--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A fundamental reason why Britain was not…" description: "\"A fundamental reason why Britain was not torn apart by civil war after 1688 was that its inhabitants' aggression was channelled so regularly and so rem..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/774/linda-colley-3299_aggression_a-fundamental-reason-why-britain-was-not_870299.jpg" --- # A fundamental reason why Britain was not torn apart by… ![“A fundamental reason why Britain was not torn apart by civil war after 1688 was that its inhabitants' aggression was channelled so regularly and so remorsely into war and imperial expansion abroad.” quote by Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/774/linda-colley-3299_aggression_a-fundamental-reason-why-britain-was-not_870299.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/774/linda-colley-3299_aggression_a-fundamental-reason-why-britain-was-not_870299.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/774/linda-colley-3299_aggression_a-fundamental-reason-why-britain-was-not_870299.jpg) > “A fundamental reason why Britain was not torn apart by civil war after 1688 was that its inhabitants' aggression was channelled so regularly and so remorsely into war and imperial expansion abroad.” [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Britain avoided civil war because its aggressive energy was directed outward into imperial wars, preventing internal conflict. **In simple terms:** Aggression was channeled abroad, averting civil war. Key Takeaway Recognize how external focus can stabilize societies. Themes politics history conflict imperialism social cohesion Mood reflective analytical Type historical political When to use this quote - colonial expansion - national unity - political stability - social management Key Concepts statecraft collective identity military strategy Questions to Reflect On - How might external wars affect domestic peace? - What alternatives exist to channel aggression? A Different Perspective Redirecting internal tensions outward can create other problems. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Aggression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aggression/) [Britain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/britain/) [British history](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/british-history/) [Civil war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-war/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Torn apart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/torn-apart/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [In Great Britain, woman was subordinate and confined. But at least she was also safe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/in-great-britain-woman-was-subordinate-and-confined-but-at-least-she/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [Jacobitism involved much more than a debate about the merits of a particular dynasty. Men and women were well aware that its success was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/jacobitism-involved-much-more-than-a-debate-about-the-merits-of-a/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [In the past, the British had signally failed to build an effective structure of royal authority and administration in their American colonies. As a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/in-the-past-the-british-had-signally-failed-to-build-an-effective/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [These developments - a massive transfer of land by way of inheritance and purchase, an unprecedented rise in the profitability of land and increasing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/these-developments-a-massive-transfer-of-land-by-way-of-inheritance/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [In Britain, British history is naturally a mainstream subject. Step outside your own narrow specialism, and you can find yourself treading on someone else's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/in-britain-british-history-is-naturally-a-mainstream-subject-step/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [In the last quarter of the 20th century, Britons have been understandably obsessed with the problem of having too little power in the world.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/in-the-last-quarter-of-the-20th-century-britons-have-been/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [Can it be entirely accidental that the most famous fictional spy of them all, James Bond, Number 007, deadly marksman, intriguer, the ultimate man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/can-it-be-entirely-accidental-that-the-most-famous-fictional-spy-of/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [The pre-war empire had been sufficiently informal and sufficiently cheap for Parliament to claim authority over it without having to concern itself too much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/the-pre-war-empire-had-been-sufficiently-informal-and-sufficiently/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [Human beings are many-layered creatures, and do not succumb to the hegemony of others as easily as historians and politicians sometimes imply. Those Welsh,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/human-beings-are-many-layered-creatures-and-do-not-succumb-to-the/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [Most Britons still lived and died without encountering anyone whose skin colour was different from their own. Slaves, in short, did not threaten, at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/most-britons-still-lived-and-died-without-encountering-anyone-whose/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [Loyal and substansial Catholic service on the battlefield undermined one of the most longstanding objections to emancipation: namely, that since Catholics owed religious allegiance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/loyal-and-substansial-catholic-service-on-the-battlefield-undermined/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [Contrary to received wisdom, the British are not an insular people in the conventional sense - far from it. For most of their early…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/contrary-to-received-wisdom-the-british-are-not-an-insular-people-in/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [Ever since the Reformation, the case of legislation confining Catholics had been constructed primarily to protect a nervously Protestant against what was assumed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/ever-since-the-reformation-the-case-of-legislation-confining/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [Virtually every war fought since the Act of Union had gone badly at some stage, but before 1783 none had ended in defeat. Nor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/virtually-every-war-fought-since-the-act-of-union-had-gone-badly-at/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [It would be wrong to interpret the growth of British national consciousness in this period in terms of a new cultural and political uniformity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/it-would-be-wrong-to-interpret-the-growth-of-british-national/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) ## More by Linda Colley > [Britain, like other European states, is not and never will again be in the top-world-power league, so its male leaders can afford to play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/britain-like-other-european-states-is-not-and-never-will-again-be-in/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [Hillary Clinton is tough, clever, and formidably well briefed, and has been politically ambitious all her adult life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/hillary-clinton-is-tough-clever-and-formidably-well-briefed-and-has/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [In Great Britain, woman was subordinate and confined. But at least she was also safe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/in-great-britain-woman-was-subordinate-and-confined-but-at-least-she/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [Once conscription was introduced during the First World War, and once Britain's wars ceased being confined to the empire or to continental Europe and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/once-conscription-was-introduced-during-the-first-world-war-and-once/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [Virtually every war fought since the Act of Union had gone badly at some stage, but before 1783 none had ended in defeat. Nor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/virtually-every-war-fought-since-the-act-of-union-had-gone-badly-at/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [Traditionally, royal females who have not had the luck to become queens regnant have been granted very limited roles. They have been expected