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Rhodes and the City of London: Another View of Imperialism

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 February 2009

S. D. Chapman
S. D. Chapman
Affiliation:
University of Nottingham
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Extract

There have been any number of biographies of Cecil Rhodes but they are all concerned with his imperialist dreams and dieir realization, paying litde attention to his business career and financial connexions in London. This is surprising in view of J. A. Hobson's identification of finance as ‘the motor-power of Imperialism’ and his reference to the prime role of Rothschilds (Rhodes' financiers) and other Jewish firms. The name of Rothschild is of course mentioned in the biographies, but the merchant bank's contribution is nowhere probed and the student of business history or imperialism is left to draw his own inferences from its characteristically low profile. Perhaps Rothschilds only receive passing mention because their contribution was very modest, an initial priming for a client that needed litde external financial support? Or, following Hobson, conceivably the bankers were the real powers behind Rhodes, ‘the prime determinants of imperial policy’? Recent revelations of some of Rhodes' business deals have not improved his reputation, and it is important to know if his financial backers were in any way responsible for the unsavoury aspects of his business record.

Type
Articles
Information
The Historical Journal , Volume 28 , Issue 3 , September 1985 , pp. 647 - 666
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1985

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References

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