You totalitarian regimes they are based on a centralizing, undemocratic and authoritarian state.
These governments emerged after the First World War (1914-1918) in several countries in Europe from the crisis of capitalism and liberalism.
Summary
Totalitarianism was a conservative reaction to democracy and political and economic liberalism. So, after the disaster of World War I, the idea arose that governments had to be strong to be effective.
It would be up to citizens to follow in the footsteps of a charismatic chief who would be in charge of conducting national policy. Political parties were not supposed to exist, as they were the expression of discord.
These ideas were defended by the right, but Josef Stalin, in the Soviet Union, used totalitarianism in order to implant socialism.
The characteristics of totalitarianism are:
- centralized government
- extreme nationalism
- anti-liberalism
- Militarism
- Military organizations for youth
- leader worship
- single party
- territorial expansionism
Origin of totalitarian states
After World War I (1914-1918), liberal democracies fell into disrepute. Political parties, elections, direct voting, all these were pointed out by sectors of the right as the reasons for the conflict and economic crisis.
Thus, voices emerge that defend the end of liberal democracy and the implantation of a system where power would remain in the hands of a few. Thus, in the face of the economic and political crisis, totalitarian ideas gained ground.
This was the case in Italy where Benito Mussolini claimed that the best way to solve the country's problems was to create a totalitarian regime.
It was also the transformation that the Soviet government underwent after Lenin's death, when the regime focused on the figure of Stalin. In this way, those who did not comply with Stalinist directives were persecuted and the decision-making power of the soviets was diminished.
Main totalitarian regimes
Here are the main totalitarian regimes that emerged in Europe in the 20th century:
Soviet Stalinism
With the Russian Revolution of 1917 and after Lenin's death, Stalinism began in the USSR with power concentrated in the hands of Josef Stalin.
Stalin eliminated his opponents and moved up positions until he became the most important figure in the Soviet Union. It was one of the leftist totalitarian regimes that lasted from 1927 to 1953, ending civil liberties in the country.
Stalin transformed the Soviet Union from an agrarian country to an industrial power in a decade. However, this was done on the basis of collectivization of land and forced labor by dissidents in the Gulag, a special prison for those committing political crimes.
Fascism
Italian fascism began with Benito Mussolini in 1919, with the founding of the National Fascist Party (PNF).
With an anti-communist and anti-democratic inspiration, the fascists entered the Italian government after "The March on Rome" in 1922. Before the large crowd that supported him, Mussolini was invited to be head of government by King Victor Emmanuel III.
Mussolini gradually incorporated the fascist party into the government, appointing ministers for the fascist members, reforming education and attracting supporters among the marginalized.
Mussolini's fascist government was the first right-wing totalitarian regime to emerge in Europe and only ended in July 1945.
Nazism
Hitler was the leading figure in the Nazi regime that was installed in Germany from 1933 onwards. Inspired by Italian fascism, Nazism also added to its program the superiority of the Aryan race over others.
The Nazi government promoted anti-Semitic ideas, mainly persecuting and exterminating Jews. However, he also eliminated the physically handicapped and intellectuals, communists, religious people.
To count on the support of the German army, Nazism propagated the idea of "living space". Initially, this understood the Germanic peoples as Austrians and Germans who lived in Czechoslovakia, and would extend to Eastern Europe. The territorial expansion of Nazi Germany would eventually start World War II.
Nazism ended in 1945 with the suicide of Adolf Hitler and the end of World War II.
Totalitarian Inspiration Regimes
Despite having been dictatorships, Salazarism and Francoism cannot be considered totalitarian regimes. The big difference in the two cases was the considerable role that the Catholic religion played, something we did not observe in Italian fascism or German Nazism.
Salazarism
Salazarism was a dictatorial regime inspired by fascist ideals that prevailed in Portugal under the leadership of Antônio de Oliveira Salazar from the New Constitution, established in 1933.
Called the "New State", Salazarism had as its motto "God, Homeland and Family” and was one of the longest dictatorships of the 20th century. The population elected the president of the Republic, usually in fraudulent elections, but Salazar was the all-powerful president of the Council of Ministers.
Salazar's policy isolated Portugal from the international scene, ended freedom of expression and continued colonialism in Africa.
The regime only ended with the Revolution of April 25, 1974, called the Carnation Revolution.
frankism
General Francisco Franco, inspired by nationalism, rebelled against the democratic government of President Manuel Azaña Díaz and plunged Spain into the Civil War (1936-1939).
The republicans were defeated and many went into exile in France and Mexico. Meanwhile, Franco establishes an anti-democratic and nationalist regime in Spain that embraces all aspects of society and privileges religion over Catholic.
In the 70s, the Franco regime would pass to democracy, in a transition led by the then Prince Juan Carlos, who articulated the return of democracy with the exile leaders.
The Franco regime would only end with Franco's death in 1975.
Totalitarian regime today
Currently, the only totalitarian regime that survives is that of North Korea, which has the same characteristics mentioned above.
There are states that have dictatorial aspects such as Cuba, Venezuela and China, but they cannot be considered totalitarian.
There are more texts on the subject for you:
- Totalitarianism and Authoritarianism
- Totalitarianism
- Greatest Dictators in History
