, the power of the monarch (CPSU, president) starting from XVI V. was traditionally strong.
2). Capitalism has arrived in England naturally. Serfdom was abolished for centuries by each landowner individually, and not in one day by decree of the tsar, as in Russia. Years Soviet power destroyed the beginnings of capitalism that arose in Russia in the second half XIX V. Now we're going through it again First stage. Those. It may take Russia many more decades to create a strong, competitive capitalist economy.
Detailed solution Paragraphs § 17 on history for 7th grade students, authors A. Ya. Yudovskaya, P. A. Baranov, L. M. Vanyushkina 2014
- Gdz workbook in History for 7th grade can be found
- Gdz testing and measuring materials on History for grade 7 can be found
Questions at the beginning of a paragraph
What actions of O. Cromwell contributed to the victory of the forces of parliament over the king?
Creation of a new type of army.
Questions at the end of the paragraph
Question 1. Continue writing out the terms (see task 1 to § 16).
J. Lilburn, J. Winstanley. Charles II and James II, William III of Orange.
B) Levellers, Diggers, Protectorate, Restoration, Glorious Revolution, Bill of Rights, Tories and Whigs.
Question 2. What made J. Lilburne and J. Winstanley famous during the English Revolution? Explain why they and their followers were persecuted by Cromwell.
J. Lilburne - leader of the Levellers, who demanded the destruction of the power of the king and the House of Lords; transfers supreme power House of Commons; the responsibility of the House of Commons to the people; annual parliamentary elections; universal suffrage; religious tolerance; confessions equal rights all members of society. J. Winstanley is the leader of the Diggers, who were encouraged by the people to seize empty lands and dig them up, to work for themselves, and not for the landowner.
They and their followers were persecuted because... after entrepreneurs and the new nobility strengthened their power, support for small owners. They were not interested in artisans and peasants.
Question 3. Make a detailed plan on the topic “The struggle for colonies and maritime dominance.”
Creation of colonies in North America.
Wars with Holland for supremacy of the seas.
The fight with Spain for the Atlantic colonies
The struggle with France for colonies in the Atlantic, North America, India
Creation of the English colonial system
Question 4. What events mark the end of the English Revolution? Name the years of the English Revolution.
The end of the English revolution was the abolition of the republic and the restoration of the monarchy in 1660. The English revolution took place in the 1640-1660s.
Question 5. Explain why the events of 1688 were called the “Glorious Revolution”.
The events of 1688 were called the “Glorious Revolution” because the second revolution was short-lived and relatively peaceful, without turning into a civil war.
Question 6. Why did England become known as a constitutional parliamentary monarchy?
England became constitutional parliamentary monarchy, because was based on the constitutional act “Bill of Rights”, which established the rights and responsibilities of parliament ( legislature) and the king and his ministers ( executive branch), wherein monarchical power was limited by the power of parliament.
Question 7. Show on the map the colonial possessions of England by the 60s. XVIII century
TO colonial possessions England in the 60s. XVIII century included 13 colonies in North America, Canada, the island of Newfoundland, islands in the Caribbean, part of the East Indies (Bengal) and trading posts in Africa.
Assignments for the paragraph
Question 1. Cromwell's Protectorate is called a military dictatorship, and Cromwell is called an uncrowned king. Support these assessments with facts.
The protector's power was significantly greater than that of the Stuarts ruling before the revolution. Cromwell settled in the royal palace and sat on the throne in an ermine robe. Prayer "God Save the King!" replaced with “God bless the protector!” He confirmed all the laws of the Long Parliament that protected property owners. After an unsuccessful attempt to create an obedient parliament, the protector abandoned this idea and ruled alone. The country was divided into 11 districts, headed by major generals endowed with broad police powers.
Question 2. Prepare a report about O. Cromwell and his role in the history of England.
Cromwell was born on April 25, 1599 into a family of typical English nobles - descendants of a powerful temporary ruler under King Henry VIII.
There were two traits in the character of Oliver Cromwell: firstly, an unshakable adherence to the Reformation, to which his family owed their well-being, and hatred of the Catholic papists; secondly, the conviction of one’s “poverty”.
