1A Brief Introduction to U1.docx

1A Brief Introduction to U1.docx

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1ABriefIntroductiontoU1

ABriefIntroductiontotheU.K.

1.Thecourse-teachingplan.

16weeksinthisterm.ThisfirstbookaccountsaperiodfromAnglo-Saxonperiodtothe18thcentury.Thisperiodofhistorycanbedividedintosixparts:

theAnglo-Saxonperiod,theAnglo-Normanperiod,GeoffreyChaucer,theRenaissance,the17thcentury,the18thcentury.Thesesixpartswillbethecontentofthiscoursefortheterm.

2.Whatisliterature?

Literatureisamirrorholdingtolife.Withitpeoplemaystudyandinvestigatevoluminoushistoryintheirleisuretime,observingmutationofhumansoul,bathingthebanalmindinthehalooftruth,kindnessandbeautytomakeitnoble.

3.AbriefintroductiontotheU.K.

TheUnitedKingdomofGreatBritainandNorthernIreland,constitutionalmonarchyontheBritishIsles,offtheWestEuropeancontinent.（pop.60,600,000）,（244,044sqkm）.ItcomprisesEngland,Wales,andScotlandontheIslandofGreatBritain,andNorthernIrelandontheIslandofIreland.ThecapitalisLondon.GreatBritainisoneoftheworld’sleadingindustrialnations.However,itlacksmostoftherawmaterialsneededforindustryandmustalsoimportabouthalfofitsfoodsupplies.Thusitsprosperityisheavilydependentontheexportofthemanufacturedgoodsinexchangeforrawmaterialsandfoodstuffs,anditisthethirdmostactivetradingnationintheworld.Manufacturingisthelargestsectoroftheeconomyandemploysmorethanonethirdofthetotalworkforce.Majorindustriesincludefoodprocessing,ironandsteel,engineering,motorvehicles,chemicals,textiles,andaircraft.ProductionofoilfromNorthSeawellsbeganin1975,andby1979thecountrywasself-sufficientinpetroleum.Coalisalsominedinlargequantities.Abouthalfthelandisdevotedtoagriculture,withdairyproductsandbeefcattlethechiefcommodities.Largenumbersofsheepareraisedformeatandwool.Thecoal,gas,electricity,railroad,shipbuilding,nuclearenergy,andinpart,aerospaceindustriesarepubliclyowned.GreatBritainisthefourthmostdenselypopulatednationinEurope,andthegreatestpopulationconcentrationisinEngland.Englishistheuniversallanguage,butWelshiswidelyspokeninWalesandsomeGaelicinScotland.TheChurchofEnglandistheestablishedchurchinEngland,AnglicanChurch;ThePresbyterianchurchislegallyestablishedinScotland.TherearelargenumbersofRomanCatholicsandMethodists.ImmigrationhasmadeGreatBritainamultiracialsociety;immigrantsfromIndia,Pakistan,theWestIndies,andothercommonwealthcountriesnumberatleast1,500,000.Thehereditarymonarchplaysalargelyceremonialroleinthegovernment.SovereigntyrestsinParliament,whichconsistsofa635-memberHouseofCommonsandahouseoflords.Effectivepowerresidesinthecommons,wheretheleadingpartyusuallyprovidestheexecutive---thecabinet,headedbytheprimeminister.

EarlyEnglishhistory.

LittleisknownoftheearliestinhabitantsofBritain,butthegreatstructureatStonehengeisevidenceoftheiradvancedBronzeAgeculture.ThefirstCelticinvadersarrivedinBritainintheearly5thcent.B.C.InA.D.43theemperorClaudiusIbegantheRomanconquestofBritain,whichprosperedandgrewunderfourcenturiesofRomanrule.Withthedisintegrationoftheempirebytheearly5thcent.,Germanicpeoples---theAnglo-SaxonsandJutes---initiatedwavesofinvasionandsettlementthatgraduallycoalescedintoagroupofsmallkingdoms.RaidsbyVikings（Danes）,beganinthelate8thcent.,turnedintofull-scaleinvasionin865,andby1016theDaneCanuteruledallofEngland.TheconquestofEnglandin1066bytheNormanWilliamusheredinanewerainEnglishhistorywiththeintroductionofFeudalism.ConflictbetweenthekingsandthenoblesoverabuseofroyalpowercametoaheadunderKingJohn,whoseunprecedentedfinancialdemandsandunpopularchurchandforeignpoliciesresultedintheMagnaCarta（1215）,alandmarkinEnglishconstitutionalhistory.

MagnaCartaorMagnaCharta（Lat.,=greatcharter）.Thepurposeoftheoriginalcharterwastoinsurefeudalrightsandtoguaranteethatthekingcouldnotencroachonbaronialprivileges.Thedocumentalsoguaranteedthefreedomofthechurchandthecustomsofthetowns;impliedlawsprotectingtherightsofsubjectsandcommunities,whichthekingcouldbecompelledtoobserve;andvaguelysuggestedguaranteesoftrialbyjuryandHabeasCorpus.

TheHundredYearsWarwithFrance,whichbeganin1337,andtheBlackDeath,whichfirstarrivedinBritainin1348,hastenedthebreakdownofthefeudalsystem.Dynasticwarsweakenedboththenobilityandthemonarchyandendedwiththeaccession（1485）oftheTudorfamily.

WarsoftheRoses,namegiventothestruggle（1455-85）forthethroneofEnglandbetweenthehousesofLancaster（whosebadgewasaredrose）andYork（whosebadgewasawhiterose）.

