Why did imperialism happen in the world?
Some of the more advanced nations in the 20th century engaged in imperialism–an advanced stage of capitalism. Imperialism happened when colonialism expanded and covered the globe, and no new colonies could be acquired by the great powers other than taking them by force; and when the concentration of capital grew to the point where finance capital became dominant over industrial capital. Surplus capital generated by these corporations was exported to less developed nations where capital was more scarce, wages were lower, the price of land was lower, and raw materials were cheaper–all adding up to a higher profit margin. Capitalists needed to export capital because in their own developed nations the market was “over-saturated,” labour was organised and less open to heavy exploitation, and profits were easier to generate elsewhere.
