@gatesvp Yep, two generations.
It took about two generations from 1945 and VE day to the UK finally lowering the flag and withdrawing from Hong Kong (1997), conceding that the British Empire was over.
As late as 1982 (Falklands conflict) the UK still had a collective delusion of being competent at global force projection. (The Falklands victory was *much* closer to being an abject defeat than anyone in the UK is happy to admit. And it was the last spasm of autonomous military competence.)
