Abstract
I compare ancient with modern empires and show why hegemony beyond the militaryrealm is possible only in the modern capitalist world. I examine Germany, Spain and France, whichfailed to achieve hegemony, along with the three successive hegemons: the Netherlands, Britain,and the United States. I identify the elites that were created and strengthened by their homepolity’s empire or hegemony, and enumerate the factors that allowed some colonial elites to achievehigh levels of autonomy. Colonial elite autonomy or high levels of elite unity in the metropoleprevented or undermined hegemony.
Highlights
All polities since the advent of capitalism, and almost all large-scale polities in the millennia before have been ruled by multiple elites
I offer a typology of modern empires, differentiating them in terms of (1) the extent to which colonial elites were autonomous from the metropole and (2) the degree to which colonial elites had influence over the metropolitan political economy
Modern empires had very different elite structures than ancient empires or the Ottoman Empire, which were characterized by two domestic elites at home, and an additional provincial elite in the conquered lands that was kept in line largely by military force
Summary
Resumo Comparo impérios antigos e modernos e mostro de que forma a hegemonia além da esfera militar é possível apenas no mundo capitalista moderno. Analiso a Alemanha, a Espanha e a França, que falharam no alcance da hegemonia, juntamente com três poderes hegemónicos sucessivos: Holanda, Grã-Bretanha e Estados Unidos. Identifico as elites que foram criadas e reforçadas pelos regimes imperiais ou hegemónicos dos seus países, e enumero fatores que permitiram a algumas elites coloniais alcançar elevados níveis de autonomia. A autonomia de certas elites coloniais ou os níveis elevados de unidade das elites das metrópoles impediram ou enfraqueceram a hegemonia.
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