Characteristics of totalitarianism:

“In 1956 American historians Carl Friedrich and Zbigniew Brzezinski identified at least six key
features of modern totalitarian states: (1) an official ideology; (2) a single ruling party; (3)
complete control of “all weapons of armed combat”; (4) complete monopoly of all means of
mass communication; (5) a system of terror, physical and psychic, enforced by the party and the
secret police; and (6) central control and direction of the entire economy.”​
​ ​ ​
Italy Germany USSR

Who was the leader? How The leaders of Italy during The leader of Nazi The leader of the Soviet
did they come to power? this time period are King Germany was Adolf Union during this time (a
Victor Emaniel the third Hitler; just before him the few years before and
(but he was just a puppet); Weimar republic was a during WW2) was Josef
the prime minister (and the democracy with a Stalin. He came to power
real leader) was Benito president - former general because the position his
Mussolini; he took control Paul Von Hindernburg; position of General
after threatening the king to Hitler came to power Secretary allowed him to
march on Rome with the because of the growing take over party
Black Shirts (30000 armed influence of the GWU appointments and
people) (german workers union) organization, and after
and the dissatisfaction of Lennin’s passing he was
the german population able to gather enough
with the great depression support to become the
and their loss in WW1; the sole leader (instead of
president appointed him Trotsky)
chancelor in 1933, took
control using reichstag fire
and Enabling act

What was the ideology? Fascism - merged a large Nazism - similar to Communism -
What policies did the amount of nationalism with facism, but built on racial collectivism, everyone
government use to anti-communistic sentiment hierarchy - belief in the had the same social
promote/protect the and authoritarianism; aryan supremacy race; status, private property
ideology? promoted state-controlled anti-sematism, lebensraum was disregarded, focus on
unions and suppressed class - living space via conquest the collective; the
conflicts; for the “aryan” race; government had complete
Used secret police to crush Racial laws, sterilized control over the economy;
dissent, banned opposition “undesirables” massive amounts of
parties, and glorified revived the economy industrialization and
militarism; imperial through rearmament and agricultural output; social
expansion, cooperation with public works; autarky, benefits and nonexistent
the catholic church - almost full employment unemployment; equality
Vatican city of women; but also
purges and tyranny to
 stop anyone from
opposing the party rule -
totalitarianism

What was their approach imperial expansion, overturned Versailles -aggressive economic
to foreign policy? cooperation with the restrictions (remilitarized expansion to get ahead of
catholic church - Vatican Rhineland 1936, the western countries
city Saarland), annexed economically
Aggressive expansionism to Austria (Anschluss 1938), -Molotov-Ribbentrop pact
revive the Roman empire and seized - non-aggression pact
Alignment with nazi Czechoslovakia, brought with Nazi Germany that
germany - Rome-Berlin back some territories from allowed the two countries
axis; Pact of steel; invasion baltics; invaded Poland to carve out spheres of
of ethiopia and albania (1939); influence in Eastern
Anti-western - the country Molotov-Ribbentrop pact Europe; Germany still
felt betrayed from what with Russia - attacked in 1941; then
they got in WW1 Berlin-Rome-Tokyo Russia joined the Allies,
alliance - Axis powers but still had different
Remilitarization, views
aggression

How did society -suppressed free press, -totalitarian control via Five year plans - forced
(economics, politics, etc) dissolved unions, and Gestapo and SS terror; rapid industrialization;
transform under this replaced them with -Hitler Youth collectivization - no
regime? state-run organizations indoctrinated children; peasant autonomy, private
-indoctrinated youth to traditional values; property reduced, workers
promote their ideology, as industrialization, faced harsh quotas but
well as militarism to build self-sustenance, gained access to
up a sustainable source of -systematized mass education and healthcare;
manpower for army murder against women in the workforce,
-’traditional’ values tried to non-aryans, targeting NKVD secret police
be put in place Jews, Roma, others enforced terror, atheism,
-industrialization, reduction of class divides,
self-sustenance socialist ideas

How did they use suppressed free speech Ministry of propaganda by Influence on art,
propaganda? Mussolini depicted as a god Goabbels, suppressed free propaganda posters
like leader - Il Duce, use of speech, state controlled depicting Stalin as a great
Roman imagery and media - film and radio, leader of the communist
promises to legitimize rallies and posters to show cause, censorship,
facism; state controlled nazi power, banning of NKVD, rewriting of
media - film and radio; certain books (like all history (exmpl Trotsky
celebration of fascist quiet on the western removed from multiple
achievements; posters and front); state-controlled photos); glorification of
 rallies elevated the leader; education, racial biology the communist cause
Censorship, fascist doctrine in schools; loyalty to the
in schools leader above all taught to
all

Group discussion/notes:

1.​ In what ways was totalitarianism in the USSR, Italy, and Germany similar?
single-party dictatorships, cults of personality, state propaganda, secret police, suppression

2.​ In what ways were they different?

3.​ How did these ideologies contribute to the outbreak of WWII? Reference specific
examples in your response.
Expansionism and ideological clashes; propaganda against the other