By imperialism theories scholars try to explain the emergence and the process of the classical imperialism.

Beginnings of the imperialism theories

Those probably first imperialism theory wrote John A. Hobson 1902 ("imperialism"), who saw the search for new investment possibilities as basis of the imperialism. By it R. Hilferding supported themselves 1910 and W. Ith Lenin 1916/1917.

Important imperialism theories

Lenin

Lenin imperialism theory is developed after a Marxist beginning. According to its opinion the entire policy by the financial and monopoly capital one control, which are called the fact that production and the capital is concentrated and steers with its resource the policy (Stamokap= state monopolyistic capitalism). In addition the imperialism for the large concerns is to be prevented vitally necessary around sinking the profit rate. It can be eliminated only by the abolishment of capitalism. Lenin regarded the imperialism as the fifth and last stage of capitalism. Here it concerns a monocausal explanation beginning.

A quotation of Lenin from its book "the imperialism as the highest stage of capitalism": If short a definition of the imperialism as possible was required, then one would have to say that the imperialism is the monopolyistic stage of capitalism. Such a definition would contain the main thing, because on the side the financial capital is the bank capital of some fewer monopolyistic major banks, which merged with the capital of monopolyistic federationfederation federations, and on the other side the allocation of the world is the transition of a colonial policy, which expands unhindered since still areas conquered by no capitalistic power, to a colonial policy of the monopolyistic control of the territory of the completely divided earth. (1917)

Wolfgang Mommsen

Wolfgang Mommsen gave however a pluralistischen and non-Marxist explanation beginning to 1969. It stressed the ideological component of the imperialism without the economic driving powers to fade out. Mommsen regarded the European imperialism as the outermost form of nationalistic thinking. It got straight that the idea of the "nation" was connected with the democracy originally. Starting from 1885 then a pathetischer imperialism stepped out, so that it came to an anti-liberal understanding of "nation". As reasons for the imperialism it called the "pseudo human" and religious transmission consciousness (e.g. Cecil Rhodes) the European and the tendency of the great powers to attain world power status.

Hans Ulrich Wehler

Also Hans Ulrich Wehler formulated 1969 a non-Marxist imperialism theory: According to its opinion not the intentions with regard to foreign policy for the imperialism were decisive, but the relating to domestic affairs (Primat of the home policy). The problems relating to domestic affairs - for instance the Emanzipationsforderungen of the Proletariats - were overacted by ambitions with regard to foreign policy. Successes should bind the workers to the state. In addition the imperialism should solve the social question, with which Wehler had set up the theory of the social imperialism.

This very day the discussion is not final over this topic among experts.

Literature

• Luxembourg, pink one (1912): "The accumulation of the capital"
• Lenin, W.I. (1917): "The imperialism as the highest stage of capitalism"
• Hobson, John (1992): "The imperialism"

Related links

New beginnings to the development theory

Winter, Johannes, the development policy in the change of the time, Weltpolitik.net/Deutsche society for foreign policy, Berlin

See also

• Development policy, development theory

Articles in category "Imperialism theories"

We found here 4 articles.