Why read Imperialism the Highest Stage of Capitalism?

Book cover of Imperialism the Highest Stage of Capitalism

Book description

2011 Reprint of 1934 Edition. Full facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. "Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism", by Lenin, describes the function of financial capital in generating profits from imperial colonialism, as the final stage of capitalist development to ensure greater profits. The essay…

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Why read it?

1 author picked Imperialism the Highest Stage of Capitalism as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Zeno Leoni

Author

Better than superficial realist accounts, Lenin’s pamphlet on imperialism represents the finest analysis for explaining inter-state rivalries between great powers. In this book–which deeply informed my very first monograph, American Grand Strategy from Obama to Trump: Imperialism After Bush and China’s Hegemonic Challenge (Cham: Palgrave, 2021)–he traces the origins of the start of WWI back to (profit-driven) capitalism and the inherent need for governments, intertwined with major industrial and financial combines, to open up new economic opportunities using all the tools that states have, including negotiating trade deals, territorial conquest, and war.

This pamphlet is nowadays essential for understanding why…

From Zeno's list on The best books to understand US-China strategic competition in a changing international order.