to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/traditionally-royal-females-who-have-not-had-the-luck-to-become/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [Never fly to the U.S. the day before Thanksgiving or the weekend after because every airport is guaranteed to be crammed to bursting with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/never-fly-to-the-u-s-the-day-before-thanksgiving-or-the-weekend-after/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [Men and women do not live by bread alone. They also need sustaining ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/men-and-women-do-not-live-by-bread-alone-they-also-need-sustaining/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [High-level political wives are by no means new. In the 18th and 19th centuries, when patricians dominated British political life, it was common for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/high-level-political-wives-are-by-no-means-new-in-the-18th-and-19th/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [Governments should encourage and facilitate the teaching of history, but one does not want them to be able to dictate, for political or partisan…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/governments-should-encourage-and-facilitate-the-teaching-of-history/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [Although Britain has, since 1653, had nothing approaching a single, codified constitution, it did for a very long time possess a broad cult of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/although-britain-has-since-1653-had-nothing-approaching-a-single/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [Even at its most powerful, Britain always needed alliances with other European states. There would almost certainly have been no British victory at Waterloo,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/even-at-its-most-powerful-britain-always-needed-alliances-with-other/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [Far from being aberrant and un-British, criticising a war in which our troops are actively engaged is a long-established parliamentary and political tradition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/far-from-being-aberrant-and-un-british-criticising-a-war-in-which-our/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [One of the reasons why the personnel of U.S. politics are more diverse is that - unlike the U.K. - one can compete for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/one-of-the-reasons-why-the-personnel-of-u-s-politics-are-more-diverse/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [“By Jamaican standards, this level of slave-ownership on the part of a skilled craftsman was not unusual. The 157 inhabitants of Port Royal who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/by-jamaican-standards-this-level-of-slave-ownership-on-the-part-of-a/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) [Explore all 134 Linda Colley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) ## More Aggression quotes > [Because of the womb being a central phenomenon in the feminine body, the whole psychology of woman differs: she is non-aggressive, non-inquiring, non-questioning, non-doubting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/because-of-the-womb-being-a-central-phenomenon-in-the-feminine-body/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [I used to fight with hate. There's been a lot of aggression in my past growing up and stuff. That's because I was hurt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-namajunas/i-used-to-fight-with-hate-there-s-been-a-lot-of-aggression-in-my-past/) [Rose Namajunas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-namajunas/) > [We have nothing in our history or position to invite aggression; we have everything to beckon us to the cultivation of relations of peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-have-nothing-in-our-history-or-position-to-invite-aggression-we/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I take up the standpoint that the tendency to aggression is an innate, independent, instinctual disposition in man, and I come back now to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/i-take-up-the-standpoint-that-the-tendency-to-aggression-is-an-innate/) [Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/) > [Boxing can be so important to young people, it keeps you off the street and you can channel your energy and aggression in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-benn/boxing-can-be-so-important-to-young-people-it-keeps-you-off-the/) [Nigel Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-benn/) > [“That which is of great value cannot be attained through aggression. You will be able to find the mystery of life only if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osho/that-which-is-of-great-value-cannot-be-attained-through-aggression/) [Osho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osho/) > [A society that presumes a norm of violence and celebrates aggression, whether in the subway, on the football field, or in the conduct of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-h-lapham/a-society-that-presumes-a-norm-of-violence-and-celebrates-aggression/) [Lewis H. Lapham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-h-lapham/) > [I can remember watching MTV Cribs - these amazing houses - and looking around my house where there was no carpet on the floors.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bugzy-malone/i-can-remember-watching-mtv-cribs-these-amazing-houses-and-looking/) [Bugzy Malone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bugzy-malone/) > [Nationalism, on my opinion, is nothing more than an idealistic rationalization for militarism and aggression.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/nationalism-on-my-opinion-is-nothing-more-than-an-idealistic/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I really like battle ropes. They're so versatile; you can get a terrific workout doing a ton of different exercises with them. My clients…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gunnar-peterson/i-really-like-battle-ropes-they-re-so-versatile-you-can-get-a/) [Gunnar Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gunnar-peterson/) > [ Now they \[the Powers\] have started the aggression, and the extinction of our nation is imminent. If we just fold our arms and yield… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/empress-dowager-cixi/now-they-the-powers-have-started-the-aggression-and-the-extinction-of/) Empress Dowager Cixi > [I'm not going to appeal to violence or aggression - of course not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-navalny/i-m-not-going-to-appeal-to-violence-or-aggression-of-course-not/) [Alexei Navalny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-navalny/) > [This is passive-aggression in action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/this-is-passive-aggression-in-action/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [When a child hits a child, we call it aggression. 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But if American politicians, officials and servicemen are to be put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/major-international-interventions-are-doomed-unless-the-us-is/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) [Browse all 860 Aggression quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aggression/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A fundamental reason why Britain was not torn apart by civil war after 1688 was that its inhabitants' aggression was channelled so regularly and so remorsely into war and imperial expansion abroad.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Linda Colley" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/a-fundamental-reason-why-britain-was-not-torn-apart-by-civil-war/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Aggression" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/a-fundamental-reason-why-britain-was-not-torn-apart-by-civil-war/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/774/linda-colley-3299_aggression_a-fundamental-reason-why-britain-was-not_870299.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/774/linda-colley-3299_aggression_a-fundamental-reason-why-britain-was-not_870299.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/774/linda-colley-3299_aggression_a-fundamental-reason-why-britain-was-not_870299.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A fundamental reason why Britain was not torn apart by civil war after 1688 was that its inhabitants'…” — Linda Colley", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Linda Colley", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A fundamental reason why Britain was...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/a-fundamental-reason-why-britain-was-not-torn-apart-by-civil-war/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/a-fundamental-reason-why-britain-was-not-torn-apart-by-civil-war/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```