Expansionism refers to states obtaining greater territory through military empire-building or colonialism .
90-613: (Redirected from Great Commoner ) The Great Commoner has referred to several individuals: William Pitt the Elder , British Prime Minister, before he accepted a title as the Earl of Chatham William Jennings Bryan , American presidential candidate Winston Churchill , British Prime Minister Abraham Lincoln , 16th President of the United States Rutherford B. Hayes , 19th President of
180-534: A New Roman Empire , based around the Mediterranean . Italy invaded Ethiopia as early as 1935, Albania in early 1938, and later Greece. Spazio vitale ("living space") was the territorial expansionist concept of Italian Fascism . It was analogous to Nazi Germany's concept of Lebensraum and the United States' concept of "Manifest Destiny". Fascist ideologist Giuseppe Bottai likened this historic mission to
270-526: A landslide , further strengthening its majority in parliament. When parliament met, however, he made no secret of his feelings. Ignoring Robinson, Pitt made frequent and vehement attacks on Newcastle, although still continuing to serve as Paymaster under him. From 1754, Britain was increasingly drawn into conflict with France during this period, despite Newcastle's wish to maintain the peace. The countries clashed in North America, where each had laid claim to
360-645: A second British attempt to capture Louisbourg succeeded. However, Pitt's pleasure over this was tempered by the subsequent news of a significant British defeat at the Battle of Carillon . Toward the end of the year the Forbes Expedition seized the site of Fort Duquesne and began constructing the British-controlled Fort Pitt (which later grew into the city of Pittsburgh). This gave the British control of
450-497: A 2023 study, important historical instances of territorial expansion have frequently happened because actors on the periphery of a state have acted without authorization from their superiors at the center of the state. Leaders subsequently find it difficult to withdraw from the newly captured areas due to "sunk costs, domestic political pressure, and national honor." Every part of the world has experienced expansionism. The religious imperialism and colonialism of Islam started with
540-439: A boy of turbulent disposition but would not do where there was any gentleness". It was at school that Pitt began to suffer from gout . Governor Pitt died in 1726, and the family estate at Boconnoc passed to William's father. When he died the following year, Boconnoc was inherited by William's elder brother, Thomas Pitt of Boconnoc . In January 1727, William was entered as a gentleman commoner at Trinity College, Oxford . There
630-535: A commission of 1 ⁄ 2 % on all foreign subsidies. Although there was no strong public sentiment against the practice, Pitt completely refused to profit by it. All advances were lodged by him in the Bank of England until required, and all subsidies were paid over without deduction, even though it was pressed upon him, so that he did not draw a shilling from his office beyond the salary legally attaching to it. Pitt ostentatiously made this clear to everyone, although he
720-458: A faction of discontented Whigs known as the Patriots who formed part of the opposition. The group commonly met at Stowe House , the country estate of Lord Cobham , who was a leader of the group. Cobham had originally been a supporter of the government under Sir Robert Walpole, but a dispute over the controversial Excise Bill of 1733 had seen them join the opposition. Pitt swiftly became one of
810-525: A failed attack was made on the South American port of Cartagena that left thousands of British troops dead, more than half from disease, and cost many ships. The decision to attack during the rainy season was held as further evidence of the government's incompetence. After this, the colonial war against Spain was almost entirely abandoned as British resources were switched toward fighting France in Europe as
900-513: A full invasion of Ukraine and annexed its southeastern provinces . Meanwhile, Russia has established domination over Belarus . The Russian state is also accused of neo-colonialism in Africa , mainly through the activities of the Wagner Group and Africa Corps . Turkey's foreign policy is characterized, especially since 2010s by an aggressive expansionism, irredentism and interventionism in
990-623: A nation. Further expansion far beyond the American continent, in the Philippines , at the turn of the century which was driven by a paternalistic United States as McKinley's objectives, he declared in mid-1899, were fourfold: "Peace first, then a government of law and order honestly administered, full security to life, property, and occupation under the Stars and Stripes." However, the Philippines government
