Totalitarianism
A government takes total,
centralized state control over
every aspect of public and
private life
Totalitarianism
S.E.C.R.E.T.
Secret Police/Spies
• Police Force is able to do
anything!!
–arrest without a warrant, spy, listen
in on phone conversations, torture
• Why would the govt. want to have
this type of police force?
A Police State
Including Secret Police
Economy Controlled by the Govt.
• Govt. either completely owns and
controls all businesses
(communism) or there is a large
amount of regulation by the govt.
• What type of economy does not
exist in a totalitarian State?
Censorship/Propaganda
• Govt. censors/bans books, music,
movies, artwork, etc. that goes
against the ideas/values of the
govt.
• Why would a totalitarian State use
propaganda?
Propaganda
Ruthless Dictator
• Government run by one political
party
–Bolsheviks in Soviet Union
–Nazis in Germany
• Political Party run by one strong
leader who is the dictator of the
entire nation.
Only One Political Party
Education/Indoctrination of the
Youth
• Schools are required to teach kids
that the govt. has all the right
answers.
• Govt. run youth programs developed.
• Why would the govt. want to reach
out to the youth?
Total Loyalty of the People to
the Nation, the Party, the
Leader
• If you aren’t loyal, you are punished!!!
Nationalism
Who are these dictators and where
did they rule?
• Adolf Hitler- Germany
• Benito Mussolini- Italy
• Josef Stalin- Soviet
Union (USSR)
• Hideki Tojo- Japan
When and Why?
• After WWI (1920s-1930s), some countries
were severely affected by the outcome…
• The Great
Depression
• Germany and Italy
faced high
unemployment, low
self-esteem, and
many were
distrustful of their
government.
Italy after WWI
• Italy lost 460,000 soldiers after WWI
• The country was in debt
• Italy was promised land, but never
received it.
• Government was weak
• Rising unemployment
Treaty of Versailles!!!
• Germany blamed for
the war
• Germany must pay
$33 billion in war
damages
• The size of
Germany’s army
limited.
• German’s Colonies
go to Britain and
France
• Italy gets no colonies
People
If
wanted HELP!
you wanted to
become a political
leader, How would you
get people to support
you?
How did dictators gain support of the
people?
• Dictators took
advantage of the
political chaos that
followed WWI
Jobs, Power, Respect
• Dictators promised to
deliver everything that
the people wanted
(Jobs, power,
respect)
• Dictators used
violence,
intimidation,
• and propaganda to
rise to power
• Once in
power…eliminate
opposition (Secret
Police)