Transcript 01 What is Totalitarianism

WHAT IS
TOTALITARIANISM?
Essential Question

How did the end of World War I
allow for the rise of totalitarian
governments?
End of WWI…
11 November 1918 Armistice
 Treaty of Versailles

 Article
231: “War Guilt Clause”
 14th Point: League of Nations
 Germany gives up territory (about 10%)
 German reparations to France
 $33
Billion (10% of total war costs)
Treaty of Versailles

What problems might arise??
Totalitarianism

“a government that takes total,
centralized, state control over every
aspect of public and private life.”
 Government
 Economy
 Citizens’
lives
Totalitarianism

Goal: Erase line between government
and society
 Ideology
(set of beliefs) citizens expected to
follow
 Often
led by dynamic
leader and single political
party
Totalitarianism

Leaders provide
sense of security,
direction
 Often
dynamic
leaders
 Build
support
 Justify
policies/actions
 Method of handling
opposition
 Secret Police
Totalitarianism

How to spread message?
 Mass
communication and technology
 Surveillance technology for tracking
 Violence
Totalitarianism and Democracy

Totalitarianism challenges values of
Western democracy:
 Reason
 Freedom
 Human
dignity
 Worth of individual
Methods of Enforcement
Use of terror
Indoctrination
Propaganda
Censorship
Religious/Ethnic Persecution
Police Terror

Objectives:
 Force
obedience
 Crush opposition

Police role: enforce government policies
 Spying
on citizens
 Intimidation
 Brutal force (murder)
Indoctrination

Objective: instruction of government beliefs
 Mold

people’s mind
Control of education
 Glorify
leader and policies
 Unconditional support
required
Propaganda and Censorship

Objective: Control of mass media
 Spread
of propaganda
 Permission
of state to see film, art, music, etc.
 Disagree? Incorrect information?
 Treason
Religious/Ethnic Persecution

Objective: create “enemies of state”
(scapegoats)
 Blame
for when things go wrong
 Religious
groups
 Ethnic groups
Easily identified
 Subject to acts of
terror and violence

Totalitarianism in the 20th Century

Leaders:
 Adolph
Hitler (Germany): 1933-1945
 Nazism
 Benito
Mussolini (Italy): 1925-1943
 Fascism
 Joseph
Stalin (Soviet Union): 1929-1953
 Communism
 Kim
Il Sung (North Korea): 1948-1994
 Saddam Hussein (Iraq): 1979-2003
Totalitarianism Today

Authoritarian
regimes, few
totalitarian
governments
 2000:
one agency
identified regimes:
 Afghanistan**
 Cuba
 North Korea
 Laos
 Vietnam
Analyzing Key Concepts:
Totalitarianism

All totalitarian states share basic
characteristics…
TOTALITARIANISM
State Control of Society
State Control of Individuals



Demands loyalty
Denies basic liberties
Expects personal sacrifice for the good of the state
Methods of Enforcement




Police terror
Indoctrination
Censorship– no free speech
Persecution
Modern Technology


Mass communication to spread propaganda
Advanced military weapons
State Control of Society

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





Business
Labor
Housing
Religion
The arts
Personal life
Education
Youth groups
Dictatorship and One-Party Rule

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Exercises absolute authority
Dominates the government
Dynamic Leader

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
Unites people
Symbolizes government
Encourages popular support through force of will
Ideology

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
Sets goal of the state
Glorifies aims of the state
Justifies government actions
What is Totalitarianism??
In your own words…
Summary:

How did the end of World War I allow
for the rise of totalitarian governments?