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#17328511193101080-541: A number of issues to become more acceptable to George, most notably the heated issue of Hanoverian subsidies. To force the matter, the Pelham brothers had to resign on the question of whether he should be admitted or not, and it was only after all other arrangements had proved impracticable, that they were reinstated with Pitt appointed as Vice-Treasurer of Ireland in February 1746. George continued to resent him however. In May of
1170-504: A religious destiny in the form of a Promised Land ), perhaps tinged with a self-interested pragmatism that targeted lands will eventually belong to the potential invader anyway. Ibn Khaldun wrote that newly established dynasties, because they have social cohesion or Asabiyyah , are able to seek "expansion to the limit." The Soviet economist Nikolai Kondratiev theorized that capitalism advances in 50-year expansion/stagnation cycles, driven by technological innovation. The UK, Germany,
1260-588: A riot caused by the Mexican War. Many in the Cheyennes , Comanches, Kiowas, and Pawnees tribes died from smallpox in 1839–1840, measles and whooping cough in 1845, and cholera in 1849, which had been brought by American settlers. The buffalo herds, sparse grasses, and rare waters were also depleted following the war as increased traffic by settlers moving to California during the Gold Rush . The People's Republic of China
1350-522: A victory that ultimately solidified Britain's dominance over world affairs. He is also known for his popular appeal, his opposition to corruption in government, his support for the American position in the run-up to the American Revolutionary War , his advocacy of British greatness, expansionism and empire, and his antagonism toward Britain's chief enemies and rivals for colonial power, Spain and France . Marie Peters argues his statesmanship
1440-716: Is accused of expansionism through its operations and claims in the South China Sea , which are concurrently claimed in part by Vietnam , the Philippines , Brunei , Malaysia and the Republic of China . Israel was established on May 14, 1948, following the end of World War II and the Holocaust . Its government has occupied the West Bank , the Gaza Strip , the Golan Heights , and
1530-541: Is different from Wikidata All set index articles William Pitt the Elder William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham , (15 November 1708 – 11 May 1778) was a British Whig statesman who served as Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1766 to 1768. Historians call him " Chatham " or " Pitt the Elder " to distinguish him from his son William Pitt the Younger , who also served as prime minister. Pitt
1620-514: Is evidence that he was an extensive reader, if not a minutely accurate classical scholar. Virgil was his favourite author. William diligently cultivated the faculty of expression by the practice of translation and re-translation. In these years he became a close friend of George Lyttelton , who would later become a leading politician. In 1728, a violent attack of gout compelled him to leave Oxford without finishing his degree. He then chose to travel abroad, from 1728 attending Utrecht University in
1710-551: The Caucasus region were crushed. A Polish revolt in 1830 was ruthlessly crushed. Russian troops in 1848 crossed into Austria-Hungary to put down the Hungarian Revolt . Russification policies were implemented to weaken minority ethnic groups. Pan-Slavist solidarity led to further war with Turkey (the sick man of Europe ) in 1853 provoked Britain and France into invading Crimea . In Italy, Benito Mussolini sought to create
1800-478: The Dowager Duchess of Marlborough died leaving him a legacy of £10,000 as an "acknowledgment of the noble defence he had made for the support of the laws of England and to prevent the ruin of his country". The inheritance was probably as much a mark of her dislike of Walpole as of her admiration of Pitt. Reluctantly the king finally agreed to give Pitt a place in the government. Pitt had changed his stance on
1890-608: The Duke of Cumberland 's Army of Observation was retreating across Hanover following the Battle of Hastenback . In October Cumberland was forced to conclude the Convention of Klosterzeven , which would take Hanover out of the war. The French Invasion of Hanover posed a threat to Britain's ally Prussia, which was now vulnerable to attack from the west by the French as well as facing attack from Austria, Russia , Saxony and Sweden. Although it
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#17328511193101980-505: The Dutch Republic , gaining a knowledge of Hugo Grotius and other writers on international law and diplomacy. It is not known how long Pitt studied at Utrecht; but by 1730 he had returned to his brother's estate at Boconnoc. He had recovered from the violent attack of gout, but the disease proved intractable, and he continued to be subject to attacks of growing intensity at frequent intervals until his death. On Pitt's return home it
