Was Germany Under Hitler Truly a Totalitarian State?
A totalitarian state is when the government has total control over people’s
lives—how they think, act, and live. It’s a system where there’s no
freedom, and the government makes all the decisions for everyone.
Germany under Adolf Hitler is a good example of a totalitarian state
because the Nazis controlled almost every part of people’s lives. They
were in charge of schools, the media, politics, and the economy. Hitler
made sure the Nazis ran everything, and anyone who disagreed faced
harsh punishment. In this essay, I will explain how Germany became a
totalitarian state by looking at Nazi ideology, propaganda, fear, and their
control of the economy. However, it’s important to remember that not
everyone supported Hitler. Some people were brave enough to resist,
even though it was very dangerous.
Germany under Hitler is a strong example of a totalitarian state because
the Nazis controlled almost every part of people’s lives using ideas,
propaganda, fear, and economic control. Hitler and the Nazis believed in
the idea of a “Volksgemeinschaft,” or “people’s community,” where
everyone had to work together and be loyal to Germany. Schools taught
kids to believe in Nazi ideas, and groups like the Hitler Youth trained
young people to follow Hitler. Propaganda was everywhere, led by Joseph
Goebbels, who controlled newspapers, movies, and radio to make sure
people only saw and heard messages supporting the Nazis. Books that
didn’t fit their ideas—like those by Jewish or communist writers—were
banned and burned.
At the same time, the Nazis used fear to keep people from speaking out.
The Gestapo (secret police) and SS used violence and terror to silence
anyone who disagreed with them. People could be arrested, tortured, or
even killed for opposing the Nazis, and concentration camps were used to
punish those seen as enemies. Events like the Night of the Long Knives
showed how far Hitler would go to remove threats to his power.
The Nazis also controlled the economy. They created jobs through public
works projects and focused on building weapons, which helped Germany
recover from the Great Depression. However, workers had to follow strict
Nazi rules. While some groups, like the White Rose or Edelweiss Pirates,
resisted the Nazis, most people either supported them or were too scared
to fight back. By controlling people’s ideas, the media, fear, and the
economy, Hitler turned Germany into a totalitarian state.
In conclusion, Germany under Hitler is a clear example of a totalitarian
state. The Nazis controlled nearly everything—what people thought, what
they heard and saw, and even how they worked. Propaganda and
censorship influenced people’s beliefs, while fear and terror kept them in
line. Some people, like the White Rose or Edelweiss Pirates, were brave
enough to resist, but they were too small to make a big difference. The
Nazis had so much control over people’s lives that Germany became a
totalitarian state, even if it wasn’t completely perfect. This shows how
dangerous it can be when one leader or group has so much power over a
country.
Sources:
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum – ushmm.org
BBC Bitesize – Nazi control of Germany – bbc.co.uk/bitesize
History Learning Site – Nazi Germany as a Totalitarian State – historylearningsite.co.uk