In 1616, Cromwell became a student at the most puritanical of Cambridge colleges, Sidney Sussex College, where he studied for only a year. Of the subjects taught there, he was most attracted to mathematics and history. However, according to surviving evidence, he did not sit very diligently at his books, but with immeasurably greater enthusiasm was engaged in horse riding, swimming, hunting, archery and fencing. In 1619 Oliver went to London to study law. Over the next 20 years, Cromwell led the ordinary life of a rural nobleman and landowner, albeit filled with intense spiritual quest; in addition, he took an active part in local political life. In 1628, Cromwell was elected Member of Parliament for Huntingdon, the same Parliament that passed the famous "petition of right" and was soon dissolved by Charles I. From 1630 to 1636 - the most difficult period in Cromwell's life: financial difficulties had an acute impact. According to rumors, at this time Cromwell was seriously thinking about emigrating to the North American colony of New England, which was a refuge for many true Puritans who were persecuted in their homeland or simply did not accept the prevailing order in the country. There came a period of heavy spiritual crisis Cromwell. At night he is tormented by premonitions of hellish torment, in a cold sweat he jumps out of bed, screams, falls... The consciousness of his sinfulness scorches Cromwell from the inside and changes his behavior. He becomes more serious, more focused. Merciless self-judgment, grief and torment from his own sinfulness, repentance, hope and, finally, confidence in salvation lead Cromwell to the realization of his holiness, his chosenness by God for great deeds. He now understands the meaning of his life as serving justice.
The "long" parliament met in 1640. Cromwell immediately established himself as a militant Puritan, consistently supporting critics of the established church and the king. Cromwell voted for the Great Remonstrance with the greatest enthusiasm.
With the beginning civil war Between parliament and the king, Cromwell joins the parliamentary army with the rank of captain and begins to assemble a detachment of cavalrymen among his fellow countrymen. Oliver himself teaches recruits to quickly load a musket, hold a pike correctly, rearrange ranks, and obey commands. He teaches them unconditional obedience to the commander's word and mercilessness in battle. By January 1643, Parliament granted Cromwell the rank of colonel. He divides his regiment into detachments and at the head of each he puts a commander - a cab driver, a shoemaker, a boilermaker, a ship skipper. This was unheard of for those times: people from the upper classes were always appointed commanders. But Cromwell is adamant. By March 1643, the regiment already numbered about two thousand horsemen. The most terrifying impression on the royalists was that Cromwell’s soldiers sang psalms before the start of the battle in full combat readiness. At the beginning of 1644, Cromwell received the rank of lieutenant general. On the second of July 1644, on the moorland of Marston Moor, five miles south of York, he wins brilliant victory over the troops of Charles I.
He is seeking a reorganization of the army and a change of command. On June 14, 1645, the Model Army under Cromwell inflicted its last crushing defeat the king's troops. After the end of the civil war, the victorious Cromwell acquired enormous authority in the country, and his army became a formidable force.
Cromwell crushed the rebellion in Wales and then moved north to fight the Scots. He won a series of victories against superior Scots and Royalist forces in Lancashire in August 1648 (notably at the Battle of Preston), his first major independent success as a commander. On his return, he approved the Pride Purge and ensured that Charles I was brought in custody for trial. Cromwell was forced to take full responsibility upon himself. He understood that the trial of the king would end with a death sentence. But, once having made a decision, Cromwell acted mercilessly, and to a large extent it was through his efforts trial was brought to an end: the king was sentenced to death.
On May 19, 1649, England was proclaimed a Republic (Commonwealth). Cromwell became a member State Council, and then its chairman.
However, he is not sitting in London. Cromwell was persuaded to take command of an expeditionary army in Ireland. Exhausted by the hardships of the campaign during the capture of fortresses, Cromwell orders that neither children, nor women, nor the elderly should be spared. By the end of the year, Cromwell controlled a large part of the east coast of Ireland, and at the beginning of 1650 he led an army into the interior of the island, ravaging the country and exterminating the population without distinction of age or sex. As a result of this conquest, a third of the population of Ireland died.
