Hobson first theorized imperialism as a perversion of nationalism

Evidence

Hobson, op. cit., was the first to recognize both the fundamental opposition of imperialism and nationalism and the tendency of nationalism to become imperialist. He called imperialism a perversion of nationalism “in which nations …transform the wholesome stimulative rivalry of various national types into the cut-throat struggle of competing empires” (p. — Hannah Arendt, The Origins of Totalitarianism, 2233

Categorization

• DEFINE: Supplies Hobson’s core conceptual move: imperialism defined as nationalism turned pathological — a key scaffolding distinction for the field