Totalitarianism

A system of government in which a leader (often a charismatic one), supported by a loyal party, dominates all aspects of an atomized society with weapons of propaganda, indoctrination, and terror. Totalitarian regimes since the mid-20th century have included Nazi Germany, Stalinist Russia, and the rogue state of North Korea.

Totalitarianism Defined

Totalitarianism is not just a dictatorship or one-party rule, although it may contain aspects of each of these. What distinguishes totalitarianism from other forms of authoritarian rule is that the totalitarian society is one in which the dividing line between the government and society has disappeared. This means that the government controls—through propaganda, indoctrination, and terror—the actions and the psyches of the individuals it rules. It ordains both public and private life, and, at its pinnacle, rules them totally.

Totalitarianism is not politically defined or determined. It may occur in reactionary (rightist) or revolutionary (leftist) states. The two most famous totalitarian states—Nazi Germany and Stalinist Russia—were at opposite ends of the political spectrum but quite similar in their methods of domination. Certain social conditions, rather than political ones, must be met for the implementation of a totalitarian state.

Prerequisites for Totalitarianism

The totalitarian process requires huge numbers of isolated individuals. Large numbers ensure that people will feel sufficiently superfluous, will not find common interests, and will not suffer total depopulation when the liquidation of classes begins. Therefore, the first and most necessary condition for a totalitarian society is a collapse of a previously existing society of millions—usually a corrupt, hypocritical system. Its breakdown creates the masses—enormous numbers of people without common interests. The masses of the new classless society feel adrift, frustrated, powerless, and insecure, having lost their previous sense of identity and place in the social structure. The individual in this society feels superfluous and alone. He or she does not enjoy normal social bonds or human connections, even at the level of the family. Society as a whole becomes atomized and individualized.

The totalitarian movement (which exists before it gains total control and becomes a totalitarian state) stands in opposition to the hypocritical, stable respectability of the previous system. The movement's frank glorification of violence in the service of its ideology is both a contrast to the previous regime and fascinating in its own right. Propaganda attracts attention to the ideology and the power of the movement, ultimately providing a way for the individuals to lose themselves in something greater—something that will be of historical importance. In this context, the huge numbers of isolated individuals find structure and a sense of place in the totalitarian movement. Therefore, totalitarian movements enjoy the confidence of the masses up to the end.

Features of Totalitarianism

The defining characteristic of totalitarianism is coerced unanimity. As totalitarianism involves total control over many aspects of life, coercion must take many forms: ideology, propaganda, indoctrination, and terror. Ideology forms the backbone of the totalitarian movement. Whether focusing on race or class or some other category, the totalitarian party is not designed to promote the interests of a group and therefore never has a specific agenda. It is intended to ponder sweeping ideological questions of importance to the ages, not to everyday life. It is often pseudoscientific, based on “laws” of humanity and human nature. Because only the future can resolve the correctness of the ideological arguments, the use of reason and logic against them becomes useless.

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