Although the acquisition of imperial possessions and their subsequent rule is often a more appealing story than an analysis of the reasons for the loss of those territories, several authors, including Roy Douglas, have increasingly turned their attention to the dissolution of the British Empire.ĭouglas, Emeritus Reader at the University of Surrey, is the author of a number of books on political history, including The Advent of War, 1939-40 (1978) and From War to Cold War, 1942-48 (1981). Americans, perhaps made more aware of the apparent uniqueness of the Anglo-American connection during the Reagan/Thatcher years and presently with the Blair/Bush ties, often look to earlier British imperial examples to help them make sense of today's more assertive American role in international relations. Subsequently a number of authors, recognizing the seemingly inescapable hold that the subject of empire holds for academics and the general public alike, have offered their own interpretations of the acquisition and dissolution of the British Empire. Paul Kennedy's The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers: Economic Change and Military Conflict from 1500 to 2000 (1987) caught the attention of the public with its insightful comparisons of the United States and Great Britain. The story of empires-their growth and decline-appears to be a particularly popular topic today, perhaps inspired by America's recent imperial adventures. India, the "jewel in the crown," gained its independence in 1947, and although Churchill returned as Prime Minister in 1951, he resigned his post for health reasons in 1955, thus avoiding the Suez Canal debacle and the independence of most of Britain's African possessions in the 1960s. Indeed, Churchill managed to avoid personal responsibility for the loss of any significant imperial possessions by losing the 1945 election to Clement Atlee. Winston Churchill made one of his most famous pronouncements in November 1942 when he declared to the House of Commons: "I have not become the King's First Minister in order to preside over the liquidation of the British Empire" (quoted in Douglas, 1). The announcement stated that, “After evaluating these options, the Empire Group has determined that it is in the best interest of its shareholders and policyholders to commence a complete and orderly liquidation of all of its operations.Liquidation of Empire: The Decline of the British Empire. The Empire Group has been exploring options for developing a new business model and strategy, and had previously announced decisions not to issue any new (as compared to renewal) insurance policies in any lines of business effective March 1, 2001, to non-renew or cancel commercial lines policies in accordance with New York Insurance law or replace them under an agreement with an unaffiliated insurance company and the Empire Group’s filing of plans of orderly withdrawal with the New York Insurance Department. Allcity Insurance Company announced the decision of the Empire Insurance Group, which includes the Company, its parent, Empire Insurance Company, and its affiliate, Centurion Insurance Company (collectively, the “Empire Group”), to conduct a complete and orderly liquidation of all of its operations.Īs part of the Empire Group, Allcity is a property casualty insurer that formerly specialized in commercial and personal property and casualty insurance business primarily in the New York metropolitan area.
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