A cartoon portraying the British Empire as an octopus, reaching into foreign lands

Imperialism is a policy of extending the control or authority over foreign entities as a means of acquisition and/or maintenance of empires, either through direct territorial or through indirect methods of exerting control on the politics and/or economy of other countries. The term is used by some to describe the policy of a country in maintaining colonies and dominance over distant lands, regardless of whether the country calls itself an empire. British imperialism This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... British imperialism This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... A database query syntax error has occurred. ... For alternative meanings, see Empire (disambiguation) An empire (also known technically, abstractly or disparagingly as an imperium, and with powers known among Romans as imperium) comprises a set of regions locally ruled by governors, viceroys or client kings in the name of an emperor. ... A territory is a defined area (including land and waters), usually considered to be a possession of an animal, person, organization, or institution. ... Politics is the process and method of decision-making for groups of human beings. ... In politics and in history, a colony is a territory under the immediate political control of a geographically-distinct state (or city, in ancient times). ...

Insofar as 'imperialism' might be used to refer to an intellectual position, it would imply the belief that the acquisition and maintenance of empires is a positive good, probably combined with an assumption of cultural or other such superiority inherent to imperial power. See The White Man's Burden. The White Mans Burden is a Eurocentric view of the world used to encourage powerful nations to adopt an imperial role. ...

In recent years, there has been a trend to criticise imperialism not at an economic or political level, but at a simply cultural level, particularly the widespread global influence of American culture - see cultural imperialism. Some dispute this extension, however, on the grounds that it is highly subjective (to differentiate between mutual interaction and undue influence) and also applied selectively (Coca Cola being imperialist and black tea not). The debate continues. This article very generally discusses the customs and culture of the United States; for the culture of the United States, see arts and entertainment in the United States. ... Cultural imperialism is the practice of promoting the culture or language of one nation in another. ...

Etymology

The term imperialism was a new word in the mid-19th century. According to the OED, it dates back to 1858, to describe Pax Britannica. However its intellectual roots can certainly be traced as far back as Dante, who in his Monarchia depicted a world with a single political focus and governed by rationalism. Dante was very influential on John Dee, who coined the term British Empire in the late 16th century. Dee was instrumental in creating the intellectual and scientific environment whereby English seafarers such as Humphrey Gilbert, Martin Frobisher and Walter Raleigh could set the groundwork for a maritime empire. Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is a comprehensive multi-volume dictionary published by the Oxford University Press (OUP). ... 1858 is a common year starting on Friday. ... Pax Britannica ( Latin for the British Peace, modeled after Pax Romana) refers to a period of British imperialism after the Battle of Waterloo and the War of 1812, which led to a period of overseas British expansionism. ... Dante in a fresco series of famous men by Andrea del Castagno, ca. ... This article is not about continental rationalism. ... John Dee (July 13, 1527 – 1608 or 1609) was a noted British mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and consultant to Queen Elizabeth I. He also devoted much of his life to alchemy, divination, and Hermetic philosophy. ... A database query syntax error has occurred. ... (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ... Royal motto: Dieu et mon droit (French: God and my right) Englands location within the UK Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area  - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 1st UK 49,138,831 377/km² Religion... Sir Humphrey Gilbert (1539 - 1583) was Sir Walter Raleighs half brother. ... Sir Martin Frobisher (~1535 - November 22, 1594) was a British seaman (from Yorkshire) who made several voyages to the New World to look for the Northwest Passage. ... Alternatively, Professor Walter Raleigh was a scholar and author circa 1900. ...

According to the OED, in 19th century England, imperialism, was generally used only to describe English policies. However, soon after the invention of the term, imperÍalism was used in retrospect about the policies of the Roman Empire. Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Roman Empire between AD 60 and 400 with major cities. ...

In the 20th century, the term has been used to describe the policies of both the Soviet Union and the United States, although these differed greatly from each other and from 19th-century imperialism. Furthermore, the term has been expanded to apply, in general, to any historical instance of the aggrandizement of a greater power at the expense of a lesser power. (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the...

Since the end of World War II and particularly following the collapse of the Soviet Union and its satellite states, accusations of imperialism have almost exclusively been levelled at the sole-remaining superpower, the United States. Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... The rise of Gorbachev Although reform stalled between 1964–1982, the generational shift gave new momentum for reform. ... The term satellite state, by analogy to stellar objects orbiting a larger object, such as planets revolving around the sun, refers to a country that is formally sovereign but that is in fact dominated by a larger hegemonic power. ... A superpower is a state with the ability to influence events or project power on a global scale. ...

Marxist theory of Imperialism

Marxists use the term imperialism as Lenin defined it: "the highest stage of capitalism", specifically the era in which monopoly finance capital becomes dominant, forcing the empires to compete amongst themselves increasingly for control over resources and markets all over the world. This control may take the form of geopolitical machinations, military adventures, or financial maneuvers. Marxism is the political practice and social theory based on the works of Karl Marx, a 19th century German philosopher, economist, journalist, and revolutionary, along with Friedrich Engels. ... Vladimir Ilyich Lenin ( Russian: Влади́мир Ильи́ч Ле́нин  listen?), original surname Ulyanov (Улья́нов) ( April 22 (April 10 ( O.S.)), 1870 – January 21, 1924), was a Russian revolutionary, the leader of the Bolshevik party, the first Premier of the Soviet Union, and the founder of the ideology of Leninism. ...

