Totalitarianism

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Totalitarianism • A form of government in which the state has absolute control over almost every aspect of people's lives. The individual is considered a servant of the state and is allowed almost no freedom of choice or expression.

Totalitarianism • A modern autocratic government in which the state involves itself in all facets of society, including the daily life of its citizens. A totalitarian government seeks to control not only all economic and political matters but the attitudes, values, and beliefs of its population, erasing the distinction between state and society.

Totalitarianism • A totalitarian government is ruled by one political party headed by, in most cases, a dictator. The party sets certain economic and social goals for the state, and it outlaws any activity that could interfere with the achievement of these goals.

Totalitarianism • Various totalitarian systems, however, have different ideological goals. For example, of the states most commonly described as totalitarian—the Soviet Union under Stalin, Nazi Germany, and the People’s Republic of China under Mao—

Totalitarianism • Communist regimes of the Soviet Union and China sought the universal fulfillment of humankind through the establishment of a classless society (communism); German National Socialism, on the other hand, attempted to establish the superiority of the so-called Aryan race.

Totalitarianism • Most totalitarian governments prohibit such groups as labor unions and trade associations. Religious practices are forbidden unless they promote the policies of the state.

Totalitarianism • Under a totalitarian system, the government uses terror tactics to suppress individuals or groups who oppose the state. These tactics are carried out by a secret police force and the armed services.

Totalitarianism • The government also uses censorship to silence anyone who criticizes its policies. The media spread government propaganda, and the schools teach absolute loyalty to the state.

Totalitarianism • A totalitarian government controls the nation's economy through ownership or management of farmland and industry. Thus, it determines the type and quantity of crops and goods that are produced.

Totalitarianism • Various totalitarian governments have developed throughout history. In the 1920's and 1930's, however, technological advances in communication and detection systems aided the rise of extreme types of totalitarianism.

Totalitarianism • Totalitarian governments of that period included those of Fascist Italy under Benito Mussolini, Nazi Germany under Adolph Hitler, and the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin.

Totalitarianism • Today, many governments have some totalitarian policies. These governments are especially common in developing nations that are working to build their economies. • Michael Hurst Fellow in Modern History and Politics, St. John's College, Oxford University.

Totalitarianism Is: • Total control of the country in the government's hands • Paranoia and fear on the parts of the leader(s)

Totalitarianism Is: • A distortion of nationalism • A subjugation of individual rights • No guarantees made or kept by the government • Free speech punishable by death

Totalitarianism Is: • A policy of aggression • Total control over cultural aspects of the country • The use of a scapegoat to blame all the problems on • Paranoia and fear on the part of the people

Totalitarianism Is: • Far too much police power • A permanent state of crisis • Capable of genocide and mass murder • Responsible for many of the worst horrors of the twentieth century

Totalitarianism