Totalitarianism
A political system of total state control over society.
Totalitarianism is a system of government that exerts total control over both public and private life. It bans rival political parties and crushes any dissent against the state. In political science, it is typically distinguished as a separate category from authoritarianism, not merely a more extreme version. A totalitarian regime uses a fixed ideology to manage nearly every aspect of life, including the economy, education, arts, sciences, and citizens’ personal morals. Unlike authoritarianism, which often seeks passive obedience, totalitarianism demands active enthusiasm and participation in the state's goals, driven by a charismatic dictator and a rigid worldview.
The term “totalitarian” first appeared in the early 1920s to describe Italy’s Fascist government. It became widely used in politics during the interwar period, and in the early Cold War, Western political science developed it as a concept to compare the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin with Nazi Germany under Adolf Hitler. The term came to dominate explanations of Fascist and Communist states, later influencing Western histories of Communism, the Soviet Union, and the Russian Revolution. In the 21st century, it has also been applied to Islamist movements and their governments.
The concept of totalitarianism has been challenged and criticized by some historians of Nazi Germany and Stalinist Russia. Although both states are often cited as classic examples, these historians argue that key features of the concept—total societal control, full mobilization of the masses, and a monolithic, centralized government—were never fully achieved by these dictatorships. They point out that the political structures of these states were actually disorganized and chaotic, and that despite surface similarities, Nazism and Stalinism had fundamentally different internal logic and structures. The application of the concept to Islamism has also faced criticism.
Modern political science typically categorizes three types of government: democratic, authoritarian, and totalitarian. Depending on the political culture, a totalitarian regime’s functi
- field
- Political science
- known_for
- A distinct category of government exerting total control over public and private life, demanding active citizen participation
- first_used
- Early 1920s to describe Italian Fascist government
- key_examples
- Nazi Germany, Stalinist USSR, Fascist Italy, Maoist China
Lore & Background
The word totalitarian was first used in the early 1920s to describe the Italian Fascist government. The term gained wider usage in the interwar period and, during the early Cold War, arose from comparison of the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin to Nazi Germany under Adolf Hitler as a theoretical concept of Western political science. The concept achieved hegemony in explaining Fascist and Communist states, later entering Western historiography of Communism, the Soviet Union, and the Russian Revolution; in the 21st century, it became applied to Islamist movements and their governments.
Reader's Guide
The concept of totalitarianism has been challenged and criticized by some historians of Nazi Germany and Stalinist USSR. While the two states are defined as exemplary cases, these historians argue that the main characteristics—total control over society, total mobilization of the masses, and a monolithic centralized government—were never achieved by the dictatorships called totalitarian. They contend that the political structures of these states were disorganized and chaotic, and that despite supposed external similarities between Nazism and Stalinism, their internal logic and structure were substantially different. The applicability of the concept to Islamism has also been criticized. Modern political science catalogues three regimes of government: democratic, authoritarian, and totalitarian. The totalitarian regime features political repression of all opposition, a cult of personality, official economic interventionism, censorship, mass surveillance, and state terrorism. American political scientist Rudolph Rummel defined a totalitarian state as one with unlimited government, not held responsible to the public by periodic secret and competitive elections, employing its power to control all aspects of society. He cited Marxism–Leninism, Nazism, state socialism in Burma, and Islamic fundamentalism in Iran as examples, though not all scholars agree.
Did You Know?
- The word totalitarian was first used in the early 1920s to describe the Italian Fascist government.
- Totalitarianism is distinguished from authoritarianism by having a charismatic dictator and a fixed worldview, whereas authoritarianism only features a dictator who holds power for the sake of power.
- Some historians argue that the main characteristics of totalitarianism—total control, total mobilization, and a monolithic centralized government—were never achieved by Nazi Germany or Stalinist USSR.
- American political scientist Rudolph Rummel defined a totalitarian state as one with unlimited government that employs its power to control all aspects of society, including family, religion, education, business, private
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