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In 1897, Britain's vast empire celebrated Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. It marked the apogee of British power and the height of Pax Britannica. The Royal Navy locked the world under an imperial order not seen before or since; British coaling stations, forts and outposts were peppered across the globe. After witnessing one of the great parades in London, a New York Times reporter spoke with pride of the United States being a part of "Greater Britain".

Many believed Britain's power to be almost eternal, and that the empire would continue to grow. Yet in hindsight such confidence was clearly mistaken. British power was already fading fast and Germany, Russia and the United States were snapping hard at its heels. By 1900 Britain's thirst for imperial glory dried up with the horrors of the Boer War, and in the two World Wars, it would be forced to draw on the resources of its former colony, the US.

Last year, we witnessed another great anniversary, the fiftieth birthday of the European Union. There were no celebrations involving military reviews or outpourings of pride. The event was a rather dour affair marked chiefly by the somewhat downbeat Berlin Declaration and a group photograph of the EU's heads of government. In many ways, this was unfortunate: The Union has helped transform the European continent, bringing order where there was discord, and democracy where there was repression. Warring enemies have become solid friends, providing world leadership in many areas, from human rights and the environment, to technology and finance. It can be argued that Europe has not been so geopolitically integrated since the height of Imperial Rome.

Yet in many respects it might well be 1897 all over again...

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