Empire

Empire

Available on Paramount+, Philo, Hulu, Smithsonian Channel
S1 E2: At the end of World War I, the British territory expanded to its greatest size, controlling over a quarter of the earth’s land and almost 500 million people, but by 1970 it had all but disappeared. Through rare home movies and archival newsreel footage—all remastered and colorized—we examine Britain’s expansion in South Africa, Hong Kong, and India. See how the luxurious lifestyle of the colonial elite contrasted with the suffering of the colonized, leading to growing resentment and demands of freedom from imperial rule.