Imperialism: The Highest Stage of Capitalism

Vladimir Lenin wrote Imperialism: The Highest Stage of Capitalism in the midst of World War I. It was originally published in 1917. Lenin aims to put forth a “composite picture of the world capitalist system in its international relationships” at the turn of the 20th century (8). Lenin identifies World War I as an imperialist conflict that will end in social upheaval regardless of the outcome; capitalist powers will further entrench their ideals into society at large.

Capitalism is a system of systemic oppression and colonial exploitation, Lenin writes. It is in the interest of the very small number of capitalist powers in the world—nations such as America, Great Britain, Japan, etc.—to continue spreading capitalism across the globe, to dominate over developing countries they have entered via conquest and colonization.

Capitalism, as Lenin sums up, is defined by the rapid growth of industry—often at the expense of agricultural prosperity—and the concentration of capital and wealth in the hands of “ever-larger enterprises” and ever fewer individuals (18). The concentration of wealth characteristic of capitalism results in the creation of monopolies. Ironically, this stamps out capitalism’s initial tenets when introduced into an economic ecosystem. The capitalist hallmarks of free competition, free trade, and a free market devolve into monopolies where the very idea of free competition becomes a thing of the past.