2070-660: The Eastern Mediterranean and the neighboring Cyprus , Greece , Iraq , Syria , as well as in Africa , including Libya , and Nagorno-Karabakh . Turkey has occupied foreign territories and stationed troops in them, following the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus , the Turkish occupation of northern Syria since 2016 and the Turkish presence in northern Iraq since 2018. In the 19th century, theories of racial unity evolved such as Pan-Germanism , Pan-Slavism , and Pan-Turkism and
2160-601: The Japanese Empire , and the Balkans countries of Albania ( Greater Albania ), Bulgaria ( Greater Bulgaria ), Croatia ( Greater Croatia ), Hungary ( Greater Hungary ), Romania ( Greater Romania ) and Serbia ( Greater Serbia ). In American politics after the War of 1812 , Manifest Destiny was the ideological movement during America's expansion West . The movement incorporated expansionist nationalism with continentalism, with
2250-537: The Mexican War in 1846–1848 being attributed to it. Despite championing American settlers and traders as the people whom the government's military would be aiding, the Bent, St. Vrain and Company stated to be the most influential Indian trading company prior to the Mexican War, underwent a decline because of the and of traffic from American settlers by Beyreis. The company also lost the partner Charles Bent on January 19, 1847, to
2340-571: The Ohio Country , which had been the principal cause of the war. In Europe, Brunswick's forces enjoyed a mixed year. Brunswick had crossed the Rhine , but faced with being cut off he had retreated and blocked any potential French move toward Hanover with his victory at the Battle of Krefeld . The year ended with something approaching a stalemate in Germany. Pitt had continued his naval descents during 1758, but
2430-506: The Ohio Country . A British expedition under General Braddock had been despatched and defeated in summer 1755 that caused a ratcheting up of tensions. Eager to prevent the war spreading to Europe, Newcastle now tried to conclude a series of treaties that would secure Britain allies through the payment of subsidies, which he hoped would discourage France from attacking Britain. Similar subsidies had been an issue of past disagreement, and they were widely attacked by Patriot Whigs and Tories. As
2520-681: The Raid on Rochefort , took place in September but was not a success. The centrepiece of the campaign in North America, an expedition to capture Louisbourg , was aborted due to the presence of a large French fleet and a gale that scattered the British fleet. In 1758 Pitt began to put into practice a new strategy to win the Seven Years' War, which would involve tying down large numbers of French troops and resources in Germany, while Britain used its naval supremacy to launch expeditions to capture French forces around
2610-708: The Sinai Peninsula since the Six-Day War , although the Sinai was later returned to Egypt in 1982 and Israel disengaged from the Gaza Strip in 2005. Israel also occupied southern Lebanon from February 1985 to May 2000. Iran , the largest Shi'ite state, has extended its influence across the entire Middle East, including Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Afghanistan by arming local militias. Russia under Vladimir Putin has been described as expansionist, especially since
2700-540: The War of the Austrian Succession had broken out. The Spanish had repelled a major invasion intended to conquer Central America and succeeded in maintaining their trans-Atlantic convoys while causing much disruption to British shipping and twice broke a British blockade to land troops in Italy, but the war with Spain was treated as a draw. Many of the underlying issues remained unresolved by the later peace treaties leaving
2790-807: The early Muslim conquests , was followed by the religious Caliphate expansionisms, and ended with the Partition of the Ottoman Empire . In the 15th and 16th centuries, the Ottoman Empire entered a period of expansion . The Ottomans ended the Eastern Roman Empire with the conquest of Constantinople in 1453 by Mehmed the Conqueror . The militarist and nationalistic reign of Russian Czar Nicholas I (1825–1855) led to wars of conquest against Persia (1826–1828) and Turkey (1828–1829) . Various rebel tribes in
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2880-631: The ongoing European war , which he believed was in violation of the Treaty of Vienna and the terms of the Anglo-Austrian Alliance . He became such a troublesome critic of the government that Walpole moved to punish him by arranging his dismissal from the army in 1736, along with several of his friends and political allies. This provoked a wave of hostility to Walpole because many saw such an act as unconstitutional —that members of Parliament were being dismissed for their freedom of speech in attacking
2970-506: The 2010s. Putin said that the dissolution of the Soviet Union had "robbed" Russia of territories and made Russians "the biggest ethnic group in the world to be divided by borders", calling this an "outrageous historical injustice". Russia occupies parts of three neighboring countries . In 2008 Russia invaded Georgia and occupied Abkhazia and South Ossetia . In 2014 it occupied and then annexed Crimea from Ukraine. In 2022 it launched
