The Two World Wars (1902 AD – 1945 AD)
两次世界大战（公元 1902 年 – 公元 1945 年）
By 1900 there were signs that the British Empire was no longer viable. The British Empire had brought wealth through infrastructure and trade to its colonies. It had also brought them political stability through the imposition of British styled political, legal and social structures. However, the people of those colonies were now wanting more; independence and self-determination.
到 1900 年，有迹象表明大英帝国不再可行。大英帝国通过基础设施和贸易为其殖民地带来了财富。它还通过实施英国式的政治、法律和社会结构为他们带来了政治稳定。然而，那些殖民地的人民现在想要更多：自主和自决。
In Ireland, a War of Independence led to the partitioning of Ireland. The Catholic dominated south became a separate country, the Republic of Ireland, whereas the Protestant dominated north of Ireland remained part of the U.K.
在爱尔兰，独立战争导致了爱尔兰的分裂。天主教徒占主导地位的南部成为一个独立的国家，即爱尔兰共和国，而新教占主导地位的爱尔兰北部仍然是英国的一部分。
In Europe, other empires were collapsing. Rivalries between European nations led to a complex network of defence treaties which were triggered when the Austrian archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in Sarajevo. The situation quickly escalated and dragged in countries from across the world. Because of the recent improvements in military technology, millions of people died. Such was the impact of the First World War it also became known as ‘The Great War’ or ‘ The War To End All Wars’.
在欧洲，其他帝国正在崩溃。欧洲国家之间的竞争导致了一个复杂的防御条约网络，奥地利大公弗朗茨·斐迪南 在萨拉热窝被暗杀时触发了这一网络。局势迅速升级并拖入世界各国。由于最近军事技术的进步，数百万人死亡。这就是第一次世界大战的影响，它也被称为“大战”或“结束所有战争的战争”。
On losing the First World War, Germany was forced to sign the Treaty of Versailles. This humiliation planted the seeds for the Second World War. Adolf Hitler rose to power in Germany and provoked nationalism in order to create a new German Empire. This new conflict dragged in many countries, including the U.K. and led to millions of lives across the world being lost.
Other than achieving a moral victory, these wars did not benefit the U.K. Indeed, these wars virtually bankrupted the UK and speeded up the dissolution of the British Empire.
第一次世界大战失败后，德国被迫签署了凡尔赛条约。这种屈辱为第二次世界埋下了种子。阿道夫·希特勒在德国掌权并挑起民族主义，以建立新的德意国帝国。这场新的冲突拖累了包括英国在内的许多国家，并导致全球数百万人丧生。
除了取得道德上的胜利外，这些战争并没有给英国带来任何好处。事实上，这些战争实际上使英国破产并加速了大英帝国的解体。