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How transportation technologies shaped empires

unchartedterritories.tomaspueyo.com

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Re: How transportation technologies shaped empires

#42

Post by idontpost »

charlieyu1 wrote: post #36
jameshart wrote: post #12

“England with its American colonies” as an example of overstretching this limit? Once again, when explaining a historic trend or event in terms of what happened in the US, we forget about the existence of the control case: Canada.

Russia to Far East?

[dead]

Re: How transportation technologies shaped empires

#43

Post by onion2k »

kranke155 wrote: post #25
onion2k wrote: post #11

This will significantly limit humanity's ambitions to colonize outer space.

Depends on the velocity. 1 light month is pretty big.

1 light month is pretty big.

So is the universe. In fact, 1 light month gets you across 0.00000000061% of it. If your empire on Earth was the same size it'd be 300 square meters. About the size of a big house with a nice garden.

Re: How transportation technologies shaped empires

#44

Post by readthenotes1 »

AnimalMuppet wrote: post #29
quartesixte wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Eventually collapsed. Collapsed eventually. Collapsed immediately upon his death.

OK, but England maintained Australia for centuries. Spain maintained the New World for centuries. I'm not sure "eventually collapsed" is proof that "it didn't work". I mean, the Soviet Union eventually collapsed, and that wasn't because of communication delays. Everything eventually collapses. But "stood for centuries, despite the communication delays" kind of disproves the hypothesis. (Or if it doesn't, given the th…

The same argument could be made for Great Britain and the United States as well since the colonies were a part of GB for centuries.

I think the same argument for Canada applies to Australia: there must be a critical mass of well weaponed insurgents before the time delay makes too much of a difference.

Re: How transportation technologies shaped empires

#46

Post by xrd »

Interesting how geography limited empires before the advent of instant communication.

It would be fascinating to see a comparison of the impact on empires when instant communication is possible.

What kind of regime change is possible when you can instantly spread propaganda and no longer need Paul Revere riding around telling everyone the British are coming.

Re: How transportation technologies shaped empires

#47

Post by [deleted] »

macspoofing wrote: post #27
jameshart wrote: post #12

“England with its American colonies” as an example of overstretching this limit? Once again, when explaining a historic trend or event in terms of what happened in the US, we forget about the existence of the control case: Canada.

>we forget about the existence of the control case: Canada. Is it though? England did lose Canada to home-rule. In fact, I contend that a major reason why a newly independent (but also broke and fledgling) Canada was not annexed by the US was mainly because of the American preoccupation with civil war and Reconstruction, and the diplomatic efforts of John A. Macdonald.

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