Rise of Totalitarianism
The rise of totalitarianism happened right before World War II during the Great Depression. This act of total control by dictatorship is when the government takes over all aspects of life. Fascism, communism, the Nazi Party, and socialism are four governments that fall under the totalitarian category.
In what ways was Stalin's regime a totalitarian government?
Stalin's regime was totalitarian government because he controlled all sources of information from the media, literature, science and history. Schools were strictly controlled and those who did not follow orders from the Communist Party’s risked losing their jobs or imprisonment.
Soviet soldiers: smiling faces masked the misery of Stalin's regime. Photograph: AP
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Young Stalin: 1906: Soviet leader Joseph Stalin (1879 - 1953), born Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
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Three Powers Meet In the grounds of the Livadia Palace, Yalta, during the Three Power Conference Sir Winston Churchill, Franklin Roosevelt and the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin(Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)
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In the beginning of building a totalitarian state, Joseph Stalin looked for more control over Russia. As he started to achieve complete control over the country, he began to set plans to rebuild the economy. In 1928, Stalin sketched out a Five-Year Plan for the advancement of the economy for the Soviet Union.
"Stalin acclaimed the Russians as 'the leading force in the great Soviet Union'. However, the juxtaposition of Russians with the other nations of the country pursued a specific political aim; Stalin sought to anchor his regime in the Russian people."
What are the main elements of fascism, and how were they expressed in Germany and Italy?
Fascism was a government led by a military style leader that dominated all aspects of society and civilian life. In Germany, hitler and his faciast dictatorship controlled the education of children, the rights of men and women, the industrial commercial industries, and all aspects of mass leisure. In Italy, Mussolini showed facisim through censorship by controlling mass leisure, societal rights, and commercial industry.
10th May 1933: Nazis and their student supporters gathering in the Opernplatz, Berlin for the burning of anti-German literature. They carry flaming torches and large flags with the swastika emblem. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)
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German chancellor Adolf Hitler (left) and Italian dictator Benito Mussolini in jovial mood during a drive through the streets of Florence, Italy. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)
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A row of cyclists saluting Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
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Mussolini banned many cartoons and American influences from Italy in 1938.