Totalitarianism or totalitarian regime is a political system based on an ideology that places the leader of a nation as absolute controller of citizens' rights, for the supposed general benefit of the country. The totalitarian leader can be a person, a group or a party.
The totalitarian government exercises full control over the media and generally eliminates private schools, forcing public schools to teach along party lines.
Freedom of religion does not exist in a totalitarian state either, as it only allows the existence of those Churches whose ministers cooperate with the government. Free unions are also illegal.
political totalitarianism
In totalitarianism there can only be one only political party, headed by an absolute leader. This dictator holds himself in power using force, violence and psychological and physical torture against individuals who do not obey the government's laws.
The dominant political party determines the economic guidelines that the country must follow.
Origin of Totalitarianism
The definition of a totalitarian regime emerged at the beginning of the 20th century, after the end of the First World War. During this period countries were bearing the negative consequences of the years they were at war.
Massive unemployment and growing misery were some of the main factors that led to changes in social and political structures at the time.
THE 1929 World Crisis, which began in the United States, was the culmination of this stagnation, representing the first major failure of the capitalist system and liberalism.
Measures were created to try to recover the economy and strengthen capitalism, such as state intervention in economic affairs. However, in Europe, several party leaders went further and took advantage of "social desperation" to implant political ideologies based on the strong. feeling of nationalism. This is how one of the strongest examples of totalitarianism emerged: German Nazism.
However, the first modern totalitarian state to be created was not Nazi Germany (1933 - 1945) or Fascist Italy (1925 - 1943), but Soviet Stalinism. This totalitarian government emerged with the Communist Revolution in Russia, in 1919, during the First World War.
Difference between Authoritarianism and Totalitarianism
Authoritarianism, in contrast to totalitarianism, which presents itself as an extremist political experience, consists in the emphasis of the State's authority on a Republic or Union.
The authoritarian government, like the totalitarian regime, abuses its power to control the country as much as possible. However, this control is in the hands of a group of legislators and not focused on just one governing figure, as in totalitarianism.
Another important difference between the two concepts is the presence of a strong ideological sense in totalitarianism, which acts as a guide for the entire system.
Right Totalitarianism and Left Totalitarianism
The totalitarian regimes of Right and Left have similar characteristics in terms of structure, but they differ in that they follow different political ideologies.
Direct Totalitarianism
Nazism and Fascism are two of the main examples of right-wing totalitarian governments, mainly because:
- have support from the bourgeoisie;
- preserve the country's traditional ideological values (religion, family, ethnicity, etc);
- have strong clergy support;
- keeping trade union organizations under extreme state control or, in many cases, banning/extinguishing these groups.
Left Totalitarianism
Stalinism can be considered the main example of what would be a Left totalitarianism, mainly because:
- promote the end of private property;
- compulsorily collective agricultural and commercial production;
- abolish religion from the political milieu;
- be based on the ideas of Socialism.
Apart from these particularities, both exercise the other characteristics that define the government totalitarian: media censorship, militarization, nationalism, existence of a party single, etc.
Find out what was the Stalinism.
Totalitarianism in Brazil
Brazil also went through a regime of totalitarianism in the mid-twentieth century, during the government of Getúlio Vargas. This period was known as the Estado Novo, marked by the closing of the National Congress and total detention of power in the hands of the president, who had vestiges of Italian fascism.
The Brazilian totalitarianism of the Vargas government came to an end with the beginning of World War II, when Brazil declared its revulsion against European totalitarian regimes. Thus, an ideological inconsistency was created in the actions of the country's government.
See also the meaning of Dictatorship.
Characteristics of Totalitarianism
For a nation to be considered totalitarian, its government must follow some of these characteristics:
- Total concentration of power in the hand of a single ruler (person or group);
- Undemocratic (there is no room for Democracy);
- Citizens have no individual rights;
- Citizens have minimal participation in decisions taken in the country;
- Leader (dictator) makes decisions according to his will, whether political or economic;
- When there is the Legislative and Judiciary Power, these are totally submissive to the ruler;
- Militarism (excessive use of military force and war material to control the population and protect the country);
- Nationalism (constant exaltation of love for the nation and exaltation of the figure of the leader);
- Term indefinitely (there is no renewal of power);
- Expansionist (desire to conquer other territories, mainly through war);
- Massive governmental propagation;
- Population control based on terror and fear (reactionary attitude towards opponents, with practices of torture and murder);
- Existence of a single party.
See also the meaning of Fascism and Nazism.