The History of Totalitarianism

Totalitarianism is a fairly general term that gets used a lot in political and historical discussions, and it has been applied to many countries. To use the term correctly, you should understand what totalitarianism is, as well as the history of some of the most famous totalitarian states.

Definition

The term "totalitarianism" describes a government that controls all aspects of its citizens' lives. It is characterized by a one-party government, often headed by one charismatic leader. Totalitarian states include several regimes that compel entire populations to support an ideology or government. Such states commonly use secret police, propaganda, terror tactics and elimination of criticism of the regime to maintain their power.

Origins

Giovanni Gentile coined the word "totalitarianism" in his ghost writings for Benito Mussolini, whose fascist government in Italy was one of the earliest and most well-known examples of totalitarianism, along with Adolf Hitler's Third Reich and Soviet Russia under Joseph Stalin. Other totalitarian leaders of the 20th and 21st centuries include China's Mao Zedong, Cambodia's Pol Pot, Iraq's Saddam Hussein and North Korea's Kim Jong-il. During America's Cold War with Soviet Russia, the term "totalitarianism" was popularized in anticommunist rhetoric.

Fascist Italy

While Mussolini was prime minister of Italy, the state controlled as much as it possibly could; everyone obeyed Mussolini and the fascist party. Authority was enforced by Fasci di Combattimenti (also known as the Blackshirts), who dealt with people who opposed Mussolini. The secret police force was called the OVRA.

Mussolini had authority over education in order to raise boys into warriors and girls into mothers of more fascist warriors. Boys were expected to attend youth groups from ages 4 to 18. While Mussolini was in power, many anti-fascists left Italy for their own safety.

The Third Reich

Adolf Hitler was appointed chancellor of Germany in 1933. When the German parliament building, the Reichstag, was burned down later that year, the government condemned it as part of communist efforts to overthrow the state. Thus, a decree was issued that suspended constitutional civil rights and allowed official decrees to be enacted without parliament's approval. Culture, the economy, education and law were all controlled by the Nazi party, which used considerable propaganda to influence the public. Boys and young men were encouraged to join the Hitler Youth organization. Open criticism was suppressed by the secret police, or Gestapo, and the Security Service.

Stalin's Soviet Russia

In Soviet Russia, the government had total control over the media. Any depictions of Stalin had to praise him. Education was strictly controlled, and the books used in schools were heavily censored. Most notably, history books were written to present a distorted version of history. Anyone from ages 8 to 23 attended youth groups. Leisure activities were primarily sports and fitness, and clubs and sports facilities were provided by the state. Religion was banned, so church leaders were arrested, and churches were shut down. People were encouraged to inform the government of any suspicious behavior by others, and many people were falsely accused as a result. Any particularly talented people were viewed as threats to the government and were either killed or imprisoned, although imprisonment often led to the same result as execution.

References

• Life in USSR Under Stalin
• Third Reich: Overview
• Life in Fascist Italy

Resources

• Totalitarianism