The daily worker., 1931-11-10
Agitators' and
Propagandists'
Column
The Place of Imperialism in
History
From Lenin's Pamphlet on ImperiaIIsm.)

WE HAVE seen that imperialism is in its eco
nomic essence, monopolist capitalism. It's
historic place Is determined by this fact, for
monopoly born out of free competition, and pre-
csely our free competition, is the transition of
the capitalist social order to higher order
We must notice especially four chief aspects OF
monopolies, or four chief manifestations Of Ca
pitalist monopoly, which are characteristic Of
the period under review.
Cd Monopoly has grown up out of the con-
centration of production at very advanced
stage of the latter's development. This is il
lustrated in the case Of monopolist capitalist
Unions combines, syndicates and trust We have
seen the large part that it plays in modern
economic life At the beginning of the goth
century, monopolies have acquired complete
supremacy in the advanced countries And If
the first steps towards the formation of the
combines were earlier made by countries enjoy
Ing the protection of high tariffs Germany
Arnerica), Britain with her system OF free trade
has shown, only little later, the same fact,
namely, the birth of monopoly out Of the con-
centration Of production.
(2) Monopolies have led TO the intensive SELF
ure of the most important sources OF raw mat
erials, especially for the coal and iron industry
10 OiiO vi VI CdpUduSU
society and that over which the trusts have the
greatest control. The exercise of monopoly over
the most important sources OF raw materials
has terribly increased the power of big capital
and has sharpened the antagonism between pro-
duction which is in the hands of the trusts, and
the production which is not.
go Monopoly has sprung from the banks
These have developed into the monopolists OF
finance capital out of modest Intermediates
Some three or five Of the biggest banks in each
of the foremost capitalist countries have
achieved the personal union" of industrial and
banking capital, and concentrating In their
hands the disposal OF thousands upon thousands
Of millions which form. the greater part OF the
capital and revenue OF entire countries. A nm
ancial oligarchy, imposing an infinite number
Of financial ties OF dependence upon all the eco
nomic and political institutions Of contemporary
capitalist society without exception-such Is the
most striking manifestation OF this monopoly.
"a Monopoly has grown out OF cononiai pol
Icy. To the numerous "old" motives OF colonial
policy the capitalist financier has added the
struggle for the sources of raw materials for the
expectation of capital for spheres OF influence"
i.e, for spheres of good business concessions,
nonopolist profits, and SO on; In fine, for eco
nomic territory in general When the European.
powers did not as yet occupy with their colonies
tenth part OF Africa Gas was the case In 1870,
colonial policy was able to develop otherwise
than by the methods OF nonopoly-by Yree
grabbing" Of territories, so to speak. But when
the nine-tenths Of Africa had been seized (to-
wards 1900, when the whole world had been
shared out, the period OF colonial monopoly
opened and as result the period OF btterest
struggle for the partition and the reparttion OF
the world
1t is known In general how much monopoly
capital has deepened all the inherent contradic-
tions Of capitalism. 1t is enough to mention
the high cost Of living and the yoke OF the trusts
This deepening Of contradictions constitutes
the most powerful driving force OF the transi-
tional period Of history, which began from the
time of the definite victory OF finance capital
From the concluding chapter Of Lenin's
"Tmperialisp-