"As the author shows, the reason for this imperial expansion was not primarily economic greed, important though that was, but the geopolitical desire to pre-emp

"As the author shows, the reason for this imperial expansion was not primarily economic greed, important though that was, but the geopolitical desire to pre-empt European rivals." This statement is a false dichotomy. One does not pre-empt one's enemies from doing something unless one fears they will gain power from their use of the thing.