Totalitarianism
Throughout Europe, democracy had prevailed by 1919. But by 1939, Europe's countries were split in their ways of government. Eastern countries went authoritarian, while Western countries stayed democratic. Dictatorship in Europe was by far not something new, but this new, modern form of totalitarianism, however, was. One leader who belonged to the one party in the country led the new totalitarian state. These governments were also different in that they gave more power to the central government, and they were no longer passive about loyalty from their citizens. They demanded "active loyalty and commitment of citizens to the regime's goals," (Western Civilization, Jackson J. Spielvogel, pg. 789). In these totalitarian governments, modern communication and mass propaganda was used to spread ideas. These countries wanted control over every aspect of life, including economic, social, political, intellectual, and cultural. This control over the masses was meant to serve a purpose; to unite the people in the achievement of common goals. The individual was not allowed any freedoms unless the leader of the state allowed it. The three best examples of these totalitarian governments were Fascist Italy, sparked by a sense of nation
The Stalinist era of Russia was the beginning of an economic, social, and political revolution of which had never been seen. "By and large, Stalinism occurred with different levels of severity in different regions,"(Stalinism in Ukraine in the 1940's, David R. Marples, pg. 23). In 1928, Stalin established a five-year plan that created a major shift in the Russian economy. This five-year plan, along with the next one, increased steel production "from 4 to 18 billion tons per year,"(Spielvogel, 802). The annual growth rate of Soviet Russia was a phenomenal accomplishment which had never before been accomplished. Though the economy was booming, the social consequences were very bad. Wages decreased and many workers and their families lived in pitiful conditions. Propaganda was sent out to inspire the workers to work this way for the good of the new socialist state. Besides industrialization, collectivization of crops also grew at a rapid pace. Stalin tried to push out private farmers and stress the idea of collective farms. "One of its major aims was to stimulate industrial growth through profits from the rural economy,"(Spielvogel, 803). To make for the costs of the rapid industrialization, Stalin strengthened the Russian bureaucracy under his control. Any non-conformers were sent to labor camps in Siberia which compared to Nazi concentration camps. Stalin purged the military, government offices, party members, and many ordinary citizens of those who resisted, and had them arrested. This "blood bath" caused by Stalin made this new civilization he was creating, seem very bad by the 1930's. Stalin, to compensate for the declining birthrate, made lots of social legislation which advocated equality for women. Abortion was made illegal and fathers who divorced their wives and did not support their children were heavily fined. The family was praised if they raised their children with values including: duty, discipline, and hard work. The government praised women to have many children as part of their "patriot duty,"(Spielvogel, 804). All of this, however, had no dramatic increase in the birthrate. Stalin did well to help his country economically and he used many scare tactics that were done by the Nazis in Germany. The main difference between Stalin and Hitler ran their countries, were Stalin's extra rights given to women. But Stalin still achieved a lot of his ideas for his country. The National Socialist German Worker's Party (NSDAP) or "Nazi" for short, was founded in Germany in 1923 by Adolf Hitler. He developed this party into a mass political movement with its own flag, badge, uniform,
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1773
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)
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