3060-461: The Bedchamber as a reward. In this new position Pitt's hostility to the government did not in any degree relax, and his oratorical gifts were substantial. During the 1730s Britain's relationship with Spain had slowly declined. Repeated cases of reported Spanish mistreatment of British merchants, whom they accused of smuggling, caused public outrage, particularly the incident of Jenkins' Ear . Pitt
3150-437: The British government was pushed toward declaring war with Spain in 1739. Britain began with a success at Porto Bello . However the war effort soon stalled, and Pitt alleged that the government was not prosecuting the war effectively—demonstrated by the fact that the British waited two years before taking further offensive action fearing that further British victories would provoke the French into declaring war. When they did so,
3240-588: The French trading settlements in West Africa . In April 1758 British forces captured the ill-defended fort of Saint-Louis in Senegal . The mission was so lucrative that Pitt sent out further expeditions to capture Gorée and Gambia later in the year. He also drew up plans to attack French islands in the Caribbean the following year at the suggestion of a Jamaican sugar planter William Beckford . In North America,
3330-549: The German front by tying down French troops on coastal protection service. In France a new leader, the Duc de Choiseul , had recently come to power and 1759 offered a duel between their rival strategies. Pitt intended to continue with his plan of tying down French forces in Germany while continuing the assault on France's colonies. Choiseul hoped to repel the attacks in the colonies while seeking total victory in Europe. Expansionism In
3420-562: The Pitt family until the collapse of the South Sea Bubble , a disaster that engulfed the government. William Pitt was born at Golden Square , Westminster , on 15 November 1708. His older brother Thomas Pitt had been born in 1704 and they had five sisters: Harriet, Catherine, Ann, Elizabeth, and Mary. From 1719, William was educated at Eton College along with his brother. William disliked Eton, later claiming that "a public school might suit
3510-524: The Southern Department , and Leader of the House of Commons under the premiership of the Duke of Devonshire . Upon entering this coalition, Pitt said to Devonshire: "My Lord, I am sure I can save this country, and no one else can". He had made it a condition of his joining any administration that Newcastle should be excluded from it, which proved fatal to the lengthened existence of his government. With
3600-472: The Soviet Union in 1941. Expansionist nationalism is an aggressive and radical form of nationalism that incorporates autonomous patriotic sentiments with a belief in expansionism. The term was coined during the late 19th century as European powers indulged in the Scramble for Africa , but it has been most associated with militarist governments during the 20th century including Fascist Italy , Nazi Germany ,
3690-550: The Spanish Treaty and the continental subsidies, which he had violently denounced when in opposition was criticised by his enemies as an example of his political opportunism . Between 1746 and 1748, Pitt worked closely with Newcastle in formulating British military and diplomatic strategy. He shared with Newcastle a belief that Britain should continue to fight until it could receive generous peace terms, in contrast to some such as Henry Pelham who favoured an immediate peace. Pitt
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3780-652: The US, Japan and now China have been at the forefront of successive waves. Crane Brinton in The Anatomy of Revolution saw the revolution as a driver of expansionism in, for example, Stalinist Russia, the United States and the Napoleonic Empire. Christopher Booker believed that wishful thinking can generate a "dream phase" of expansionism such as in the European Union , which is short-lived and unreliable. According to
3870-484: The United States Hara Takashi , 10th Prime Minister of Japan, popularly called "The great commoner premier" James Z. George , American lawyer, writer, and politician and Confederate politician and military officer called Mississippi's 'Great Commoner" Thaddeus Stevens , American politician Leon Abbett , American politician, and 26th governor of New Jersey [REDACTED] List of people with
3960-526: The capital and all the chief towns voting him addresses and the freedom of their corporations (e.g., London presented him with the first ever honorary Freedom of the City awarded in history). Horace Walpole recorded the freedoms of various cities awarded to Pitt: ... for some weeks it rained gold boxes: Chester , Worcester , Norwich , Bedford , Salisbury , Yarmouth , Tewkesbury , Newcastle-on-Tyne , Stirling , and other populous and chief towns following
4050-420: The classical age of conquest moral justification for territorial expansion at the direct expense of another established polity (who often faced displacement, subjugation, slavery, rape and execution) was often as unapologetic as "because we can" treading on the philosophical grounds of might makes right . As political conceptions of the nation state evolved, especially in reference to the inherent rights of
