Episode 4 - Setting the Stage

In this work, Lenin builds upon Marx's theories to propose a stage of capitalism characterized by the dominance of finance capital and the formation of monopolies. He argues that imperialism is a result of the concentration of capital, the growth of industrial and banking monopolies, and the export of capital to colonies. Lenin provides empirical evidence and statistical data to support his analysis, highlighting the predatory and anticompetitive behaviors of cartels and the inevitability of war arising from the contradictions of imperialism.

Karl Marx's "The Civil War in France" is a pamphlet analyzing the Paris Commune of 1871. Marx examines the Commune's revolutionary significance, its attempts to establish a new form of government, and its ultimate suppression by the French army. The pamphlet offers a powerful critique of the state and its role in maintaining class power. Marx's analysis of the Commune's successes and failures has had a lasting impact on revolutionary theory and practice. The pamphlet's insights into the nature of the state, the dynamics of class struggle, and the possibilities of revolutionary transformation remain relevant today. It is a key text for understanding the history of revolutionary movements and the ongoing struggle for social change.