This course examines the military history of the British Empire from its rise during the wars with France (1750-1815) to its dissolution in the 1960s. Concentrating mostly on wars outside Europe, the course covers a diverse range of conflicts including India and the West Indies in the 1790s, Afghanistan and South Africa in the 1830s, China and New Zealand in the 1860s, Iraq and Ireland in the 1920s and Cyprus and Borneo in the 1960s. The course will consider the military factors that both enabled the creation of the world's greatest empire and led to its demise. As well, the military history of British Empire provides the context for the Australian experience of war and the development of Australian military institutions.