Seeley, John Robert

Born Sept. 10, 1834, in London; died Jan. 13, 1895, in Cambridge. British historian.

In The Expansion of England (1884; Russian translation, 1903) and The Growth of British Policy (1903), Seeley attempted to prove, through a tendentious treatment of the facts, that all British conquests were beneficial for the conquered peoples, who were allegedly incapable of governing themselves. Viewing history as a “school of statesmanship,” Seeley conducted historical research in the interests of the British ruling classes. He was a supporter of the policy of “splendid isolation.”