The Origins of Totalitarianism

Chapter 5 begins with an epigraph by Cecil Rhodes: “I would annex the planets if I could” (121). This quotation summarizes the mood of imperialism. Chapter 5 explores the connection among power, expansion, race, ideology, and politics, arguing that imperialism forms out of the rise and subsequent aims of the bourgeoisie, the capitalist class who owns and controls most of the wealth and means of production in a society. Arendt cites Cecil Rhodes, the British imperialist who colonized much of South Africa, as a figurehead of imperialism. She reiterates that imperialism paved the way for totalitarianism through its affinity for domination, bureaucratic rule, and expansion.

Arendt points to the limitations of imperialism as leading to the need for totalitarianism to exert control. The political influence of the nation-state is limited, and it will always weaken as it encounters diverse peoples and their resistance. An imperialist agenda operates outside the nation-state. Arendt suggests that capitalism always needs non-capitalist people whom it can exploit for cheap labor and resources. A nationalist perspective limits this capitalistic power and prevents the kind of thinking necessary for conquering other peoples.