When he returned to London he was greeted as a hero. The latest victories not only crowned Cromwell as a victorious leader, but also strengthened his confidence in the rightness of his cause. And he turns to the internal structure of the nation.
The next two years were marked by the resumption of the conflict between parliament and the army that had begun in 1647. Radical sentiments prevailed in the army; it demanded reform of the church and state. At first Cromwell tried, as before, to reach a compromise, but in the end he began to speak on behalf of the army. England was devastated by crop failures, falling production, reduced trade, and unemployment. The new land owners attacked the rights of the peasants. The country needed legal reform and a constitutional reform. Under these conditions, on April 20, 1653, Cromwell dispersed the “rump” of the Long Parliament. On December 16, 1653, Cromwell was proclaimed Lord Protector of England, Scotland and Ireland. A regime of one-man power is established in the country. According to new constitution, Cromwell received the highest lifelong power; The parliament of 400 people was elected for a term of three years. The protector commanded the armed forces, was in charge foreign policy, had the right of veto, etc.
After the suppression of the royalist uprising, the Lord Protector introduced a police regime in the country. Cromwell divides England and Wales into 11 military administrative districts, headed by major generals, endowed with full police power. He was offered to replace military dictatorship constitutional monarchy(Cromwell was to become king) and create a state Puritan church. Cromwell was forced to refuse the offer, since this idea was opposed by his old army friends and comrades. The Protector was clearly unable to consolidate his success either economically or politically, in last years people were afraid of him and did not trust him.
Before his death, Cromwell named his son Richard as his successor. The treasury was completely empty. To arrange the funeral, I had to resort to a loan. But they buried him secretly. The “usurper” was buried in the ancient tomb of the English kings - in Westminster Abbey. After the restoration (monarchy) of the Stuarts, Cromwell's ashes were removed from the grave, and after the procedure of "hanging the regicide" on the gallows for criminals, the body was buried in a hole dug under the gallows, and the head, impaled on a spear, was put on display at the Palace of Westminster.
The Restoration of 1660 returned the country to the same legislation and the same political system, which existed before the Civil War. But they were unable to destroy those ideas of limiting the monarchy and elevating the role of parliament, for which Cromwell fought.
Question 3. How was the government of the country organized in late XVII- first half of the 18th century?
The Bill of Rights established a constitutional parliamentary monarchy in England. The bill established the separation of powers: the legislative branch (parliament) and the executive branch (the king and ministers). However, when new dynasty The Hanoverian king practically did not interfere in the affairs of the state, saying: “Let the ministers rule” (George I communicated through an interpreter). In England there is a two-party politic system. There were two parties: Tories and Whigs. The Tories defended the inviolability of royal rights, the preservation of old traditions and the existing order. Large landlords and Anglican clergy belonged to this party. The Whigs defended the rights of parliament and advocated reforms in the economic and political life of the country. The richest landowners, the new nobility, the largest merchants and bankers belonged to this party. According to the established procedure, the king appointed ministers from the party that received the most seats in parliament, and the leader of this party became the first minister. Enormous power was concentrated in the hands of the cabinet of ministers and especially its head, the prime minister. The responsibility of the cabinet of ministers was not before the king, but before parliament. If a party lost the support of the majority in parliament, it was deprived of the right to power, and the government resigned
Question 4. As a result of what events did England become known as Great Britain and began to be spoken of as the “mistress of the seas”?
England began to be called the “Mistress of the Seas” after winning the war over the Netherlands and Spain in the 17th century, creating a military and commercial military and fleet that were the largest in Europe and had an increasing influence on trade.
Question 5. What is the role in the history of England in the 17th century? did revolutionary events play a role?
English revolutions XVII century and the spread of the ideas of Puritanism destroyed the absolute monarchy. A constitutional parliamentary monarchy was established in the country. Rich landowners, merchants, and entrepreneurs came to power. Internal and foreign policy of the English Parliament was carried out in the interests of the ruling circles and created favorable conditions for the development of capitalism. The English people are first among others European peoples won a number of personal rights: freedom of speech, assembly, submitting petitions to parliament, the right to personal integrity, etc. All residents of the country (except Catholics) received the right to freedom of religion. English Revolution XVII V. and the establishment of a constitutional parliamentary monarchy deepened the crisis traditional society and contributed to the development of modern society
Questions about the document
Question. What changes did the Bill of Rights make? government system England? Find in the text articles relating to the legal status of subjects of the English crown and analyze them.