4140-487: The consequence of a war in America; whoever gains, it must prove fatal to her ... is this any longer a nation? Is this any longer an English Parliament, if with more ships in your harbours than in all the navies of Europe; with above two millions of people in your American colonies, you will bear to hear of the expediency of receiving from Spain an insecure, unsatisfactory, dishonourable Convention? Owing to public pressure,
4230-495: The decisive role of American expansionism. The free land enabled economic independence (as opposed to political dominance by landlords in Europe) and popular democracy in America. The success of expansionism led to a deep belief in the superiority of the "American way of life," as shown by how it attracted tens of millions of immigrants. Economic success was supplemented by the confidence that Anglo Saxons were simply better at governing
4320-522: The deeds of the ancient Romans . After 1937, Nazi Germany under Hitler laid claim to Sudetenland , unification ( Anschluss ) with Austria in 1938 and the occupation of the whole of the Czech lands the following year. After war broke out, Hitler and Stalin divided Poland between Germany and the Soviet Union . In a Drang nach Osten aimed at achieving Lebensraum for the German people, Germany invaded
4410-403: The disaster at Cartagena, Walpole finally was forced to succumb to the long-continued attacks of opposition, he resigned and took a peerage . Pitt now expected a new government to be formed led by Pulteney and dominated by Tories and Patriot Whigs in which he could expect a junior position. instead, Walpole was succeeded as prime minister by Lord Wilmington , although the real power in
4500-453: The downfall of Walpole, to which he had personally contributed a great deal. After the dismissal of Carteret, the administration formed by the Pelhams in 1744 included many of Pitt's former Patriot allies, but Pitt was not granted a position because of continued ill-feeling by the king and leading Whigs about his views on Hanover. In 1744, Pitt received a large boost to his personal fortune when
4590-440: The example. Exeter , with singular affection, sent boxes of oak. After some weeks' negotiation, in the course of which the firmness and moderation of " The Great Commoner ", as he had come to be called, contrasted favourably with the characteristic tortuosities of the crafty peer , matters were settled on such a basis that, while Newcastle was the nominal, Pitt was the virtual head of the government. On his acceptance of office, he
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#17328511193104680-511: The fact that in the late nineteenth century, men saw supporting the military as the ultimate test of being a man. As a result, expansionism was a way of projecting manliness onto the electorate and in to society. George Orwell 's satirical novel Animal Farm is a fictional depiction, based on Stalin 's Soviet Union, of a new elite seizing power, establishing new rules and hierarchies, and expanding economically while they compromise their ideals. Robert Erskine Childers 's novel The Riddle of
4770-592: The faction's most prominent members. Pitt's maiden speech in the Commons was delivered in April 1736, in the debate on the congratulatory address to George II on the marriage of his son Frederick, Prince of Wales . He used the occasion to pay compliments, and there was nothing striking in the speech as reported, but it helped to gain him the attention of the House when he later took part on debates on more partisan subjects. In particular, he attacked Britain's non-intervention in
4860-472: The first had enjoyed only limited success and the second ended with near disaster at the Battle of St Cast and no further descents were planned. Instead the troops and ships would be used as part of the coming expedition to the French West Indies . The scheme of amphibious raids was the only one of Pitt's policies during the war that was broadly a failure, although it did help briefly relieve pressure on
4950-452: The globe. Following the capture of Emden he ordered the dispatch of the first British troops to the European continent under the Duke of Marlborough , who joined Brunswick 's army. This was a dramatic reversal of his previous position, as he had recently been strongly opposed to any such commitment. Pitt had been lobbied by an American merchant Thomas Cumming to launch an expedition against
5040-428: The governed, more complex justifications arose. State-collapse anarchy , reunification or pan-nationalism are sometimes used to justify and legitimize expansionism when the explicit goal is to reconquer territories that have been lost or to take over ancestral lands. Lacking a viable historical claim of this nature, would-be expansionists may instead promote ideologies of promised lands (such as manifest destiny or
