52.Causes for the relative decline There are four reasons for the relative economic decline since 1945:Britain had gone heavily into debt in order to finance the war;British colonies which used to provide raw materials and big markets gained independence.And the author also believes that Britain was heavily burdened with the huge military expenditure during the process of decolonization and that Britain also lacked the investment in modern equipment and new products.52. Causes for the relative decline ◆ There are four reasons for the relative economic decline since 1945: Britain had gone heavily into debt in order to finance the war; British colonies which used to provide raw materials and big markets gained independence. And the author also believes that Britain was heavily burdened with the huge military expenditure during the process of decolonization and that Britain also lacked the investment in modern equipment and new products