The Bill of Rights secured the rights and privileges of parliament: no law could be passed without the consent of parliament, only parliament could introduce new taxes, only parliament recruited and maintained troops, freedom of speech and the immunity of members of parliament were guaranteed, and the frequency of parliamentary meetings was established.
The Bill of Rights guaranteed and protected legal status English subjects: the right to petition the king, the right to bear arms for all segments of the population (but only Protestants).
To the question Why did England become known as a parliamentary monarchy? Please help me, I will be very grateful! given by the author Sandal the best answer is History of the monarchy
Territory modern Britain Since ancient times it was inhabited by Britons, Scots and Celtic tribes. From the 1st to the 5th centuries, the territory of present-day England was part of the Roman Empire as the province of Britain. After the Romans left, the islands were conquered Germanic tribes Angles, Saxons and Jutes.
In 827, the seven Anglo-Saxon kingdoms were united to form the Kingdom of England. From 1016 to 1042 England was under Danish rule. There followed a short period of independence, and in 1066, after the Battle of Hastings, the kingdom was conquered by the Normans led by William the Conqueror. The heirs of William the Conqueror lost power in 1154, and Henry II Plantagenet, who also owned part of modern France. The Plantagenet (Angevin) dynasty ruled England until 1399.
Under Henry II, Ireland was conquered, and the Scottish king recognized himself as a vassal of England. After Henry II, Richard the Lionheart ruled, who was replaced on the throne by John the Landless, under whom the English crown almost completely lost its possessions in France.
In 1265, under the king Henry III the English Parliament appeared. Edward I (r. 1272-1307) annexed Wales, and from that time on the title of the heir to the English throne, "Prince of Wales", was established. Edward III (1327-1377) began Hundred Years' War with France, during which a significant part of French territory came under the rule of English king. Henry VI (1422-1461) was even entrusted with the French crown, but soon almost all territorial acquisitions on the continent were lost.
After the deposition of King Richard II (1377-1399), the throne was occupied by representatives of two side branches of the Plantagenet dynasty - first the Lancastrians ( White Rose, 1399-1461), then Yorkie (Scarlet Rose, 1461-1485). The struggle of these two families for power ended with the fact that in 1485 the English crown went to Henry VII, founder of the Tudor dynasty. The House of Tudor ceased to exist with the death of Queen Elizabeth I in 1603. According to Elizabeth's will, the Scottish King James VI, the son of the Scottish Queen Mary Stuart, ascended the throne as King James I of England, Scotland and Ireland. This was the unification of the English and Scottish crowns.
James I's son Charles I was executed during bourgeois revolution in 1649, and England was declared a republic. In 1660, the monarchy was restored and the Stuarts returned to the British throne in the person of King Charles II. His successor James II was overthrown in 1688 as a result coup d'etat. The joint reign of William III of Orange and his wife, the daughter of James II, Mary Stuart, began. During the reign of Anne Stuart (1702-1714), another daughter of James II, England's possessions in western hemisphere, English territory Gibraltar became, and England and Scotland were united into a single kingdom of Great Britain.
With the death of Queen Anne, the era of Stuart rule ended. The throne was occupied by representatives of the Hanoverian dynasty, the first of whom was King George I (reigned 1714-1727), and the last of whom was Queen Victoria (1837-1901). It was during the reign of the Hanoverian dynasty that Britain became an empire on which “the sun never set.”
The Windsor dynasty, to which it now belongs reigning queen Elizabeth II dates back to 1901. Its first representative on the throne was King Edward VII, the son of Queen Victoria of the Hanoverian dynasty and Prince Albert, who represented the German house of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. Until 1917, the dynasty bore the name Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, which was changed by King George V due to anti-German sentiment in English society during the First World War. Queen Elizabeth is the fifth representative of this dynasty on the British throne.
