--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Britain, the first industrial nation, had…" description: "\"Britain, the first industrial nation, had offered the world a remarkable public experiment in liberal, capitalist democracy whose success was premised ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fb/kenneth-o-morgan-95360_august_britain-the-first-industrial-nation-had_602868.png" --- # Britain, the first industrial nation, had offered the… ![“Britain, the first industrial nation, had offered the world a remarkable public experiment in liberal, capitalist democracy whose success was premised upon free trade and world peace. Tuesday, 4 August 1914 brought that experiment to an abrupt halt.” quote by Kenneth O. Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fb/kenneth-o-morgan-95360_august_britain-the-first-industrial-nation-had_602868.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fb/kenneth-o-morgan-95360_august_britain-the-first-industrial-nation-had_602868.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5fb/kenneth-o-morgan-95360_august_britain-the-first-industrial-nation-had_602868.png) > “Britain, the first industrial nation, had offered the world a remarkable public experiment in liberal, capitalist democracy whose success was premised upon free trade and world peace. Tuesday, 4 August 1914 brought that experiment to an abrupt halt.” Kenneth O. Morgan ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Britain’s early liberal capitalism thrived on free trade and peace until WWI halted it **In simple terms:** Peace and open markets were central to Britain’s early success Key Takeaway Recognize the fragility of economic and political systems Themes history economics politics war trade peace Mood analytical historical cautious Type August:1 Britain:1 British history:1 Capitalist:1 Democracy:1 Experiments:0 Firsts:0 Free trade:1 Halt:1 History:1 Nations:1 Peace:1 Remarkable:0 Success:1 Trade:1 Tuesday:0 World:1 World peace:1 August 1914:1 Capitalist Democracy:1 1914 Brought:0 Britain Industrial:0 Experiment Liberal:0 When to use this quote - policy making - international relations - economic planning - educational curricula Key Concepts liberal capitalism global interdependence historical contingency Questions to Reflect On - What lessons does this historical shift teach modern economies? - How can societies balance openness with security? A Different Perspective May simplify complex causes of WWI and overlook other factors ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [August](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/august/) [Britain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/britain/) [British history](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/british-history/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Experiments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experiments/) [Free trade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-trade/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Nations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nations/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Trade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trade/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [World peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-peace/) ## Related quotes > [Since 1920, the vast increase in welfare beneficiaries and the extension of the franchise to women - two constituencies that are notoriously tough for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-thiel/since-1920-the-vast-increase-in-welfare-beneficiaries-and-the/) [Peter Thiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-thiel/) > [This is the permanent tension that lies at the heart of a capitalist democracy and is exacerbated in times of crisis. In order to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ali/this-is-the-permanent-tension-that-lies-at-the-heart-of-a-capitalist/) [Tariq Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ali/) > [“That comes to about one hundred million people in India alone from 1947 to 1980. But we don’t call that a crime of democratic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/that-comes-to-about-one-hundred-million-people-in-india-alone-from/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [The irony of capitalist discontent with democracy is that capitalist democracy has been a very good deal for capitalists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamelle-bouie/the-irony-of-capitalist-discontent-with-democracy-is-that-capitalist/) [Jamelle Bouie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamelle-bouie/) > [I believe profoundly in the possibilities of democracy, but democracy needs to be emancipated from capitalism. As long as we inhabit a capitalist democracy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/i-believe-profoundly-in-the-possibilities-of-democracy-but-democracy/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [Islamic laws this is something Americans should look into, maybe not in the near future, but I think people are definitely looking for alternatives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anjem-choudary/islamic-laws-this-is-something-americans-should-look-into-maybe-not/) [Anjem Choudary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anjem-choudary/) > [“Home before the leaves fall' the soldiers all shouted to their families in August 1914 as they marched toward an enemy who felt the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-h-cockfield/home-before-the-leaves-fall-the-soldiers-all-shouted-to-their/) Jamie H. Cockfield > [“What an extraordinary episode in the economic progress of man that age was which came to an end in August 1914! The greater part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-maynard-keynes/what-an-extraordinary-episode-in-the-economic-progress-of-man-that/) [John Maynard Keynes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-maynard-keynes/) > [“On 10 August 1914, five days after war was declared, Henry James, in a letter to a friend, expressed his revulsion at the prospect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/on-10-august-1914-five-days-after-war-was-declared-henry-james-in-a/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [What an extraordinary episode in the economic progress of man was that age which came to an end in August 1914.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-maynard-keynes/what-an-extraordinary-episode-in-the-economic-progress-of-man-was/) [John Maynard Keynes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-maynard-keynes/) > [By the start of August 1914, it was dawning on the British that a major war was about to break out on mainland Europe.