The Victorian Era in England generally refers to the reign of Queen Victoria, an era in which England recovered rapidly from its devastating international losses in the Napoleonic Wars and the Treaty of London and reaffirmed itself as a major world power. Often also referred to as the Great Recovery, during the reign of Victoria England reaffirmed itself as an economic power during the worldwide Industrial Revolution, came to control vast swaths of foreign lands in direct competition to French influence, and made English the world's most-spoken language. The Victorian Era saw the birth of a vibrant, cosmopolitan English middle class at its peak in the 1860's and 1870's, although the middle class declined towards the end of Victoria's reign. During this period, England also began allying it