Totalitarianism
Who really needs freedom, right?
Totalitarianism is a system of government that suppresses any individual and political freedoms, exerting complete control over all aspects of life. It is a single-party government with a strong central rule. All inherited political institutions are replaced with new ones, discouraging any organization, social or political. Totalitarian governments focus on a specific objective, such as industrialization, and direct all resources toward achieving those goals.
Totalitarianism v Authoritarianism
The major difference between the two is the government's degree of control over society. Both systems reject democratic properties but the amount of personal freedom allowed differs.
Totalitarianism
Takes total control over every aspect of life. This includes media, cultural beliefs, and economics. This is enforced through propaganda, state-sponsored militia, and surveillance.
Takes political control but does allow some personal autonomy. Areas around religion, business, and more importantly social circles/lives are a part of the personal freedoms that are allowed.
Totalitarian regimes prioritize total control over the population to complete their intended transformation. While Authoritarian governments care more about obtaining power than transforming society.
Key Thinkers:
Hannah Arendt
Arendt studied the rise of totalitarian regimes in her work The Origins of Totalitarianism. She focused on the destruction of democratic structures, specifically Statin Russia and Nazi Germany, and how totalitarianism grew from ideologies rooted in total domination.
Carl Friedrich & Zbigniew Brzezinski
In their book Totalitarian Dictatorship and Autocracy, Friedrich and Brzezinski name six key characteristics of totalitarian regimes: single party, monopoly of communication, monopoly of the military, control of the economy, ideology, and a terroristic police state.
Although not a traditional political theorist, writer George Orwell often critiqued totalitarianism in his literature 1984 and Animal Farm. He offers a literary perspective on censorship propaganda and the reality of how totalitarian systems control private and public lives.
Totalitarian Leaders & their Regimes
Maoist China
China became a totalitarian state under Mao Zedong from 1949 to 1976, intending to reshape society. They used movements like the Great Leap Forward to attempt to transform China from an agrarian society to an industrial society. Zedong maintained power through political campaigns, purges, and strict surveillance.
Fascist Italy
From 1922 to 1943, Benito Mussolini created a totalitarian regime by controlling the media to suppress the political opposition. His regime focused on military strength and allied with Nazi Germany. Mussolini relied on fear to maintain control over Italy, but his deficiency in economics and war led to his collapse.
Democracy thrives on voluntary participation while totalitarian regimes enforce obedience. Totalitarianism reveals how easily political systems can fall under total state control, and how leaders tear down democratic institutions. Taking note of how propaganda, mass surveillance, and political manipulation threaten democracies strengthens the need for institutional safeguards. Having this understanding of Totalitarianism and its mechanisms aids in recognizing early warnings in modern governments.