Imperialism is the highest stage of capitalism.' Whose statement is this?

Correct option is A

V. I. Lenin, a prominent Marxist revolutionary, wrote a pamphlet titled "Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism" in 1916. In this work, Lenin analyzed how capitalism had evolved into a global system marked by monopolies, imperialist expansion, and the exploitation of colonies. He argued that imperialism was an inevitable phase of capitalism, where advanced capitalist nations sought to dominate less developed regions to maximize profits and secure resources.

Key Points:

1. The work is one of Lenin's most influential texts and outlines his views on the global economy under capitalism.
2. Lenin defines imperialism as a stage where capitalist development reaches a monopoly stage.
3. This stage is characterized by:
   • The dominance of financial capital over industrial capital.
   • The export of capital to colonies and dependent territories.
   • The division of the world into spheres of influence by great powers.
4. Lenin's analysis was pivotal in understanding the economic motivations behind World War I.

Information Booster:

• Joseph Stalin: Known for his policies on socialism and industrialization, but not associated with significant contributions to imperialism theory.
• Karl Marx: Marx laid the foundation of capitalist critique, but the statement specifically pertains to Lenin’s extension of Marxist thought.
• Georg Lukacs: A Marxist philosopher, his works focused on class consciousness and historical materialism, but he did not write about imperialism as Lenin did.

Additional Information:

• Lenin's text emphasized that imperialism was not a policy choice but a structural inevitability in capitalism's evolution.
• The pamphlet was written during Lenin's exile in Switzerland and is considered a response to the economic theories of Karl Kautsky and others.
• This work has been influential in political science, economics, and historical analyses of colonialism and globalization.