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 wanted HELP!People wanted HELP!

If you wanted to If you wanted to become a political become a political leader, How would you leader, How would you get people to support get people to support you?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)