Answer from Eurovision[newbie]
wwww
Answer from generosity[guru]
This type of state is called constitutional monarchies. The power of the monarch is limited by the country's Constitution. But in Great Britain there is no Constitution as such (there is no single document that could be called the fundamental law of the country). Therefore - a parliamentary, or parliamentary monarchy.
Answer from Alexander Sorokin[guru]
Hm.. .
In general, they cut off the monarch’s head so as not to show off, and since then there has been no absolute monarchy, and parliament has power. .
And even more than the monarch...
Somewhere like this...
Answer from Yatyana Lektorovich[guru]
Who said that England began to be called a parliamentary monarchy? The form of government in England is a parliamentary monarchy!! !
A parliamentary monarchy is a constitutional monarchy in which the monarch does not have significant powers of power compared to the government and plays a primarily representative or ceremonial role.
That's why the Queen is shown wearing torn tights. If she had been Putin, this would not have happened to her...
England, unlike others European countries at the beginning of its history it did not have the strong power of a king. Although he tried to centralize power and take all the reins of government into his own hands, the barons did not allow him to do this. They even fought several wars with the king and achieved the adoption of the Magna Carta, which is the first constitutional act of England.
Since the Middle Ages in England there have been a House of Commons, which consisted of many classes and was a council under the king, and a hereditary House of Lords, consisting of the aristocracy. Over time, these bodies gained more and more weight in society and put pressure on the king.
Formation of a parliamentary monarchy
During the Great Bourgeois Revolution, many events took place that changed almost everything in England. But one of the main changes can be said to be the acquisition of greater power by the House of Commons.
Under pressure from various circles of society, the king was forced to elevate the chambers and give them power and independence. After the coup of 1688-1689 in England, the path to a parliamentary monarchy was finally outlined. This is a type of government in which the king's power is limited by parliament.
Formation of a constitutional monarchy
And England, unlike Russia, does not have a single document that can be called a Constitution. In England, its role is played by many acts, precedents and customs. The formation of this Constitution began with the adoption of several acts by Parliament:
- Habias corpus act of 1679 - proclaimed the basic principles of a democratic court.
- The Bill of Rights 1679 is a guarantee of the rights of Parliament.
- The Act of Settlement of 1701 limited the rights of the king and determined the order of succession.
After the adoption of these acts, England moved further and further away from the monarchy. The king lost almost all his rights; he stopped attending cabinet meetings. The legislative and executive powers became completely independent. Thus, in the 18th century England began to be called a constitutional parliamentary monarchy.
We are so accustomed to the names Great Britain or GreatBritain that we don’t think about it - why, in fact, does this country call itself great? Maybe the fact is that the British arrogantly consider their state to be better than everyone else: all countries are ordinary, but ours is great? Or is it that the UK includes several countries - England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, so the word is added to the name great? Let's look into this issue. 
GreatBritain - the history of the name
Name GreatBritain It was in this form that it was first used in official sources in 1474. It was a letter that voiced a proposal for marriage between the daughter of the English king Edward IV and the son of the Scottish king James III.
But this name was actually in use long before the 15th century. Back in 148 AD, the Greek geographer Claudius Ptolemy, in his work “Almagest”, called the island “Greater Britain”, contrasting it with Ireland - “Little Britain”. It is assumed that he came up with them himself, since he did not know the common names of these islands at that time. And although later, in another work “Geography”, he correctly calls Great Britain Alvion, this name later fell out of use. And the name “Great Britain” was preserved and began to be used after the Roman conquest.
During the Anglo-Saxon period, after the rule of Rome on the island, the name “Great Britain” began to be forgotten. It was only used as historical term, but in progress, in colloquial speech not used. One pseudo-historian of the time even claimed that "Greater Britain" was so named in comparison to the area on the continent where Celtic settlers settled in the 6th century, which he called "Little Britain". 
Gradually the name began to be revived. After that letter from the 15th century, the expression “ GreatBritain” was heard again in 1604: King James I took the official title “King of Great Britain, France and Ireland.” And since then it has been fixed in the language until our times.
This means that Great Britain has become Great in historical reasons thanks to the Greek geographer. But perhaps pride in one's country also played a role in preserving this name over many centuries.