Fall of the British Empire...

[Sphinx777]

Though Britain and the Empire emerged victorious from the Second World War, the effects of the conflict were profound, both at home and abroad. Much of Europe, a continent that had dominated the world for several centuries, was now literally in ruins, and host to the armies of the United States and the Soviet Union, to whom the balance of global power had now shifted. Britain itself was left virtually bankrupt, with insolvency only averted in 1946 after the negotiation of a $3.5 billion loan from the United States, the last installment of which was repaid in 2006.

At the same time, anti-colonial movements were on the rise in the colonies of European nations. The situation was complicated further by the increasing Cold War rivalry of the United States and the Soviet Union, both nations opposed to the European colonialism of old, though American anti-Communism prevailed over anti-imperialism, which led the US to support the continued existence of the British Empire.

The "wind of change" ultimately meant that the British Empire's days were numbered, and on the whole, Britain adopted a policy of peaceful disengagement from its colonies once stable, non-Communist governments were available to transfer power to, in contrast to other European powers like France or Portugal, which waged costly and ultimately unsuccessful wars to keep their empires intact. Between 1945 and 1965, the number of people under British rule outside the UK itself fell from 700 million to five million, three million of whom were in Hong Kong.
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Fall of the British Empire in Colour (Part 1 of 5)
Fall of the British Empire in Colour (Part 2 of 5)
Fall of the British Empire in Colour (Part 3 of 5)
Fall of the British Empire in Colour (Part 4 of 5)
Fall of the British Empire in Colour (Part 5 of 5)

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[Chesterton]

YouTube - Something About England

 

[job293]

The 19th century was the British century. Britain entered the 20th century as the world's banker, but WWI, left her in debt. At the end of WWI, the British Empire grew bigger, with great gains in the Middle East, and old German colonies. But the cost was too high. WW2 finally destroyed all economic reasons to continue, and all the feeling of duty to the world was gone. Britain died as a superpower fighting Hitler. It could have compromised, but it choose to fight evil - in that light it was a good death!

 

[Chesterton]

Aye, that was their finest hour.

 

[Caduceus]

Though Britain and the Empire emerged victorious from the Second World War, the effects of the conflict were profound, both at home and abroad. Much of Europe, a continent that had dominated the world for several centuries, was now literally in ruins, and host to the armies of the United States and the Soviet Union, to whom the balance of global power had now shifted. Britain itself was left virtually bankrupt, with insolvency only averted in 1946 after the negotiation of a $3.5 billion loan from the United States, the last installment of which was repaid in 2006.

At the same time, anti-colonial movements were on the rise in the colonies of European nations. The situation was complicated further by the increasing Cold War rivalry of the United States and the Soviet Union, both nations opposed to the European colonialism of old, though American anti-Communism prevailed over anti-imperialism, which led the US to support the continued existence of the British Empire.

The "wind of change" ultimately meant that the British Empire's days were numbered, and on the whole, Britain adopted a policy of peaceful disengagement from its colonies once stable, non-Communist governments were available to transfer power to, in contrast to other European powers like France or Portugal, which waged costly and ultimately unsuccessful wars to keep their empires intact. Between 1945 and 1965, the number of people under British rule outside the UK itself fell from 700 million to five million, three million of whom were in Hong Kong.
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Not sure from whence you got this information but it's a very generalised account of early 20th century British history. The reality is, of course, far more complex than such simplified accounts would suggest.​