5130-479: The government came under increasing attack, Newcastle replaced Robinson with Fox who it was acknowledged carried more political weight and again slighted Pitt. Finally in November 1755, Pitt was dismissed from office as paymaster, having spoken during a debate at great length against the new system of continental subsidies proposed by the government of which he was still a member. Fox retained his own place, and although
5220-438: The government, something protected by Parliamentary privilege . None of the men had their commissions reinstated, however, and the incident brought an end to Pitt's military career. The loss of Pitt's commission was soon compensated. The heir to the throne, Frederick, Prince of Wales , was involved in a long-running dispute with his father, George II, and was the patron of the opposition . He appointed Pitt one of his Grooms of
5310-753: The island of Menorca ill-defended so that the French would seize it, and Newcastle could use its loss to prove that Britain was not able to fight a war against France and sue for peace. When in June 1756 Menorca fell after a failed attempt by Admiral Byng to relieve it, Pitt's allegations fuelled the public anger against Newcastle, leading him to be attacked by a mob in Greenwich . The loss of Menorca shattered public faith in Newcastle, and forced him to step down as prime minister in November 1756. In December 1756, Pitt, who now sat for Okehampton , became Secretary of State for
5400-416: The king unfriendly, and Newcastle, whose influence was still dominant in the Commons, estranged, it was impossible to carry on a government by the aid of public opinion alone, however emphatically that might have declared itself on his side. The historian Basil Williams has claimed that this is the first time in British history when a "man was called to supreme power by the voice of the people" rather than by
5490-400: The king's appointment or, as the choice of Parliament. Pitt drew up his plans for the campaigning season of 1757 in which he hoped to reverse Britain's string of defeats during the war's opening years. In April 1757 Pitt was dismissed from office on account of his opposition to the continental policy and the circumstances surrounding the court-martial and execution of Admiral John Byng . He
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#17328511193105580-399: The new government was divided among Lord Carteret and the Pelham brothers ( Henry and Thomas, Duke of Newcastle ). Walpole had carefully orchestrated this new government as a continuance of his own, and continued to advise it up to his death in 1745. Pitt's hopes for a place in the government were thwarted and he remained in opposition. He was therefore unable to make any personal gain from
5670-415: The past few months Britain had been virtually leaderless, although Devonshire had remained formally prime minister, but now Pitt and Newcastle were ready to offer stronger direction to the country's strategy. By summer 1757 the British war effort over the previous three years had broadly been a failure. Britain's attempts to take the offensive in North America had ended in disaster, Menorca had been lost, and
5760-483: The post. It was widely believed that Newcastle had done this because he feared the ambitions of both Pitt and Fox, and believed he would find it easier to dominate the inexperienced Robinson. Despite his disappointment there was no immediate open breach. Pitt continued at his post; and at the general election that took place during the year, he even accepted a nomination for the Duke's pocket borough of Aldborough . He had sat for Seaford since 1747. The government won
5850-503: The potential for future conflicts to occur. Pitt considered the war a missed opportunity to take advantage of a power in decline, although later he became an advocate of warmer relations with the Spanish in an effort to prevent them forming an alliance with France. Walpole and Newcastle were now giving the war in Europe a much higher priority than the colonial conflict with Spain in the Americas. Prussia and Austria went to war in 1740, with many other European states soon joining in. There
5940-433: The prime minister, out of Treasury funds in an attempt to secure the support of Pitt's brother Thomas in Parliament. Alternatively, the fee may have been waived by the commanding officer of the regiment, Lord Cobham , who was related to the Pitt brothers by marriage. Pitt grew close to Cobham, whom he regarded as almost a surrogate father. He was stationed for much of his service in Northampton , on peacetime duties. Pitt
6030-415: The property of Boconnoc in Cornwall , which gave him control of a seat in Parliament . He made further land purchases and became one of the dominant political figures in the West Country , controlling seats such as the rotten borough of Old Sarum . William's mother was Harriet Villiers , the daughter of Edward Villiers-FitzGerald and the Irish heiress Katherine FitzGerald . William's father
