Britain played a key role in the expansion of European colonialism and emerged with the largest empire of all. Recent historians have generally argued that this was the defensive reaction of an economy already severely under challenge rather than, as it often seemed at the time, the final triumph of a strong and secure nation. Even at the time a minority, such as J.A. Hobson, argued that the remedy was worse than the malady. Resources badly needed at home were being diverted overseas for little advantage, and the tensions created only aggravated the growing militarism of the period which was to end in the First World War. WWI began the process that culminated in not only Britain, but Europe as a whole, which resulted in the loss of the dominant European position in the world.