The essential feature of the Marxist theories of imperialism, or related theories such as dependency theory, is their exclusive focus on the economic relation between countries, rather than the explicit political relationship. Imperialism thus consists not in the direct control of one country by another, but in the economic exploitation of one region by another, or by a group from another. This Marxist usage contrasts with many people's understanding of the connotation of the word 'imperialism', which they think of as relating to the era when countries directly controlled vast empires, rather than the economic domination that some parts of the world have over others today - this is a conflation of imperialism with colonialism, the establishment of overseas colonies. Dependency theory is the body of theories by various intellectuals, both from the Third World and the First World, that propound a worldview which suggests that the wealthy nations of the world need a peripheral group of poorer states to remain wealthy. ... Economics (in Greek Οικονομικά) derives from the Greek word Eco(οίκω=house) and nemo(νέμω=distribute) is the social science that studies the allocation of scarce resources through measurable variables. ... Politics is the process and method of decision-making for groups of human beings. ... In political economy, economics, and sociology, exploitation usually does not include simple theft, since the latter is not a persistent economic or social relationship, as when a pimp exploits his prostitute. ... World map of colonialism circa 1945. ...

Although Marxists generally consider imperialist powers to be the capitalist countries of the First World, some Marxists (primarily Maoists) and others believe that the Soviet Union eventually became social-imperialist—socialist in words but imperialist in deeds— using its power and influence to dominate the East Bloc and various other countries. China, India, and other large countries with regional influence are sometimes charged with imperialism as well. Capitalism has been defined in various ways (see definitions of capitalism). ... The terms First World, Second World, and Third World were used to divide the nations of Earth into three broad categories. ... Maoism or Mao Zedong Thought (Chinese: 毛澤東思想, pinyin: Máo Zédōng Sīxiǎng), also called Marxism-Leninism–Mao Zedong Thought or Marxism-Leninism-Maoism (MLM), is a variant of communism derived from the teachings of Mao Zedong (1893–1976). ... Social-imperialism is imperialism with a socialist (communist) face. ... During the Cold War, the Eastern Bloc (or Soviet Bloc) comprised the following Central and Eastern European countries: Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, East Germany, Poland, Albania (until the early 1960s, see below), the Soviet Union, and Czechoslovakia. ...

It is worth noting that Marx himself did not propound a theory of imperialism, and in contrast with later Marxist thinkers generally saw the colonialism of European powers as being essentially about extending capitalism worldwide, rather than seeing it as the pillage of those countries in favour of the European centre countries. Karl Marx Karl Marx (May 5, 1818 – March 14, 1883) was an influential German philosopher, political economist, and revolutionary organizer of the International Workingmens Association. ... World map of colonialism circa 1945. ...

See also

• Anti-imperialism
• Mercantilism
• Pax Britannica
• New Imperialism
• Pax Americana
• List of former German colonies
• Occidentalism
• British Empire
• French colonial empire
• List of former European colonies
• Chinese imperialism
• Japanese imperialism
• Colonization of Africa
• Imperialism in Asia
• Client states
• Media imperialism
• Religious imperialism

Anti-imperialism is a current within the political left advocating the collapse of imperialism. ... Mercantilism is the economic theory that a nations prosperity depended upon its supply of gold and silver, that the total volume of trade is unchangeable. ... Pax Britannica ( Latin for the British Peace, modeled after Pax Romana) refers to a period of British imperialism after the Battle of Waterloo and the War of 1812, which led to a period of overseas British expansionism. ... The term New Imperialism to the policy and ideology of imperial colonial expansion adopted by Europes powers and later the United States and Japan during the late 19th and early 20th centuries; approximately from the Franco-Prussian War to World War I (c. ... The term Pax Americana ( Latin: American Peace) denotes the period of perceived peace in the Western world since the end of World War II in 1945, coinciding with the dominant military and economic position of the United States. ... This is a list of former German colonies, or Schutzgebiete (protectorates) as they were called in official German. ... Occidentalism is a term for stereotyped and sometimes dehumanizing views of the so-called Western world, including Europe, the United States, Australia and so on. ... A database query syntax error has occurred. ... -1... This is a list of former European colonies. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... Ancient Colonization North Africa in particular experienced colonization from Europe and Asia Minor in the early historical period. ... Large areas of Asia, as well as Africa and other areas of the world, were subjected to imperial control by European nations, China, and Japan. ... According to the notion of client states, just as a client of a corporation remains dependent on the corporation for a continued supply of products, and just as it is in the companys interest to make expendable products which need to be replaced regularly, client states of the two... Media Imperialism is a critical theory regarding the perceived effects of globalization on the worlds media. ... Religious imperialism is a policy intended to spread religious beliefs to people, territories or nations through the use of warfare, oppression, conversion and other means. ...

References

• Marxist Theories of Imperialism, Anthony Brewer.

External links

• Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism (http://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1916/imp-hsc/) - by Vladimir Lenin

• Liberal opposition to colonialism, imperialism and empire (pdf) (http://lsb.scu.edu/~dklein/papers/PdfPapers/Liberalanti-imperialism.pdf) - by professor Daniel Klein