Kraxis, there are some really good thoughts in your post. I am going to take it a little further. Right now I am reading this book "Conquests and Cultures" by Thomas Sowell. In it he takes a look at four major groups of people: the British, the Slavs, the Africans and the Western Hemisphere Indians. It is not exactly a history book, but is rather a book that deals with social sciences. I am really into that since that science is based on history, but it looks at why are things happenening and what will happen in the future. For instance he argues that a reason the "OLD WORLD" (Europe, Asia and Africa) was more advanced than the "NEW WORLD" is that Eurasia is stretched east-west and the Americas are north-south. Thus, more land falls under the same geographical altitude and has the same climate, which helps spread the same agricultural techniques, which helps develop cultures. It probably doesn't make sence, but if you read the book it will strike you. Also, neither the Incas, nor the Mayas or Aztecs had invented the wheel. Why? The had no animals that could be used for carts such as horses, donkeys or even cattle. The only animal they used was the llama. All the labour had to be done manually. That said, it is astonishing the level of civilization those indians achieved.
Anyway, I can mention many other interesting facts from that book, but let me get to the topic. In the chapter about the British he talks about how this island which was in the backyard of all civilization became the Empire that everyone envied, the Empire upon which the sun never sets! From conquered, they became the conquerors! Before the Romans, there is nothing worth mentioning about the British isles. The isles were populated with about 30 or so tribes that were lagging hundreds of years in their civilizational development. That is not surprising, as it was like that everywhere in the hinterland of the continent. The places most developed in Europe were around the Medditerranian - Greece and then Rome. Rome is another example of people being conquered and culturaly influenced by the Greeks that came to be the conquerors and infact conquered their conquerors. Before them it was the great civilizatins of the east - Sumer, Acad, Egypt, Phoenicia and Persia. They were all around the Medditerranian. My suggestion is it was because of the suitable climate for agriculture thus the link - agriculture > settled way of living > culture.Carried way again...
In 65 B.C. Julius Caesar made an expedition to the Isles and though he hit bad weather and his cavalry was unable to get to shore and his infantry was numerically hugely inferior to the local Britons and Celts he managed to score a huge success because of the training, the discipline and the armament his troops possessed. He came back to Rome with many slaves from that campaign. 20 years later Claudius I believe sent another force this time to conquer the land. They accomplished that fairly easily and imposed the law and order of Rome. During the next 200 years and expecially after 60 A.D. till about 180 A.D during the "Pax Romana" was the golden age of Briton's civilization. The locals benefited in many aspects: significant changes in agriculture were made. That resulted in population boom. Also as a result coinage was introduced, since the excess amount of produce was sold thus creationg trade. Architecture was brought from Rome. Before the Britons lived in sheds. Now they build with bricks. After the Roman withdrawal and the following retrogress people stopped using bricks and they were finally reintroduced 1000 years later - during the 14th century. The window was introduced by the Romans. Many towns were built. During the Dark Ages many deteriorated and were engulfed by forests and just disappeared. London ceised to exist shortly after the Roman period until it was rebuilt many decades later. Romans built roads, ports helping with communication and trade. Walls were used for protection (the Hadrian wall). Baths, aquaducts, central heating, sewers, glass bottles (lost in the Dark Ages, introduced back during Elizabeth), law. It was a far, far more advanced culture. The Britons greatly benefited from that. The ones that were more stuborn moved to the west to Wales, the Picts and Scots to the north and west, some to Cornwall. The Britons that were romanized became much more developed than those who were not. The local aristocracy adopted latin language, dressed like the Romans and participated in the government. There were revolts of course, because the Romans were arrogant. One of the most famous ones was led by the wife of a local aristocrat- Boudicca. After her husband died, he left half of his estate to the Romans and the rest to his family. The Romans raped his daughters and wife and took the whole estate. She then led the people in a revolt against the Roman authority.That revolt was crushed and the Romans killed every man, woman or child they could get a hold of. After that new governors were sent.
In the begining of the 5th century Rome withdrew from Briatain, because of the growing barbaric threat elsewhere in the Empire. That led to a vaccuum of low and order and was used by the invading Germanic tribes. Even before that, immediately after the Roman withdrawal a process of retrogress had begun. The Britons that were Romanized were mostly the upper classes and the rest never changed their old way of living. In the times of chaos three major tribes from southern Denmark and northern Germany managed to set a foot on the island - the Anlges, the Saxons and the Jutes. They fought fiercely among each other, the Scots, Picts and the Britons. The Romanized Britons fled acros the channel to northern France. The ones that stayed were exterminated or merged with their conquerors. All in all, the Germanic conquest of Britain brought the develolpment of the locals many centuries back as if the Roman conquest never happened.
I can't help but compare this situation to the fall of the Balkan nations to the Ottoman empire which at its strength was far underdeveloped in comparison to the local cultures. At the end of the 14th century Bulgaria was getting ready to jump in post feudal stage of develpment similar to the Renesaince in Venice and Genoa. Instead it was brought back 700 years at the begining of the feudal stage.
I appologize for the long post. I got so much info in my mind and want to say so many things that sometimes I get carried way and it is hard for me to stay on one subject. It seems like everything is connected so I can't say one thing and ommiting something that might also be important. All that I have written, I've read in books and don't claim that is true, but that's what it is written there, so if you disagree, don't get mad at me, but give me other sources to read.