6120-401: The public, but earned him the lifelong hatred of the King, who was emotionally committed to Hanover, where he had spent the first thirty years of his life. In response to Pitt's attacks, the British government decided not to pay a direct subsidy to Hanover, but instead to pass the money indirectly through Austria—a move that was considered more politically acceptable. A sizeable Anglo-German army
6210-409: The related Turanism . In each case, the dominant nation (respectively, Prussia ; the Russian Empire ; and the Ottoman Empire , especially under Enver Pasha ) used those theories to legitimise their expansionist policies. In terms of explaining the results of American expansion, this goes back to the 19th century when Frederick Jackson Turner produced his Frontier Thesis which made the case for
6300-465: The same nickname This page lists people with the nickname Great Commoner, The . If an internal link intending to refer to a specific person led you to this page, you may wish to change that link to directly target the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Great_Commoner&oldid=1158329478 " Category : Nicknames Hidden categories: Articles with short description Short description
6390-480: The same year Pitt was promoted to the more important and lucrative office of paymaster-general , which gave him a place in the Privy Council , although not in the cabinet . There he had an opportunity of displaying his public spirit and integrity in a way that deeply impressed both the king and the country. It had been the usual practise of previous paymasters to appropriate to themselves the interest of all money lying in their hands by way of advance, and also to accept
6480-451: The two men continued to be of the same party, and afterward served again in the same government, there was henceforward a rivalry between them, which makes the celebrated opposition of their sons, William Pitt the Younger and Charles James Fox , seem like an inherited quarrel. Pitt's relationship with the Duke slumped further in early 1756 when he alleged that Newcastle was deliberately leaving
6570-491: Was Robert Pitt (1680–1727), the eldest son of Governor Pitt. He served as a Tory Member of Parliament from 1705 to 1727. Both William's uncles Thomas and John were MPs, while his aunt Lucy married the leading Whig politician and soldier General James Stanhope . From 1717 to 1721, Stanhope served as effective First Minister in the Stanhope–Sunderland Ministry , and was a useful political contact for
6660-471: Was a fear that France would launch an invasion of Hanover , which was linked to Britain through the crown of George II . To avert this, Walpole and Newcastle decided to pay a large subsidy to both Austria and Hanover, in order for them to raise troops and defend themselves. Pitt then launched an attack on such subsidies, playing to widespread anti-Hanoverian feelings in Britain. This boosted his popularity with
6750-450: Was a leading advocate of a more hard-line policy against Spain and he often castigated Walpole's government for its weakness in dealing with Madrid . Pitt spoke out against the Convention of El Pardo that aimed to settle the dispute peacefully. In the speech against the convention in the House of Commons on 8 March 1739 Pitt said: When trade is at stake, it is your last entrenchment; you must defend it, or perish ... Sir, Spain knows
6840-685: Was also known as " the Great Commoner " because of his long-standing refusal to accept a title until 1766. Pitt was a member of the British cabinet and with a brief interlude in 1757, its informal leader from 1756 to 1761, during the Seven Years' War (including the French and Indian War in the American colonies ). He again led the ministry, holding the official title of Lord Privy Seal , between 1766 and 1768. Much of his power came from his brilliant oratory. He
6930-609: Was based on a clear, consistent and distinct appreciation of the value of the Empire. The British parliamentary historian P. D. G. Thomas argued that Pitt's power was based not on his family connections, but on the extraordinary parliamentary skills by which he dominated the House of Commons . He displayed a commanding manner, brilliant rhetoric and sharp debating skills that cleverly used his broad literary and historical knowledge. Scholars rank him highly among all British prime ministers. Pitt
7020-417: Was chosen member for Bath . A coalition with Newcastle was formed in June 1757, and held power until October 1761. It brought together several various factions and was built around the partnership between Pitt and Newcastle, which a few months earlier had seemed impossible. The two men used Lord Chesterfield as an intermediary and had managed to agree a division of powers that was acceptable to both. For
7110-414: Was destined to be relatively short. His elder brother Thomas was returned at the general election of 1734 for two separate seats, Okehampton and Old Sarum , and chose to sit for Okehampton, passing the vacant seat to William who, accordingly, in February 1735, entered parliament as member for Old Sarum. He became one of a large number of serving army officers in the House of Commons. Pitt soon joined
