At the peak of the Empire, Britain was poorer than modern Thailand. Much of Western Europe was even poorer. In the next 25 years, under American capitalism, they became collectively the wealthiest societies to have ever existed. This is something South Asian anti-colonial larpers, who constantly seethe about the made up $40 trillion won't admit, the Empire was a burden on Britain. At the imperial peak, the average Brit had a life three standard deviations below that of my great grandfather's horses.