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-macmillan/by-the-start-of-august-1914-it-was-dawning-on-the-british-that-a/) [Margaret MacMillan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-macmillan/) > [“England in August 1914 was more of a state than she was during the great industrial strikes of 1911–1912.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-oakeshott/england-in-august-1914-was-more-of-a-state-than-she-was-during-the/) [Michael Oakeshott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-oakeshott/) > [“The heart of the white world was divided against itself, and on the fateful 1st of August, 1914, the white race, forgetting ties of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-lothrop-stoddard/the-heart-of-the-white-world-was-divided-against-itself-and-on-the/) [T. Lothrop Stoddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-lothrop-stoddard/) > [“August 2, 1914: Germany has declared war on Russia. Went swimming in the afternoon.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/august-2-1914-germany-has-declared-war-on-russia-went-swimming-in-the/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [“As the world stood on the brink of war in August 1914, the local paper of a small town in the west of Ireland…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hutton/as-the-world-stood-on-the-brink-of-war-in-august-1914-the-local-paper/) Robert Hutton ## More by Kenneth O. Morgan > [The Rebecca Riots by David Williams is an unassuming book, but its significance is universal. The book and its author determined my life; they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-o-morgan/the-rebecca-riots-by-david-williams-is-an-unassuming-book-but-its/) Kenneth O. Morgan Explore all 2 Kenneth O. Morgan quotes ## More August quotes > [On the McLaughlin Report, August 26, 1990: 'There are only two groups that are beating the drums for war in the middle East, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/on-the-mclaughlin-report-august-26-1990-there-are-only-two-groups/) [Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/) > [Meanwhile after failing the bar twice, I knew some people in New York and moved here in August '71.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-quine/meanwhile-after-failing-the-bar-twice-i-knew-some-people-in-new-york/) [Robert Quine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-quine/) > [I had the advantage, that I know Swedish. So I had the Swedish book and I had a lot of English translations, and German…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liv-ullmann/i-had-the-advantage-that-i-know-swedish-so-i-had-the-swedish-book-and/) [Liv Ullmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liv-ullmann/) > [I love the little garden in the back of my family's brownstone in Brooklyn. Digging out there in the dirt is a joy for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siri-hustvedt/i-love-the-little-garden-in-the-back-of-my-family-s-brownstone-in/) [Siri Hustvedt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siri-hustvedt/) > [I can see that I imagine all kinds of rejection that never happens. I can see that I beg and plead for love that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-wurtzel/i-can-see-that-i-imagine-all-kinds-of-rejection-that-never-happens-i/) [Elizabeth Wurtzel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-wurtzel/) > [August depresses me a little. I don't even feel like eating. And when I don't eat, that's a sure sign of stagnation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willard-scott/august-depresses-me-a-little-i-don-t-even-feel-like-eating-and-when-i/) [Willard Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willard-scott/) > [August, the summer's last messenger of misery, is a hollow actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/august-the-summer-s-last-messenger-of-misery-is-a-hollow-actor/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [ It \[August 10th 1792\] was the bloodiest day of the Revolution so far, but also one of the most decisive. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-doyle/it-august-10th-1792-was-the-bloodiest-day-of-the-revolution-so-far/) William Doyle > [How sociable the garden was. We ate and talked in given light. The children put their toys to grass All the warm wakeful August…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-gunn/how-sociable-the-garden-was-we-ate-and-talked-in-given-light-the/) [Thom Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-gunn/) > [It's August, which means Congress is on recess and Mitch McConnell has shimmied back into the ocean to seek a mate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/it-s-august-which-means-congress-is-on-recess-and-mitch-mcconnell-has/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [I studied acting in NYU's graduate program, in which we covered everything from Ibsen and Chekov to August Wilson and David Mamet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-holland/i-studied-acting-in-nyu-s-graduate-program-in-which-we-covered/) [Andre Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-holland/) > [There could be oil coming up until August.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-browner/there-could-be-oil-coming-up-until-august/) [Carol Browner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-browner/) > [The 6th of August in the morning we saw an opening in the land and we ran into it, and anchored in 7 and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-dampier/the-6th-of-august-in-the-morning-we-saw-an-opening-in-the-land-and-we/) [William Dampier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-dampier/) > [August creates as she slumbers, replete and satisfied.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-wood-krutch/august-creates-as-she-slumbers-replete-and-satisfied/) [Joseph Wood Krutch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-wood-krutch/) > [I left for Petersburg in August, 1871 and stayed there until 1879.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-spitteler/i-left-for-petersburg-in-august-1871-and-stayed-there-until-1879/) Carl Spitteler [Browse all 448 August quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/august/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Britain, the first industrial nation, had offered the world a remarkable public experiment in liberal, capitalist democracy whose success was premised upon free trade and world peace. 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