Overview

This volume contains a series of essays aimed at illuminating from a Marxist point of view the theory, history, and roots of imperialism—ranging from the period of Western Europe’s global expansion associated with the Industrial Revolution to the era of the multinational corporation, and from the days of colonialism to modern imperialism without colonies. This work covers the history of European global expansion from 1763 to the 1970s, and discusses the leading theories of imperialism such as those of  Hobson, Lenin, and Schumpeter. Also included are Magdoff’s answers to his critics, specifically concerning causal interconnections between capitalism and imperialism and the “necessity” of imperialism.

Harry Magdoff(1913-2006) is recognized worldwide for his economic analyses of imperialism and was co-editor of Monthly Review from 1969 until 2006.