Special issue on Imperialism & War
Published: 08 September 2013
Critique is looking for innovative essays around the topic of Imperialism and War, to mark the 100th anniversary of the First World War. In principle, essays can be historical, political, political economic or interdisciplinary and should be very roughly 8,000 to 12,000 words in length If we get more than can fit into one issue we will run to as many issues as are needed to do justice to the subject.
We propose including the whole gamut of causes and consequences, given the extra-ordinary nature of the First World War, its mindless cruelty and destructiveness on the the one hand but the fantastic explosion of working class revolution throughout Europe on the other. The ruling class was bent on compelling its citizens to fight to the last man, for a cause which disappeared into the mist. Imperialism which most see as a crucial underling cause of the war continues down to the present and conceptions of imperialism, even as applicable to the War of 1914-18 have developed.
Below are a few ideas as to the themes involved.
Causes of the Ist World War, such as
- Ruling class need to divert increasing discontent
- Imperialist Rivalry
- War as a means of containing capitalist crises
Theorists of the Causes of the First World War such as:
- Lenin
- Trotsky
- Bukharin
- Kautsky
Nature of Imperialism in general, down to the present.
- The concept of decline in relation to capitalism
- War and the decline of capitalism
- The First World War in the context of the Evolution of Imperialism and War
- War and Revolution: How does war facilitate Revolution, and how much does it alter the nature of the Revolution itself.
The final deadline for articles is February 22, 2014