IMAGE OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE IN THE NATIONAL HISTORIOGRAPHY OF THE XIX - EARLY XX CENTURIES THROUGH THE PRISM OF THE CONCEPT OF “ENGLISHNESS - BRITISHNESS”

The article examines the image of the British Empire in the works of English historians of the XIX - early XX centuries, created from the standpoint of the racial superiority of the Anglo-Saxons over other peoples. The essence of British identity is revealed. The content of the concept “Englishness - Britishness” is analyzed. It is shown that the national historiography was dominated mainly by an apologetic interpretation of the British Empire, with elements of critical analysis.