The Interwar Years-Totalitarianism-

“Society CompletelyControlled by the State”

1919 to 1939

Totalitarianism – A Troublesome Definition

• A number of unique forms of government emerged after World War I

• Were they fundamentally alike or different?– This is a debated point.

• I will refer to this group of governments as Totalitarian. – We will note both their similarities and

differences at the end of the lecture.

•The Red, Orange, and Brown countries all represent post WWI dictatorships.

•Then why different colors?

•Orange represents traditional dictatorships.

•Conservatives wanted (as always) to maintain the status quo. However, if the people accepted this, they had relative freedom.

•Similar to Absolutism.

•Red and Brown are Totalitarian.

•Something NEW

Traditional Dictatorship Versus Totalitarianism

• One person/small group is in power

• Political power is not available for peaceful change

• Desires to remain in power– Relies on religion,

aristocracy, tradition, army, wealthy to keep it

• includes all of the things a traditional dictatorship has… + …

• …desires to control ALL aspects of subjects’ lives – Religion, economics, family,

sports, information, etc.

• …Has the TECHNOLOGY to do so– Post industrial

• …Seeks to motivate, energize, and mobilize the country towards some great goal

Excerpt from George Orwell’s 1984

• Q. Why does the book have this title? – A. Imagines totalitarianism in the future– A. Technology will improve in the future, so

government control will increase

Image of Traditional Dictatorship Versus Totalitarianism

• Traditional Dictatorship = Gov’t over all aspect of society and maintains its own political power

• Totalitarianism = Gov’t eliminates all aspects of society to have sole influence on the individual

Old Conservative Authoritarianism Totalitarianism

Examples To Support my Definition of Totalitarianism

• Stalin’s statue to a Soviet Boy

• Hitler Youth

• Hitler’s ‘Silent Night’

• Mussolini with his red and blue pencils

Looking At Totalitarianism’s Place in the Flow Of European History

• Perhaps since the Renaissance, and at least since the Enlightenment, there had been a political progression towards liberalism along with a faith in the value and worth of the individual and his natural rights – Remember, by the time of Bismarck, even conservatives were enacting

social reforms to win votes and the more liberal countries like England and the United States were moving towards full democracy and women’s suffrage

• Totalitarian Leaders explicitly rejected this liberal tradition as weak • Armed with Social Darwinism, extreme nationalism, and skewed

interpretations of people like Nietzsche and Marx, Totalitarians embraced the good of the community over the good of the individual and embraced violence and praised the ‘fierce will’ of the ‘higher man’ with the nerve to make cold-blooded choices about the proper direction for the greater good of humanity

So Why Would Totalitarianism Appear in This Particular Time Period and In Multiple Countries At Once?

Reason #A Anger over the Treaty of Versailles

A (cont.)

• Germany has been crushed• Italy wasn’t given lands it had been

promised for joining the allies• Russia wasn’t even invited, since it had

been going through a Civil War• Totalitarian leaders promise to rebuild their

countries’ economies, honor, etc.– Mussolini’s train cars

Reason #B Disillusionment with Liberal Tradition

Europe has been Europe has been smashed up and largely smashed up and largely destroyed by … destroyed by …

Liberal gov’tsLiberal gov’tsmaybe government by maybe government by the people (based on the people (based on natural law) doesn’t natural law) doesn’t work… work… Think- Lost Think- Lost GenerationGenerationShould we try Should we try something else? something else?

Reason #C Poverty = Desperation

•The extreme poverty in Europe after The extreme poverty in Europe after WWI left people desperate for hope. WWI left people desperate for hope. People were willing to give up freedom People were willing to give up freedom for security.for security.•FDR “People have grown tired of FDR “People have grown tired of unemployment and insecurity. Finally, unemployment and insecurity. Finally, in desperation, they chose to sacrifice in desperation, they chose to sacrifice liberty in the hope of getting something liberty in the hope of getting something to eat.”to eat.”•In 1929, just as some of the European In 1929, just as some of the European countries began to recover, the Great countries began to recover, the Great Depression hit. It was a worldwide Depression hit. It was a worldwide depression. depression.

Reason #D

Total War conditioned civilians to follow

orders

– Rationing– Illegal to strike – The Draft– Etc.

Reason E Charismatic Leaders•Hitler, Stalin, and Mussolini were great speakers

•They used modern technology to get their message out (propaganda) and prevented other messages from getting out (censorship)

•They promised a better life for their people and often delivered

•Why would they be able to deliver?

•Mussolini made the _________ run on time.

Propaganda

“Adolph Hitler’s

Youth Attend Germany’s Schools”

“Fuhrer, we will follow you!”

"Youth Serves the

Führer. All 10-year-olds

into the Hitler Youth."

• Beloved Stalin- the People’s Happiness

Reason F

Willingness of Totalitarians to Use Fear

and Violence– Secret Police

Gestapo Mussolini’s “Black Shirts”

Stalin, Mussolini, Hitler and Franco all assassinated political rivalsStalin, Mussolini, Hitler and Franco all assassinated political rivals

Reason G

• Power of new technologies– Radio– Television– Telephone lines – More powerful weapons – Transportation

• Cars, trains, airplanes

•So Why is There Controversy About the Term ‘Totalitarian’?•Red and Brown are not the same

•Red= Fascist Totalitarianism •Brown = Communist Totalitarianism

Fascist Versus Communist Totalitarianism

•Charismatic leader

•Secret police

•propaganda and censorship

•One Party

•Have a Vision for Society

•Reject primacy of the individual/democracy

•Militaristic

•Hate each other

•Extremely racist/ nationalistic

•Eliminate Social Classes

• Atheistic

•Gov’t runs the economy