Totalitarianism

Totalitarianism is a political system and a form of government that prohibits opposition from political parties, disregards and outlaws the political claims of individual and group opposition to the state, and completely controls the public sphere and the private sphere of society. In the field of political science, totalitarianism is the extreme form of authoritarianism, wherein all political power is held by a dictator. This figure controls the national politics and peoples of the nation with continual propaganda campaigns that are broadcast by state-controlled and state-aligned private mass communications media.

The totalitarian government uses ideology to control most aspects of human life, such as the political economy of the country, the system of education, the arts, sciences, and private morality of its citizens. In the exercise of power, the difference between a totalitarian regime of government and an authoritarian regime of government is one of degree; whereas totalitarianism features a charismatic dictator and a fixed worldview, authoritarianism only features a dictator who holds power for the sake of holding power. The authoritarian dictator is supported, either jointly or individually, by a military junta and by the socio-economic elites who are the ruling class of the country.

The word totalitarian was first used in the early 1920s to describe the Italian Fascist regime. The term totalitarianism gained wider usage in politics of the interwar period; in the early years of the Cold War, it arose from comparison of the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin and Nazi Germany under Adolf Hitler as a theoretical concept of Western political science, achieving hegemony in explaining the nature of Fascist and Communist states, and later entered the Western historiography of Communism, the Soviet Union and the Russian Revolution; in the 21st century, it became applied to Islamist movements and their governments. The concept of totalitarianism has been challenged and criticized by some historians of Nazi Germany and Stalinist USSR. When defined as exemplary cases of totalitarianism, on the grounds that the main characteristics of the concept – total control over society, total mobilization of the masses, and a monolithic centralized character of the regime – were never achieved by the dictatorships called totalitarian. To support this claim, the historians argue that the political structures of these states were disorganized and chaotic, and that despite the supposed external similarities between Nazism and Stalinism, their internal logic and structure were substantially different. The applicability of the concept to Islamism has also been criticized.

wikipedia/en/Totalitarianism

Totalitarianism is a form of government that seeks to control all aspects of its citizens’ lives, both public and private. It is an extreme version of authoritarianism, distinguished by a totalist ideology, a single ruling party, and the extensive use of state terror and mass surveillance to enforce conformity.

Core characteristics

Controlling ideology: Totalitarian regimes are defined by a singular, overarching ideology that is officially promoted by the state and demands complete allegiance.
Single-party rule: Political power is concentrated in the hands of a single political party, often led by a charismatic dictator. All other political groups are outlawed or suppressed.
State terror: The government uses secret police and internal surveillance to generate fear and suppress any dissent or opposition. The use of unpredictable force makes citizens constantly aware they are being watched.
Media monopoly: The state controls all forms of mass communication—including television, radio, and the internet—to disseminate propaganda and censor opposition viewpoints.
Economic control: The government owns or controls most, if not all, of the country’s economic resources and means of production.
Erosion of individual freedom: Personal liberties are severely restricted, with the state regulating and directing private life, education, the arts, and even individual morality.

Totalitarianism vs. authoritarianism

While both systems centralize power and limit individual freedom, they differ in the degree of state control over society.

Totalitarianism: Seeks total control over every part of society, including citizens’ thoughts and beliefs, to achieve a specific ideological goal.
Authoritarianism: Primarily concerned with maintaining political power and control. It will tolerate a certain degree of social or economic freedom as long as its authority is not challenged.

Historical and modern examples

Historical • Nazi Germany (1933–1945): Led by Adolf Hitler, this regime used a racist ideology, state terror, and extensive propaganda to maintain absolute power.

Soviet Union under Stalin (1924–1953): Joseph Stalin used the state-enforced ideology of Marxism-Leninism, political purges, and the gulag system to terrorize the population and eliminate rivals.
Fascist Italy (1922–1943): Benito Mussolini pioneered the term “totalitarian,” famously declaring, “all within the state, none outside the state, none against the state”.
People’s Republic of China under Mao Zedong (1949–1976): Mao used state-sponsored mass movements and repression to enforce his communist ideology.

Modern Although many modern dictatorships are authoritarian, a few are identified by some sources as having totalitarian characteristics due to their pervasive control over all facets of life.

North Korea: Ruled by the Kim dynasty since 1948, it is often cited as the most enduring totalitarian state, using propaganda and extreme repression to enforce its Juche ideology.
Eritrea: Led by Isaias Afwerki since 1993, this state has been described as a highly repressive, single-party regime.
Taliban-led Afghanistan: Since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban has enforced a strict version of its ideology by suppressing opposition and limiting the freedoms of its citizens.

Critical perspective

Some historians and political scientists challenge the utility of the term “totalitarianism”. They argue that even the most extreme historical examples, like Nazi Germany and Stalin’s USSR, had chaotic and disorganized internal structures that did not reflect total state control. Some academics consider the term to be an overly broad and polemical tool used to condemn regimes rather than to provide meaningful analysis.

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[1] https://www.britannica.com/topic/totalitarianism

[2] https://www.thoughtco.com/totalitarianism-definition-and-examples-5083506

[3] https://legal-resources.uslegalforms.com/t/totalitarian-government

[4] https://www.history.com/articles/totalitarianism-authoritarianism-differences-examples

[5] wikipedia/en/Totalitarianism

[6] wikipedia/simple/Totalitarianism

[7] https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/totalitarian-countries

[8] https://study.com/learn/lesson/video/what-is-totalitarianism.html

[9] https://www.mometrix.com/academy/totalitarianism-vs-authoritarianism/

[10] https://www.britannica.com/question/What-is-the-difference-between-totalitarianism-and-authoritarianism

[11] wikipedia/en/Totalitarianism