Ultra-imperialism

Ultra-imperialism, or occasionally hyperimperialism and formerly super-imperialism, is a potential, comparatively peaceful phase of capitalism, meaning "after" or "beyond" imperialism. It was described mainly by Karl Kautsky. "Post-imperialism" is sometimes used as a synonym of "ultra-imperialism", although it can have distinct meanings.

The suggestion of a possible "Ultraimperialismus" is normally attributed to Karl Kautsky, the leading theoretician of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) in the era of the Kaiserreich. Kautsky coined the term in 1914, but he had speculated on the issue several times in 1912 already. He postulated that in the field of international relations a "stadium [approaches], in which the competition among states will be disabled by their cartel relationship". Thus, Kautsky’s Ultraimperialismus concept was shaped by the idea of cartels made up by states for the purpose of international policy.

The basic idea of a possible pacification of imperialism did not really originate from Kautsky. The British left-liberal John Atkinson Hobson had written in 1902 in a similar context about a potential "inter-imperialism", which could be established by a "combination" of great powers ("combination" or "combine" then being used to designate cartels). In 1907, Karl Liebknecht stated in his brochure Militarismus und Antimilitarismus that "a trustification of all actual and potential colonies among the colonial powers, so to speak […] a disabling of the colonial rivalry among the states [could take place in the future], as it occurred to some extent for the private competition among capitalist entrepreneurs in the cartels and trusts". – On the eve of World War I these peace-loving social-democrats and liberals in Europe hoped that the great powers would – beginning with the British Empire and the Deutsche Reich – unite into a "states' cartel" or a "combination" of states giving the rivals organization and reconciliation.

In 1914 Kautsky published an article on imperialism, which subsequently was translated into English and published in the USA. In these he argued, there could be a way out of direful wars among the imperialist powers, a solution now named "Ultraimperialismus" or "super-imperialism".

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