The Interwar Years -Totalitarianism-

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The Interwar Years-Totalitarianism-

• Society CompletelyControlled by the State
• 1919 to 1939

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Totalitarianism A Troublesome Definition

• A number of unique forms of government emerged
  after World War I
• Were they fundamentally alike or different?
• This is a debated point.
• I will refer to this group of governments as
  Totalitarian.
• We will note both their similarities and
  differences at the end of the lecture.

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• The Red, Orange, and Brown countries all
  represent post WWI dictatorships.
• Then why different colors?

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• Orange represents traditional dictatorships.
• Conservatives wanted (as always) to maintain the
  status quo. However, if the people accepted this,
  they had relative freedom.
• Similar to Absolutism.

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• Red and Brown are Totalitarian.
• Something NEW

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Traditional Dictatorship Versus Totalitarianism

• One person/small group is in power
• Political power is not available for peaceful
  change
• Desires to remain in power
• Relies on religion, aristocracy, tradition, army,
  wealthy to keep it

• includes all of the things a traditional
  dictatorship has
• desires to control ALL aspects of subjects
  lives
• Religion, economics, family, sports, information,
  etc.
• Has the TECHNOLOGY to do so
• