The history of mankind is continuous struggle for territorial domination. Great empires either appeared on the political map of the world or disappeared from it. Some of them were destined to leave an indelible mark behind them.
Persian Empire (Achaemenid Empire, 550 – 330 BC)
Cyrus II is considered the founder of the Persian Empire. He began his conquests in 550 BC. e. with the subjugation of Media, after which Armenia, Parthia, Cappadocia and the Lydian kingdom were conquered. Did not become an obstacle to the expansion of the empire of Cyrus and Babylon, whose powerful walls fell in 539 BC. e.
While conquering neighboring territories, the Persians tried not to destroy the conquered cities, but, if possible, to preserve them. Cyrus restored captured Jerusalem, like many Phoenician cities, facilitating the return of Jews from Babylonian captivity.
The Persian Empire under Cyrus extended its possessions from Central Asia to the Aegean Sea. Only Egypt remained unconquered. The country of the pharaohs submitted to the heir of Cyrus, Cambyses II. However, the empire reached its peak under Darius I, who switched from conquests to internal politics. In particular, the king divided the empire into 20 satrapies, which completely coincided with the territories of the captured states.
In 330 BC. e. The weakening Persian Empire fell under the onslaught of the troops of Alexander the Great.
Roman Empire (27 BC – 476)
Ancient Rome was the first state in which the ruler received the title of emperor. Beginning with Octavian Augustus, the 500-year history of the Roman Empire had a direct impact on European civilization and also left a cultural mark on the countries North Africa and the Middle East.
The uniqueness of Ancient Rome is that it was the only state whose possessions included the entire Mediterranean coast.
At the height of the Roman Empire, its territories extended from the British Isles to the Persian Gulf. According to historians, by 117 the population of the empire reached 88 million people, which was approximately 25% of the total number of inhabitants of the planet.
Architecture, construction, art, law, economics, military affairs, principles government structure Ancient Rome is what the foundation of the entire European civilization. It was in imperial Rome that Christianity acquired the status state religion and began to spread throughout the world.
Byzantine Empire (395 – 1453)
The Byzantine Empire has no equal in the length of its history. Originating at the end of antiquity, it existed until the end of the European Middle Ages. For more than a thousand years, Byzantium was a kind of connecting link between the civilizations of the East and West, influencing both the states of Europe and Asia Minor.
But if Western European and Middle Eastern countries inherited the rich material culture of Byzantium, then Old Russian state turned out to be the successor to her spirituality. Constantinople fell, but the Orthodox world found its new capital in Moscow.
Located at the crossroads trade routes, rich Byzantium was a coveted land for neighboring states. Having reached its maximum borders in the first centuries after the collapse of the Roman Empire, then it was forced to defend its possessions. In 1453, Byzantium could not resist a more powerful enemy - the Ottoman Empire. With the capture of Constantinople, the road to Europe was opened for the Turks.
Arab Caliphate (632-1258)
As a result of Muslim conquests in the 7th–9th centuries, a theocratic Islamic state arose in the entire Middle East region, as well as in certain regions of Transcaucasia, Central Asia, North Africa and Spain. Arab Caliphate. The period of the Caliphate went down in history as the “Golden Age of Islam”, as the time of the highest flowering of Islamic science and culture.
One of the caliphs Arab state Umar I purposefully secured the character of a militant church for the Caliphate, encouraging religious zeal in his subordinates and prohibiting them from owning land property in the conquered countries. Umar motivated this by the fact that “the interests of the landowner attract him more to peaceful activities than to war.”
In 1036, the invasion of the Seljuk Turks was disastrous for the Caliphate, but the defeat of the Islamic state was completed by the Mongols.
Caliph An-Nasir, wanting to expand his possessions, turned to Genghis Khan for help, and unknowingly opened the way for the destruction of the Muslim East by the Mongol horde of thousands.
Mongol Empire (1206–1368)
The Mongol Empire is the largest state formation in history by territory.
During the period of its power, towards the end of the 13th century, the empire extended from the Sea of Japan to the banks of the Danube. Total area The Mongol possessions reached 38 million square meters. km.
Given the enormous size of the empire, managing it from the capital, Karakorum, was almost impossible. It is no coincidence that after the death of Genghis Khan in 1227, the process of gradual division of the conquered territories into separate uluses began, the most significant of which became the Golden Horde.
The economic policy of the Mongols in the occupied lands was primitive: its essence boiled down to the imposition of tribute on the conquered peoples. Everything collected went to support the needs of a huge army, according to some sources, reaching half a million people. The Mongol cavalry was the most deadly weapon Chingizids, which not many armies managed to resist.
Inter-dynastic strife destroyed the empire - it was they who stopped the expansion of the Mongols to the West. This was soon followed by the loss of the conquered territories and the capture of Karakorum by Ming dynasty troops.
Holy Roman Empire (962-1806)
The Holy Roman Empire is an interstate entity that existed in Europe from 962 to 1806. The core of the empire was Germany, which was joined by the Czech Republic, Italy, the Netherlands, as well as some regions of France during the period of the highest prosperity of the state.
Almost the entire period of the empire's existence, its structure had the character of a theocratic feudal state, in which the emperors laid claim to supreme power in the Christian world. However, the struggle with the papal throne and the desire to possess Italy significantly weakened the central power of the empire.
In the 17th century, Austria and Prussia moved to leading positions in the Holy Roman Empire. But very soon the antagonism of two influential members of the empire, which resulted in a policy of conquest, threatened the integrity of their common home. The end of the empire in 1806 was marked by the strengthening France led by Napoleon.
Ottoman Empire (1299–1922)
In 1299, Osman I created a Turkic state in the Middle East, which was destined to exist for more than 600 years and radically influence the fate of the countries of the Mediterranean and Black Sea regions. The fall of Constantinople in 1453 marked the date when the Ottoman Empire finally gained a foothold in Europe.
The period of the greatest power of the Ottoman Empire occurred in the 16th-17th centuries, but the state achieved its greatest conquests under Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent.
The borders of the empire of Suleiman I extended from Eritrea in the south to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the north, from Algeria in the west to the Caspian Sea in the east.
The period from the end of the 16th century to the beginning of the 20th century was marked by bloody military conflicts between the Ottoman Empire and Russia. Territorial disputes between the two states mainly revolved around Crimea and Transcaucasia. They were brought to an end by the First World War, as a result of which the Ottoman Empire, divided between the Entente countries, ceased to exist.
British Empire (1497¬–1949)
The British Empire is the largest colonial power both in terms of territory and population.
The empire reached its greatest scale by the 30s of the 20th century: the land area of the United Kingdom, including its colonies, totaled 34 million 650 thousand square meters. km., which accounted for approximately 22% of the earth's land. The total population of the empire reached 480 million people - every fourth inhabitant of the Earth was a subject of the British Crown.
Many factors contributed to the success of British colonial policy: strong army and navy, developed industry, the art of diplomacy. The expansion of the empire significantly influenced global geopolitics. First of all, this is the spread of British technology, trade, language, and forms of government throughout the world.
The decolonization of Britain occurred after the end of the Second World War. Although the country was among the victorious states, it found itself on the verge of bankruptcy. It was only thanks to an American loan of $3.5 billion that Great Britain was able to overcome the crisis, but at the same time lost world dominance and all its colonies.
Russian Empire (1721–1917)
The history of the Russian Empire dates back to October 22, 1721, after Peter I accepted the title of All-Russian Emperor. From that time until 1905, the monarch who became the head of the state was endowed with absolute power.
By area Russian Empire second only to the Mongol and British empires - 21,799,825 sq. km, and was the second (after British) in terms of population - about 178 million people.
Constant expansion of territory – characteristic feature Russian Empire. But if the advance to the east carried mostly peaceful character, then in the west and south their territorial claims Russia had to prove itself through numerous wars - with Sweden, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Ottoman Empire, Persia, and the British Empire.
The growth of the Russian Empire has always been viewed with particular caution by the West. Negative perception Russia was facilitated by the appearance of the so-called “Testament of Peter the Great,” a document fabricated in 1812 by French political circles. “The Russian state must establish power over all of Europe” is one of the key phrases of the Testament, which will haunt the minds of Europeans for a long time.
In the coming years, the world faces a war for resources. To avoid a catastrophe, a fundamental breakdown of consumer ethics is needed. At the same time, the financial elites will most likely want to solve all problems according to the scenario tested on September 11, 2001. What awaits Russia, Europe, the USA and China in the near future - a former member of the European Parliament, an anti-globalist, told Rosbalt Giulietto Chiesa, who came to Crimea at the invitation of the international media club “Format A3”.
We are at the beginning of a transition period that has no precedent in history. It could have come ten years ago, but in 2001 the United States postponed the crisis for 7 years due to the events of September 11th. Postponed - but not cancelled. And in 2008 he returned. It is difficult to say who will benefit from this era, but it is already clear that the history of the last three centuries is coming to an end. Today it is clear that development within is impossible closed system resources - the world has reached the limits of development. Everyone who says that the old system will remain is lying. Coal, oil, even uranium - all the planet's resources are almost exhausted, and it is only a matter of time before they finally run out. All our realities, everything we are used to will change. The civilization of money will go away.
“Aren’t you burying her too early, Mr. Chiesa?” Critics modern society are somewhat exaggerating the scale of the crisis, don’t you think?
No, this is truly a global crisis. Including the energy crisis. Today we even use more water than nature can give us. And what will happen when 300 million people lack this resource over the next ten years? We produce waste with such internal structure, which cannot be recycled in principle. We have changed the course of nature itself.
- Many people talk about ecology. Governments spend huge sums on it, the population votes for the environmental programs of certain parties...
We need to understand that the old democracy is already dying. In Europe, half the population does not go to the polls - and not at all because they are apolitical. To a huge number people lack representation of their interests in government. I am not at all against parliaments, local councils, etc. You just need to create new system representations, new parties and movements. And this movement must come from below.
- Under what flag?
Under the flag of self-restraint. Today you need to start limiting yourself, changing yourself and your lifestyle. We need a cultural, organizational, political revolution, we need to reduce energy costs.
- Do you think there are enough people in the world who are willing to limit themselves of their own free will? In a world where most of it is simply undernourished?
We're not talking about starving people. But even those who could limit themselves do not begin to think about it. Because we are being manipulated, we are being fooled! People have been turned into purchasing tools. The brains of the absolute majority are controlled. We live for the market, when we work and when we rest. It is he who dictates our actions. We are not free people. Journalists should inform people about this. But the media is silent about this. Television tells us 24 hours a day that we need to buy things, that our value scale is purchasing power. In reality, in modern television there is no more than 8% of direct information. Everything else is advertising and entertainment. And in the end, these same 92% shape a person.
- Well, this is natural, because television exists through advertising. Who will support the TV if it stops selling? What do you offer?
For starters, I would nationalize the media. 50 years ago, a person’s personality was formed in the family, school, and sometimes in church. Today, 90% of the thinking of young people is shaped by television. TV has become the most important cultural structure around the world, from the USA to India and China. The media system is a fundamental right of the people and cannot be privatized. They must be returned to the state and people. It is impossible to tell people about the situation on the planet without the participation of television channels. But instead, the TV persuades us to buy another car. In the same way, I am sure that all banks that issue money should be nationalized. We are losing control over money.
-“We” - who is this?
States, citizens of states. In mid-December, the New York Times published an article on the front page that every month the heads of 9 world banks gather in some restaurant on Wall Street: Goldman Sachs, UBS, Bank of America, “ Deutsche Bank" and the like. Every month these nine people make decisions affecting six billion people: what the world's unemployment rate will be, how many people will starve, how many governments will be overthrown, how many ministers will be bought, and so on. These are respectable criminals, but they are more influential than anyone in the world political leader. They have real power - the power of money.
- And yet today there is no reason to think that the growth of production and consumption will stop in the foreseeable future...
Certainly. Moreover, if a billion Chinese start eating meat and drinking milk the way we do, in ten years there will be no place left for all of us on this planet. And when there is no space, what will that mean? Back in 1998, a document was published in the USA - “Project for the new American century." This document prophetically wrote that in 2017 China will become the biggest threat to US security. Everything is coming true. We live in 2011 - there are still 6 years left.
- Do you agree with the thesis that the main threat to the planet comes from China?
No, the biggest source of danger today is New York, Wall Street and the USA. The dollar is already dead today, the USA is bankrupt. But at the same time they are well-armed bankrupts. By the way, economic attacks against Greece and Ireland were provoked only in order to reduce the sovereignty of the European currency and Europe as a whole. After all, in reality today the euro is stronger than the dollar - if only because the EU debt is lower than that of the United States. That’s why, by the way, I don’t think the euro will disappear.
- But Europe also has a lot weak points. The population is aging, the authorities are forced to import migrants, and those - especially Muslims - do not want to assimilate, tension is growing... Merkel and Sarkozy have already admitted that the policy of multiculturalism has failed.
I don't believe multiculturalism has failed. “The danger of Islamic fundamentalism” is a US invention that was launched on September 11, 2001. We ourselves created this idea of exporting democracy. Iraq and Afghanistan proved the unviability of this scheme. As well as the fallacy of the West’s opinion that all peoples and countries must go through the same path as they did.
The Islamic world lives in one century. We are in something else. Is it their fault? No, it’s just that the sense of time and situation is completely different. At the same time, it was we who created globalization, we captured their resources.
Today it is obvious that Europe objectively needs 20 million migrants, but we are not able to absorb them. As a result, they come without any opportunity to live normally. Understand that globalization is a movement of people, and therefore cultures.
- Do you not share the fear that Europe will dissolve in the flow of migrants?
I believe that Europe as a political and cultural phenomenon will continue to exist. Of course, the processes taking place on the continent are very complex. After all, until now there have been no precedents in the world for 27 countries to unite peacefully. Moreover, today one half of the EU is “European”, and the second half is “American” ( we're talking about about Western and Eastern Europe- approx. ed.). The current crisis in the region is the most difficult moment his stories.
By the way, I think that Russia could play O greater role in Europe. Moreover, it is necessary to combine the efforts of these two forces and integrate interests. Europe is not a threat to anyone today. Russia will also not threaten anyone when there is a shortage of resources - if only because it has all these resources within the country. And together, Europe and Russia could play a huge calming role for the situation throughout the world. In the meantime, the United States is “calming everyone down.”
- You worked in Moscow for about 20 years as a reporter for the newspapers l"Unita and La Stampa. Russia today is not going through the most simpler times in its history. Where do you think she's drifting?
It's hard to say. I myself don’t quite understand what’s going on. On the one hand, I see that Russia has enormous opportunities to influence international life. On the other hand, I, unfortunately, observe that Russia still continues to act in the old way - protecting only itself. As, by the way, it is still perceived in public opinion in the West. Never in recent years have I heard large-scale ideas from Russia about the structure of the world. I will give an example - the American empire was created because the Americans were able to send a message to the world: everything that is in their interests is in the interests of the whole world. They worked very well on the idea of a country that speaks for everyone.
So if Russia continues to give signals about its strength, while talking about protecting only itself, few people will be interested. This will not be of interest to Europe, and this is the weakest point of your country’s policy. If you want to lay claim to world domination in the good sense of the word, if you want to have influence in the transitional situation in which the whole world finds itself today, change. We need to come out with messages about unification, about limiting the consumption of resources - so that there is enough for everyone. Great world politics can be built on this.
- How can Russia preach self-restraint, whose ruling class demonstrates to the world the most unbridled consumerism? Don't you see that this country is led by zealous adherents of the world order that you are calling for an end to?
It seems to me that your leaders have not yet realized this new situation. Russian leadership Today he devotes a lot of time to America and little to China. But the 21st century will not be America's century. And it makes no sense for Russia today to buy tickets for a sinking ship. You need to play in different directions.
- What, in your opinion, awaits Russian-Ukrainian relations in the near future?
They are normalizing. There was a period of Viktor Yushchenko, when it was strong influence The USA and the desire to include the country in its orbit. Fatal mistakes. Now that the page of the “Orange Revolution” has been turned, it is necessary to create normal relations between a sovereign, independent, neutral Ukraine, Russia and Europe. But it is necessary for the political elites of Ukraine to know that they are not subordinate to anyone.
“They seem to be starting to realize it.” But that doesn't change the desire Ukrainian elites integrate into Europe - at least personally. Does Europe need Ukraine?
To be honest, Europe needs Russia more. Europe will verbally and, perhaps, even financially support Ukraine, but today it will not be able to simply “digest” this country. Europe must think about itself today, and it would be a mistake for Ukraine to expect much from the EU. If I were the leader of Ukraine, I would create my own strong state. By the way, I voted against Turkey's inclusion in the EU - I knew that Türkiye was too big for us. But we will be able to develop a policy of good neighborliness with this country. Just like with Ukraine. In general, Europe, Russia and Ukraine could play a big common game.
- The global crisis has just begun. How will Ukraine and Russia emerge from it?
Russia is in a relatively prosperous position because this country has everything necessary resources. China doesn't have them either. Europe also does not have sufficient resources. And in this difficult and delicate transition period which comes due to global crisis, Russia will be in very good conditions. Therefore, she must take advantage of this situation.
Ukraine does not have such resources. But, for example, it can play a big role in creating a European security system. There is no need to wait for proposals from either Russia or Europe. If I were the Ukrainian president, I would create a center that would deal with this area. Here you can create international center studying the security of the new world. We need to produce ideas. Tomorrow things will cost a lot, but ideas will be even more expensive.
Interviewed by Pavel Kazarin
The Great American Show(American Show) or “Zeitgeist in 20 minutes” – Who rules us and the world and how. A short documentary about the intentions of the US ruling elite, what they strived for and what they have already achieved.
* Who rules us and the world and how.
We are all being fooled! We are all SLAVES TO THE WORLD'S FINANCIAL ELITE through the money, media and education they control. A is highest form manipulation of public consciousness, and therefore society itself.
Their goal is globalization world economy and the creation of a WORLD GOVERNMENT through the subjugation or elimination of independent regimes in all countries. Unfortunately, they are very close to achieving their goal - organizations such as the UN, IMF, World Bank, WTO, etc. have already been created, whose tasks are not at all what they declare and propagate through the media under their control. Owners of international corporations benefit through education and media to form an ideology of consumption among the population.
American Show
America is an empire that rules the world, totally controls everything: money, oil, politics, wars, information, culture, science. Everything in the world. But it didn’t happen right away.
In the beginning, Europe and Russia were strong. America began to solve this problem and organized the First world war. While they were killing each other, America was building its country. It doesn't matter how many people die; the main thing is that everything is fine with you. After World War I, America brought Hitler to power in Germany, who unleashed World War II, in which America profited to the fullest. We did not interfere until the last moment - we waited until the young and strong went to their graves and destroyed their cities. And then we appeared - saviors who will help. But only on the condition that everyone owes us money, and the most talented come to us and work for us. It's okay that Hitler killed 50 million people; the main thing is that everything is fine with you. To be honest, Hitler was our friend. My grandfather Prescott Bush owned the bank that financed Hitler's rise to power.
Our civilization has destroyed other cultures from the very beginning, just as it did with the Indians. She subjugated them by any means, as was the case with blacks in Africa. And we don't know anything else. So it was with Europe. We had jazz and cinema, but they had war; brilliant, isn't it? We organized Pearl Harbor, and then they rewrote history, and they tell you that the Japanese did everything. We just needed a reason to go to war. What are 2000 people, even if they are our soldiers, compared to the billions of dollars we have earned and the power we have gained.
Yes, America won the war, we made the most money from this. The Russians and Germans were meat, like everyone else, all we had to do was help them with technology and play on their ambitions so that they would complete the job.
When it was all over, we had a problem, these were the Russians, the only ones who claimed to be a world power. Moreover, they had nuclear weapons. They could not be defeated by force. And our strategy was to destroy them in a different way. We imposed an arms race on the Russians, which they and their economy could not win. But this was just a distraction so that we could have an order for the production of weapons. While the Russians were building rockets, we defeated them with jeans, Coca-Cola and naked women, calling it freedom. When the Russians were defeated, they became a source of first-class scientists who hated their homeland. Fools.
In Europe itself big problem for us was their centuries-old culture and history. We have dissolved them with mass culture. Do you remember how rock and roll came about? Yes, those nice guys who sang about love and freedom. Do you remember the sexual revolution and the hippies? It is naive to believe that all this arose by itself. There were just a lot of young and talented people - they are always a source of problems. Then we created the first social virus, a setup for rapid self-destruction: “ live bright, die young».
The development of the media has allowed us to control almost all information flows. We had to make the meaning of people's lives that which would give us the maximum income. We have created a consumer society in which the pursuit of completely unnecessary things has become the meaning of life.
Culture of instincts and inverted values gave us the opportunity to control consciousness and dissolve traditional way of life the lives of many peoples. Europeans and Russians no longer want to start families and have children. Most people don't care where they come from, what their history is, or who rules them. who will simply survive them, and then this territory will become a second America - a country without Family and Tribe, without history.
Freedom? Don't make me laugh. Freedom today means choosing between the types of washing powders and the brand of car. Your salary and purchases - everything goes through our accounts. Your life is our income. The more you buy, the more we get.
We ourselves created the terrorists with whom we scare the whole world today. This is our network, and only idiots think that everything happens by itself. Any terrorist attack is our order. Man is an animal that The most effective way to manage is through fear.. He made a noise somewhere, invited TV, and the person is ready to do anything to ensure that this doesn’t happen to him.
But what to do with our weapons, with our military industry, which brings in so much income? And we came to Iraq again, we came to the Russian Caucasus, we destroyed Yugoslavia. Under our leadership, innocent people were destroyed - we didn’t care, because we don’t care about these subhumans.
They were dying - we were dancing.
In the vastness of the former Soviet Union We organized a series of coups and turned these countries into our colonies with the help of finance. The Baltic states are ruled by Hitler's heirs. In Ukraine and Georgia there are presidents who do not care about their people and act solely on our orders, killing opposition politicians and closing opposition media. We need Georgia as military base for Iran; Ukraine – for Russia. Their economies are completely dependent on us. In the countries that we enslave, we destroy more or less competitive businesses. Clever, isn't it?
Democracy is what benefits us; everything else is nothing more than an American Show performance. As you can see, we learned gradually, improving the technology, and today we master it perfectly.
The Empire owns you: your bank account, yours telephone number, email address and letters in it, news on your TV, your computer and operating system, your diary and your dating profile, your work, car and house, books you read, movies you watch, clothes you wear, and even the chair you are sitting on - it all belongs to us. But most importantly, we own your consciousness, your dreams and fears, your desires and your actions. Your past, present and future.
Do you know who you are? Or more precisely, what are you? You are the most ordinary battery, one of the billions of energy sources that power our... Stayed last stage- we need absolute, total control over everyone throughout the entire territory of the earth, a worldwide unified power and currency. Very soon, every person will have a built-in microcircuit that will be his passport and wallet at the same time. We will finally establish power over all humanity. Our great luck is that you don’t believe in this, fool. Your heart belongs to me, just like you.
The heart is a counter counting down the time until the final. Think about it, is this where you are going? Is this how you live? Is what you used to consider valuable worth anything? The only way resist – universal resistance. Seek the truth, tell the truth. Get your heart back.
Seizing power must be the dream of at least half of aspiring supervillains. However, some more benevolent (questionably) people try to do this the old-fashioned way: exploration, colonization, conquest, and sometimes (okay - occasionally) even mutually beneficial policies.
Although no one had yet been able to openly seize power (shadow communities don't count), the age of empires was certainly not boring, and impressive progress was made as recently as the late 1900s.
Let's start all the way from 500 BC and go through it chronologically to the present. Here are 25 of the greatest and most powerful empires in the history of mankind!
25. Achaemenid Power - around 500 BC.
As the 18th largest empire in history, the Achaemenid Power (also called the first Persian Empire) is already impressive. At the peak of its rise around 550 BC. they occupied an area of 31.6 million km², including the vast majority of the countries of the Middle East and regions of Russia.
Even more impressively, under Cyrus II the Great, the empire had a comprehensive social infrastructure, including roads and a postal service, that other empires would later strive to surpass.
24. Macedonian Empire - around 323 BC
Under Alexander the Great, the Macedonian Empire destroyed the Achaemenid Empire and built the final Hellenistic state, starting ancient Greek civilization, Aristotle's philosophical contributions, and probably orgies.
At its peak, the Macedonian Empire occupied almost 3.5% of the entire world, making it the 21st largest empire in history (and second largest after the Persian conquest).
23. Mauryan Empire - around 250 BC
After the death of Alexander the Great, all of India and much of the surrounding territory was conquered by the Mauryan Empire, resulting in the first (and largest) Indian Empire.
At its height, under a benevolent and diplomatic ruler known as Ashok the Great, the Mauryan Empire covered an area of almost 5 million km², making it the 23rd largest empire in history.
22. Xiongnu Empire - around 209 BC
During the period IV-III centuries. BC, what eventually became China consisted of several warring states. As a result, the nomadic Xiongnu armies launched raids into the northern territories.
At its height, the Xiongnu Empire occupied more than 6% of the entire world's territory, becoming the 10th largest empire in human history.
They were so irresistible that it took years of negotiations, arranged marriages, and concessions by the Han Dynasty to keep them from being conquered.
21. Western Han Dynasty - around 50 BC
Speaking of the Han dynasties, the Western Han dynasty reached its peak about a century later. Although they never reached the level of development of the Xiongnu Empire, they still managed to occupy an area of 6 million km² with over 57 million people, becoming the 17th largest empire in human history. To achieve this, they successfully pushed the Xiongnu north while aggressively expanding south into what is now Vietnam and the Korean Peninsula.
The Western Han Dynasty included the major diplomatic achievements of Zhang Qian, who established contacts with states as far west as the Roman Empire and established the famous Silk Road trade route.
20. Eastern Han Dynasty - around 100 AD
During its nearly 200-year existence, the Eastern Han dynasty experienced a succession of different rulers, revolts, instability, and economic crisis. Despite these factors, the Eastern Han Dynasty was the 12th largest empire in history. It was larger in area than its pre-Christian counterpart, covering almost 500 km² more - a total of 4.36% of the entire world.
19. Roman Empire - around 117 AD
Due to the huge number of references that the Roman Empire receives, the average person mistakenly considers it the largest in history.
Indeed, at its peak in 117 AD. it was the most extensive and social structure in Western civilization, but even then the Romans occupied a total of only 5 million km² of land, making them the 24th largest empire in history.
IN in this case it is not a question of quantity but of quality, since the influence of the Roman Empire affected almost every aspect of Western civilization.
18. Turkic Khaganate - around 557 AD
The Turkic Khaganate consisted of what is now north-central China. The rulers of the Khaganate were descended from the Ashina clan, another nomadic tribe of unknown origin from northern Inner Asia.
Like the Xiongnu almost six centuries earlier, they expanded to rule vast territories in Central Asia, including lucrative trade along the Silk Road.
By 557 AD they became the 15th largest empire in history, controlling 4.03% of the entire world's territory (much more than the Roman Empire's 3.36%).
17. Righteous Caliphate- around 655 AD
The Righteous Caliphate was the first Islamic caliphate early period Islam. It was founded immediately after the death of the Prophet Muhammad in 632 AD to manage the affairs of the Islamic community.
Having subjugated or allied with various Arab tribes, the Caliphate embarked on a conquest that led to the dominance of Egypt, Syria, and the entire Persian Empire. At its best period in 655 AD. The Righteous Caliphate was the 14th largest empire, covering 6.4 million km² of territory in the Middle East.
16. Umayyad Caliphate - around 720 AD
The second of the four major caliphates after the death of Muhammad, the Umayyad Caliphate arose after the first Muslim Civil War in 661 CE. In addition to dominating the entire Middle East, the Umayyad Caliphate continued to expand towards North Africa and parts of Southern Europe.
Having a comprehensive social structure, consisting of 29% of the total world population (62 million people) and 7.45% of the entire world land area, the Umayyad Caliphate became the 8th largest empire in modern history and the largest empire in the world, which only existed until 720 AD.
15. Abbasid Caliphate - around 750 AD
30 years after the heyday of the Umayyad Caliphate, as a result of the uprising and disobedience of the descendants of Muhammad's youngest uncle to the Umayyads, the Abassid Caliphate came to power.
They claimed that their lineage was closer to the Prophet Muhammad, so they were his true heirs. After successfully seizing power in 750 AD. they began a "golden era" that lasted almost 400 years and included a strong alliance with China.
Although their empire was no larger than the Umayyad Caliphate, it existed for long period, successfully controlling 11.1 million km², making them the 7th largest empire in human history until captured by Genghis Khan in 1206.
14. Tibetan Empire - around 800 AD
The Tibetan Empire occupied more than 3% of the entire world's territory by 800. At the same time, a comparatively gigantic and prosperous Arab Empire flourished from the West. On the other hand, the Tang Dynasty, having become a stable and united power that established diplomatic relations with the Arabs, made the Tibetan Empire one of the first in history to be between two strong states.
Thanks to diplomacy and impressive military power, the Tibetan Empire lasted for more than 200 years. Ironically, the growing influence of Buddhist teachings ultimately triggered a civil war that split the empire.
13. Tang Dynasty - around 820 AD
The Tang Dynasty ushered in what is considered a golden period of multicultural culture in Chinese civilization. Two of China's most famous poets, Li Bai and Du Fu, belonged to this period, and the invention of woodblock printing contributed to the development of artistic culture among the growing population of China and throughout Asia.
Being less significant than other Chinese dynasties with historical point In view, the Tang Dynasty lasted for almost three centuries (from 618 to 907 AD), inhabiting 3.6% of the world's total area and ranking as the 20th largest empire in human history.
12. Mongol Empire - around 1270
Although many people know about it, few people really understand how huge Genghis Khan's empire really was. At its best, the Mongol Empire controlled a whopping 24 million km² of territory.
For comparison, this is more than 4 times larger size Roman Empire and slightly less than 3 times the size of the modern United States, making the Mongol Empire the 2nd largest empire in human history.
11. Golden Horde - around 1310
Genghis Khan was not stupid, and knew that without his leadership the empire was unlikely to be able to maintain its size. Thus, he divided the empire into regions, giving control of each to each of his sons to preserve his legacy.
Due to the sheer size and power of the original empire, even its individual domains were impressively powerful. In the next generation after the Mongol Empire reached its peak, it became an independent entity.
Even on its own, by 1310, it was the 16th largest empire in history and controlled a still impressive 4.03% of the world (about a quarter of the world's land). Mongol Empire).
10. Yuan Dynasty - around 1310
From the northern Chinese territories, previously controlled by the Mongol Empire, Genghis Khan's grandson led his troops to conquer the rest of China and found the Yuan Dynasty.
By 1310, it had become the largest fragment of the previous Mongol Empire and the 9th largest empire in human history, with 11 million km² of land in its possession. Unfortunately, the uprisings in mid-XIV centuries led to the final overthrow of the Yuan in 1368, making the dynasty the shortest-lived in Chinese history.
9. Ming Dynasty (Great Ming Empire) - around 1450
The Ming Dynasty was formed after the fall of the Yuan Dynasty. Unable to expand north due to the presence of the powerful Mongols, the Ming Dynasty still occupied a respectable 4.36% of the world's land area and is the 13th largest empire in history.
It is perhaps best known for building China's first navy, which enabled maritime expeditions and stimulated successful regional maritime trade.
8. Ottoman Empire - circa 1683
When Istanbul was Constantinople, it was the capital of the Ottoman Empire (also called the Turkish Empire). Although historically it was quite small (5.2 million km², making it the 22nd largest empire in existence), it was otherwise successful and long-lived.
Beginning just before 1300, the Ottoman Empire was able to secure its place between the eastern and western worlds for more than six centuries. After defeat in World War I, the empire was destroyed, resulting in the establishment of the Turkish Republic in 1922.
7. Qing Dynasty - circa 1790
The Qing Dynasty became the last imperial dynasty of China. This huge empire became the 4th largest empire in the entire history of mankind and occupied almost 10% of all globe, including the territory of Korea and Taiwan, with a population of more than 400 million people.
Almost three centuries passed before local uprisings forced the last emperor to abdicate, forming the Republic of China in 1912.
6. Spanish Empire- around 1810
Not wanting to be left behind by the latest Chinese dynasty The Spanish Empire was formed in 1492 and became only the second global empire in world history. With an area of 15.3 million km² of land under its control, it was the 5th largest in history.
Through numerous maritime conquests, they controlled a huge percentage of territory in both North and South America, as well as virtually all of the Caribbean, parts of Africa, Europe, southern Pacific Ocean and even some cities along the coast of the Middle East.
5. Portuguese Colonial Empire - circa 1820
Also known as the Portuguese Overseas Territories, the Portuguese Colonial Empire became the first global empire in history.
However, it never achieved the same massive dominance as the Spanish Empire. With 3.69% of the Earth's territory under its control, it is the 19th largest empire in history.
However, it is the longest-lived modern European colonial empire, lasting six centuries and just shy of the new millennium (the Portuguese Empire officially ceased to exist on December 20, 1999).
4. Brazilian Empire - circa 1889
Originally part of Portuguese Empire The Brazilian Empire declared its independence in 1822. After several years of instability, a period of calm emerged in 1843, which allowed the Brazilian Empire to gain stability until conflicts arose with Great Britain and Uruguay.
After successfully resolving these conflicts, the Brazilian Empire began its "golden age" and quickly became known throughout the world as a progressive and modern nation.
By the 1880s, the empire represented most of South America, covering an area of 8.5 million km², making it the 11th largest empire in human history.
3. Russian Empire - circa 1895
The Russian Empire was a powerful state that existed (officially) from 1721 until its overthrow in 1917 by revolution. The empire expanded from the beginning, transforming Russia from a primarily agricultural state into a more modern one.
At its height in 1895, the population of the Russian Empire grew from 15.5 million to 170 million people living in an area of almost 23.3 million km². With the addition of the Baltic states, Poland, Finland and more significant Asian territories to its territory, the Russian Empire became the 3rd largest in the history of mankind.
2. Second French Colonial Empire - circa 1920
Competing with Spain, Portugal, the United Provinces and (later) Britain, the Second French Colonial Empire began in 1830 with the conquest of Algeria. They colonized a large percentage of Africa and took over the Middle East, Southeast Asia, New Caledonia and a tiny part of South America.
This made the empire at its height the 6th largest in history, as its population accounted for 5% of the entire world population, and it lived on 7.7% of the Earth's territory.
1. British Empire - circa 1920
This may or may not come as a shock to you, but in the competition to conquer the world, no empire has been more dominant than the British. Covering an area of 35.5 million km², the British Empire was easily the largest in human history (30% larger than the Mongol Empire).
For more than a century, Britain was the world's premier superpower and controlled 23% of the world's population. As a result of massive expansion throughout the world, their cultural and linguistic heritage can be found in almost every advanced culture on Earth.
Most consider the official handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997 to be the official end of the British Empire. Although if you look at world stage, then the UK still controls the largest part of the world... they just do it very smartly and more progressively. Perhaps this is world domination... just done well.
DECLINE OF EMPIRES. USA: FROM WORLD DOMINANCE TO FALL.
Historical parallels between the USA and Ancient Rome.
We rarely compare the United States with Ancient Rome. Maybe because subconsciously we want to reserve this place for ourselves. Although in fact, Russia is a second Constantinople, and not imperial Rome. It was continuity in relation to Byzantium that was meant by the monk Philotheus, the author of the famous formula: “Moscow is the Third Rome.”
In contrast, the logic of Rome's imperial rule plays out with greater plausibility in American history. The coincidences, of course, are not accidental. Historical parallels are due general character world domination. It must also be said that the Americans purposefully copied Ancient Rome. The Senate, the Capitol, the dollar sign (the crossed out letter s is the Roman sestertius) and much more - all from there. 
Roman Empire in 117 AD e. during the reign of Trajan. Relative to the size of the planet, the Roman Empire is not that large, but at that time it included most of the civilized world.
Advantages of the New World.
One of the most important factors What ensured the rise of the United States was its overseas location. Debilitating wars bypassed America. The bloodiest conflict in the history of the United States was the Civil War - by European standards, it was not particularly cruel and destructive. Our history in this sense is much more complex and dramatic.
Ancient Rome was also very lucky at the start that it was located at some distance from the center ancient civilization. While Rome grew boringly and grew stronger, to the east of Italy more civilized peoples enthusiastically crushed each other.
The eastern Mediterranean has been the scene of constant conflict. For fifty years the Greeks fought with the Persians and still stopped the expansion great empire. Then Athens rose - they were overwhelmed joint efforts Greek city-states(financed by the Persians). Sparta rose and a government was found for it too. Thebes took the lead, but, of course, it all ended in defeat.
Later, the Romans liked to dream that, they say, the mighty legions of their small but proud power in their time could defeat even Alexander the Great (see the fantasies of Titus Livy). Of course, in reality, such a meeting took place in the 4th century BC. e. would be fatal for Rome. The success story of the United States would also not be so brilliant if in the 19th century Napoleon was located in close proximity to it, and before the First World War, instead of neighboring Mexico, it had a border with, for example, Germany.
The rise of Rome is due to the fact that for the first few centuries of its history it fought only with barbarians. It was fenced off from its more dangerous neighbors by seas. At the same time, Ancient Italy was a fairly developed region with a large number of Greek colonies, from which the Romans could borrow the advanced technologies of the then civilization. By the way, such outstanding scientists as Pythagoras and Archimedes lived in the Italian colonies of the Hellenes. 
Venus gives Aeneas the armor of Vulcan. The gods made sure that Aeneas could survive in Trojan War and found a new power in Italy. The Roman legend of the flight of a small group of defenders of Troy recalls the journey of the Pilgrim Fathers aboard the Mayflower to the shores of America in the first half of the 17th century.
The path to world domination through world war.
Before the two world wars, the United States was a strong regional power, nothing more. The logic of the historical process shows that it is impossible to achieve world domination by peacefully increasing GDP. We need to crush the other contenders. In this sense, the example of China, whose economy has long been No. 1 in the world, is instructive. However, as long as the US military machine exists, China cannot claim leadership.
At the same time, the United States was very lucky. Both in April 1917 and in December 1941 they successfully pulled off the same maneuver. They entered the war at a time when opposing blocs had already formed, thereby significantly strengthening one of the sides. Win-win strategy.
The Romans had a more difficult time. In the two Punic Wars they came face to face with Carthage, another contender for dominance in the Mediterranean. In 218 BC. e. Hannibal, perhaps the most talented commander of antiquity, crossed the Alps, defeated the Romans in many battles and spent a total of 15 years in Italy. Taking advantage of this, many cities in Italy broke away from Rome. It would be the same if Field Marshal Manstein had landed in Texas, where he received the support of the old Confederates, who had not forgotten or forgiven the defeat of the South during the Civil War.
However, the Romans survived and won. As a result of the Punic Wars, they became the owners of a large and experienced army, which they immediately used to consolidate their hegemony. 
Gladiator fights in the Colosseum arena. While the ancient Greeks preferred theater and sports, the Romans enjoyed violent spectacles in the spirit of Hollywood action films. Mass culture, in which disemboweled intestines are the norm, unmistakably points to a people who love to fight.
Rome is the leader of the democratic world.
After the victory over Carthage, there were still two great powers, Hellenistic monarchies, that were potentially capable of stopping Roman expansion: the Seleucid Empire and Macedonia. By the way, the United States after World War II also could not become the absolute masters of the planet as long as the USSR and China existed.
In the wars against Macedonia and the Seleucids, Rome consistently acted as a defender of democracy and independence of numerous (and very rich and developed) Greek states. From the Greek allies, the Romans put together something like NATO and the European Union. On the contrary, both Hellenistic monarchies were presented in Roman propaganda as despotic empires that only dreamed of enslaving the free world.
As a result of a series of conflicts, opponents of democracy were defeated. Defeated Macedonia was divided into several independent republics. The Romans banned these states from all political and economic contacts among themselves. Even marriages could only be concluded within one republic, just like owning property. The United States has been trying to implement a similar strategy in relation to the republics over the past few decades. former USSR. And we must admit that we have achieved some success in this. 
The Macedonian king Perseus and his entire family humiliate themselves before the Roman consul. The Greeks, who helped defeat Macedonia, very soon had to go through a similar procedure.
The Seleucid Empire, in turn, could not withstand the “arms race.” Wars with Rome required high expenses, and in case of defeats it was necessary to pay huge indemnities. King Antiochus III, an outstanding politician of antiquity and generally a man of outstanding merit, shamefully ended his life as a robber of temple treasures. Collecting money to pay the indemnity, the king with an armed detachment attacked the temple of one of the cities in Mesopotamia at night, but was killed by local residents who had fled to the noise.
Naturally, similar domestic politics contributed to separatism. Most of the peoples of the great Seleucid empire hastened to disconnect from the power, whose central power had degraded to such an extent. 
The Seleucid power within the borders of 64 BC is marked in blue. e., at the time of joining the Roman Republic. It is characteristic that Rome was unable to digest most of the territory of the empire it defeated. Everything east of the Euphrates was given to the Parthians - warlike people originally from Central Asia.
Enslavement of allies.
It is interesting that after the defeat of Macedonia, the Greeks enjoyed freedom and democracy for exactly two years. A conflict arose within Hellas, similar to the current crisis in Catalonia. In 147 BC. e. The oligarchs of Sparta did not share some large bribe with the oligarchs from other policies of Greece, after which they announced that they were leaving the union. In turn, neighboring policies began to threaten the separatists that they would carry out a police operation. The Spartans rather vilely turned to Rome for mediation and called legions to Greece.
Finally, the ancient Greeks still showed that they had not completely forgotten their heroic history. Hellenic patriots nationalized the property of the oligarchs, who had been selling their homeland for the last half century. Made all slaves born in Greece free. The loan debts with which the pro-Roman elite had entangled the population were cancelled. They assembled an impressive army.
However, by this time the forces were clearly not equal. There were no states left outside Hellas that could come to the aid of the Greeks. The legions broke through the defenses at Thermopylae, and then attacked the Greeks decisive defeat. It is typical that the oligarchs greeted the Romans with joyful shouts, with olive branches in their hands. Greece, previously thoroughly plundered by legionnaires, became a Roman province. Only Sparta and Athens retained formal independence in memory of their great past. 