UndertheTudors,EnglandflourishedandwasintroducedtoRenaissancelearning.HenryVIII（r.1509-47）begantheEnglishReformationbybreakingwiththepapacyandestablishingtheChurchofEngland.Healsobroughtabouttheunion（1536）ofEnglandandWales.TheEnglishRenaissancereacheditspeakduringthereignofElizabethI,atimeofgreatartisticachievementandoverseasexpansion.Elizabeth’scourtbecameacenterofcultureforEnglishmusicians,poets,scholarsandartists,likeWilliamByrd,thecomposer,NicholasHillyarde,thepainterandSirWalterRaleigh,thepoetandadventurer.ThiswasalsotheageofgreatEnglishwriters,likethedramatists,WilliamShakespeareandChristopherMarlowe.Thiswasatime,too,whenEnglandwasbecomingmoreimportantintheworld,andEnglishsailorswerechallengingtheSpaniardsinthenew,richSpanishcoloniesinAmerica.SeamenlikethefamousFrancisDrake,JohnHawkinsorMartinFrobishermadedaringraidsontheSpaniardsandcapturedtheirtreasureships.

AtElizabeth’sdeath（1603）thecrownsofEnglandandScotlandwereunitedbytheaccessiontotheEnglishthroneoftheStuartJamesI（JamesVIofScotland）.UndertheStuartsabitterpowerstrugglebetweenthemonarchyandParliamentculminatedintheEnglishCivilWar（1642—48）.Thevictoryoftheparliamentariansledtotheexecution（1649）ofCharlesI,abolitionofthemonarchy,andestablishmentoftheCommonwealthandtheprotectorateunderOliverCromwell.FollowingCromwell’sdeath,CharlesIIwasinvited（1660）tobecomeking.Theoldissuesofreligion,money,androyalprerogativewerenotlaidtorest,however,untiltheGloriousRevolution（1688）oustedJamesIIandplaced（1689）WilliamIIIandMaryIIonthethrone.

TheBillofRightsconfirmedthatsovereigntyresidedinparliament.ItstatedthatnoRomanCatholicwouldruleEngland;itgaveinviolablecivilandpoliticalrightstothepeopleandpoliticalsupremacytoparliament.Itwassupplemented（1701）bytheActofSettlement.

In1707theActofUnionlegallyunitedthekingdomsofScotlandandEngland.

TheEmpire

Inthe18thcent.Britainbegantoplayamoreimportantroleinworldaffairs,emergingfromtheSevenYearsWar1756-63aspossessoroftheworld’sgreatestempire.ItsufferedaseriouslossintheAmericanRevolution1775-83,butitwaspreeminentinIndia,settledAustralia,andacquiredstillmoreterritoriesinthewarsagainstNapoleonI.AvainattempttosolvethelongstandingIrishproblembroughtabouttheUnion（1801）ofGreatBritainandIreland.TheIndustrialRevolutioninthelate18thandearly19thcent.（c.1750-1850）transformedsocialandeconomiclife.UnderQueenVictoria（r.1837-1901）Britainreachedtheheightofitscommercial,political,andeconomicleadership.Thecountry’saggressivediplomacyinEuropeculminatedintheCrimeanWar,andsocialandpoliticalreformswerealsobegun.ThedominantfiguresonthepoliticalsceneweretheprimeministersBenjaminDisraeli（conservative）andWilliamGladstone（liberal）.

●CrimeanWar,1853-56,betweenRussiaandthealliedpowersofTurkey,England,France.ItspretextwasaquarrelbetweenRussiaandFranceoverguardianshipofPalestinianholyplaces.

●SevenYearsWar1756-63,worldwideconflictfoughtinEurope,NorthAmericaandIndiabetweenFrance,Austria,Russia,Sweden,Spainononeside,andGreatBritain,Prussia,andHanoverontheother.Twomainissueswereinvolved:

FrenchandEnglishcolonialrivalriesinNorthAmericaandIndia,andstruggleforsupremacyinEuropeofMariaTheresaofAustriaandFrederickIIofPrussia.

The20thcentury.

Intheearly20thcent.GrowingmilitaryandeconomicrivalrywithGermanyledBritaintoallyitselfwithFranceandRussiaandin1914BritainenteredWWI.DespiteBritishvictory,thewardrainedthenationofwealthandmanpower,andinthepostwaryearsBritainfacedsevereeconomicproblems.InanefforttosettlethethornyIrishproblem,NorthernIrelandwascreatedin1920andtheIrishFreestate（RepublicofIreland）in1921-22.PrimeMinisterNevilleChamberlainpursuedapolicyofappeasementtowardtherisingtideofGermanandItalianaggression,butthisfailed.In1939theGermansinvadedPoland,andBritainenteredWWIIbydeclaringwaronGermany.ThenationsustainedintensivebombardmentinthebattleofBritain,buttheBritishpeople,inspiredbyPrimeMinisterWinstonChurchill,rosetoasupremewareffort.Followingthedefeatin1945ofGermany,theLaborparty,ledbyClementAttlee,gainedpowerandlaunchedaprogram,includingnationalizationofindustry,torevivethewar-damagedeconomy.Thepostwaryearsbroughtindependencetomanyformercolonies,andBritisheconomicpowergraduallydeclined.Intheearly1970sthecountryunderwentitsworsteconomiccrisissinceWWII,andalthoughthesi