Table of Contents

Preface and Acknowledgements ix

Introduction: Empire of Theory, Theories of Empire 1

0.1 Marxism and imperialism 3

0.2 The need for theory 6

0.3 Imperialism and global political economy today 14

Part I: Theory 23

1 The Classical Legacy 25

1.1 Continuing Marx’s Capital 25

1.2 Luxemburg’s fertile diversion 36

1.3 The Lenin-Bukharin synthesis 41

1.4 Organized capitalism and economic crises 53

1.5 Spectres of ultra-imperialism 62

2 Capitalism and the State System 67

2.1 Rethinking the theory of imperialism 67

2.2 Conceptualizing the state system 73

2.3 Interests and ideologies 93

Part II: History 101

3 Capitalism and La Longue Durée 103

3.1 What is capitalism? 103

3.2 Markets and empires 115

3.3 The sinews of capitalist power 123

4 Ages of Imperialism 137

4.1 Periodizing imperialism 137

4.2 Classical imperialism (1870–1945) 144

4.3 Superpower imperialism (1945–1991) 165

5 Imperialism and Global Political Economy Today 188

5.1 The specificity of American imperialism 188

5.2 Global capitalism at the Pillars of Hercules? 197

Notes and References 228

Index 281