7200-418: Was formed that George II led to victory at the Battle of Dettingen in 1743, reducing the immediate threat to Hanover. Many of Pitt's attacks on the government were directed personally at Walpole, who had now been prime minister for twenty years. He spoke in favour of the motion in 1742 for an inquiry into the last ten years of Walpole's administration. In February 1742, following poor election results and
7290-535: Was in fact following what Henry Pelham had done when he had held the post between 1730 and 1743. This helped to establish Pitt's reputation with the British people for honesty and placing the interests of the nation before his own. The administration formed in 1746 lasted without major changes until 1754. It would appear from his published correspondence that Pitt had a greater influence in shaping its policy than his comparatively subordinate position would in itself have entitled him to. His support for measures, such as
7380-551: Was late in the campaigning season when he had come to power, Pitt set about trying to initiate a more assertive strategy. He conspired with a number of figures to persuade the Hanoverians to revoke the Klosterzevern Convention and re-enter the war on Britain's side, which they did in late 1757. He also put into practice a scheme of Naval Descents that would make amphibious landings on the French coast. The first of these,
7470-449: Was necessary for him, as the younger son, to choose a profession and he opted for a career in the army. He obtained a cornet 's commission in the dragoons with the King's Own Regiment of Horse (later 1st King's Dragoon Guards ). George II never forgot the jibes of "the terrible cornet of horse". It was reported that the £1,000 cost of the commission had been supplied by Robert Walpole ,
7560-441: Was out of power for most of his career and became well-known for his attacks on the government, such as those on Walpole 's corruption in the 1730s, Hanoverian subsidies in the 1740s, peace with France in the 1760s , and the policy toward the American colonies during the 1770s. Pitt is best known as the wartime political leader of Britain during the Seven Years' War, especially for his single-minded devotion to victory over France,
7650-596: Was particularly frustrated that he had not been tested in battle since Britain had not entered the War of the Polish Succession that began in 1733 owing to Walpole's isolationist policies. Pitt was granted extended leave in 1733 and he toured France and Switzerland. He briefly visited Paris, but spent most of his time in the French provinces, spending the winter in Lunéville in the Duchy of Lorraine . Pitt's military career
7740-545: Was saddened when his friend and brother-in-law Thomas Grenville was killed at the naval First Battle of Cape Finisterre in 1747, however, this victory helped secure British supremacy of the sea that gave the British a stronger negotiating position when it came to the peace talks that ended the war. At the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1748 British colonial conquests were exchanged for a French withdrawal from Brussels . Many saw this as merely an armistice and awaited an imminent new war. In 1754, Henry Pelham died suddenly and
7830-507: Was shared with the local political elite, which called for independence. In Washington Democrats rejected McKinley-style expansionism and in 1934 set the Philippines on the path to independence, which was achieved in 1946. It has also been posited that American leaders were pressured under traditional gender roles, which in turn made expansionism more likely. By the end of the 19th century President McKinley had been accustomed to being evaluated in terms of his manliness. This also played in to
7920-409: Was succeeded as prime minister by his brother, the Duke of Newcastle. As Newcastle sat in the House of Lords , he required a leading politician to represent the government in the House of Commons. Pitt and Henry Fox were considered the two favourites for the position, but Newcastle instead rejected them both and turned to the less well-known figure of Sir Thomas Robinson , a career diplomat , to fill
8010-401: Was succeeded by the Duke of Devonshire who formed the 1757 Caretaker Ministry . But the power that was insufficient to keep him in office was strong enough to make any arrangement that excluded him, impracticable. The public voice spoke in a way that was not to be mistaken. Probably no English minister ever received in so short a time so many proofs of the confidence and admiration of the public,
8100-503: Was the grandson of Thomas Pitt (1653–1726), the governor of Madras , known as "Diamond" Pitt for having discovered a diamond of extraordinary size and having sold it to the Duke of Orléans for approximately £135,000. This transaction, as well as other trading deals in India , established the Pitt family fortune. After returning home the governor was able to raise his family to a position of wealth and political influence: in 1691 he purchased
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