In antiquity, there were no modern financial instruments to exploit other countries indirectly. Therefore, the Romans simply robbed their opponents, provoking wars specifically for this purpose. Indemnities were collected from the vanquished, and prisoners were sold into slavery.
Economy of a global empire.
What was the engine and fuel of Roman expansion? Of course, income from brilliant conquests. The indemnities from defeated opponents alone often exceeded the rest of the budget revenues (read “Outlines of the World Economy in 1-2030. Essays macroeconomic history"Aengas Maddison). Pompey's (later Caesar's most important rival) campaigns in the East brought 340 million sesterces a year to the budget. Caesar's conquest of Gaul was not such a profitable enterprise: only 40 million. The defeat of the pirates in Cyprus brought the treasury 160 million. 
The Rape of the Sabine Women. The Romans did not need to seek justification for their conquests.
Moreover, indemnities are just the tip of the iceberg. Soldiers and officers robbed much more; the legates of the legions became millionaires after successful campaigns. The governors of the new provinces were richer than the kings of neighboring powers, because they were engaged in the most unscrupulous corruption. All this money ultimately went into the Italian economy. Rome was bathed in luxury. In 167 BC. e. In Italy, all types of direct taxes were abolished; there was enough money as it was.
Even despite tax immunity, the “deindustrialization” of Italy occurred. A process similar to the one faced by the United States. Labor is too expensive. The plebs are on welfare, everyone demands bread and circuses.
Only the “working” of the economy saved Italy from the final transfer of real production to the provinces. Work free people replaced by slave labor.
Instead of farm plots and craft workshops, Italy was covered with giant plantations and factories built on forced labor. But even with the fairly high efficiency of large enterprises, Italy was still critically dependent on imports from the provinces. 
Classical slavery existed only in Italy. Overall, slaves made up only 10% of the empire's population, but half of them were in Italy. It is possible that during the robotization of the 21st century we will also see similar distortions.
Transition to the "golden age".
That is, we are dealing with a classic pyramid. In theory, the achievement of growth limits by the Roman Empire should have automatically provoked the collapse of the entire structure. As a result, Roman rule had every chance to go down in history as one of the most dark pages antiquity. No one would remember anything good about them. However, it happened differently. The “golden age” has arrived, a wonderful era of peace and prosperity.
The internal regions of the state did not know what war was for centuries. Cities had their walls torn down because they were no longer needed. Famous roads stretched across the country, which were used even a thousand years after the fall of Rome. And cultural achievements have served as role models even longer than roads.
What is the secret of Rome? Approximately 100-120 years before reaching its maximum size, the empire ceased to see the meaning of expansion in robbery. There were still extensive conquests ahead: Britain, Germany, Thrace, Cappadocia, Mesopotamia, Dacia... However, Rome had already stopped terrorizing the conquered and neighboring peoples. It happened as follows.
Conquest and plunder are the first stage. The second is brutal exploitation. The third is the gradual integration of the conquered countries as equal regions of the empire. To local residents were given Roman citizenship. The first senators from the provinces appeared. And then there are emperors with Spanish, African or Syrian accents. The empire became beneficial to the peoples who inhabited it. The main “goods” of Rome were security, culture, civilization, and law. The concept " common fatherland" As writers and poets of that time from various parts of the empire said, “Rome not only ruled, but was also worthy of rule.” The idea of Pax Romana, the Roman world, is read in Pliny, Plutarch, Virgil.
It is symbolic that the beginning new policy was founded in the era of Octavian Augustus, at the turn of our era, just at the time when the famous events happened in Palestine. At the same time, the dualism of imperial power arose. On the one hand, Augustus was a princeps for the Roman people, and on the other, an emperor for the rest of the empire. 
Interestingly, racism was completely alien to the Romans. Perhaps this factor also favored the integration of the provinces, otherwise they would have been stuck in the status of exploited colonies for a long time. Fresco from Pompeii.
Where the US missed the point of no return.
In the end, the Roman Empire fell anyway, lost its guidelines, and decayed from the inside. In detail about the reasons - in the 7-volume “History of the Decline and Collapse of the Roman Empire”, no one has ever dug deeper than Edward Gibbon.
The trouble with the United States (and us at the same time, as hostages of the modern world order) is not that America is degenerating like the Roman Empire. They are still far from reaching the stage of moral decay; moreover, the United States will not reach it at all. They won't make it in time.
Following the trajectory of the Roman Empire, the United States has reached its limits. They influence the whole world in one way or another. There is nowhere to go further than expansion. Washington makes money on the world currency, on world oil production, on world conflicts, on the global production of meanings, i.e. on everything it can theoretically make money on world empire. Here is just a point for a smooth transition to the era " good emperors”, who should have taken on the burden of protecting civilization, they missed. They didn't even notice her in 1991.
The collapse of the Soviet Union gave Americans unique chance cross out, rewrite all the controversial and vile aspects of the construction of the empire, as the Romans did. They abandoned him.
On the contrary, the United States continued to act as if the string of profitable conquests would continue indefinitely. How? There is no life on Mars. Everything that could be included in the process of globalization on our planet is already there. 
The book of the German Herfried Münkler “Empires. The logic of domination over the world. From Ancient Rome to the USA." The author calls on the European Union to also try to become an empire.
Rome would have collapsed already in the 1st century AD if it had continued its previous policy of “controlled chaos.” After all, chaos tends to become uncontrollable.
There is an interesting period in the history of Rome civil wars, when opposing political factions competed with each other not by the number of votes in the Senate, but by the number of legions. Apparently, the time is not far off when American parties will also begin to use against each other all the sophisticated techniques that they have developed in the past. foreign policy. Including technologies of the “orange revolutions”. Or maybe even involve political struggle USA third countries.
It is still difficult to imagine Trump, who, together with armed supporters, crosses the US border on the Rio Grande with the words: “The die is cast!” However, until recently, few people imagined that the American establishment would sabotage the policies of the legally elected president. 
An ancient Roman aqueduct built to supply water to the city of Nîmes, Southern Gaul. The total length of the water pipeline is 50 km, the difference in water level is only 17 m. After the fall of the empire, the water supply soon became clogged, and wild residents used the aqueduct as a toll bridge, fleecing money from merchants and pilgrims. So our main task for the 21st century - to survive the fall of the current world order without losses in cultural and technical development.
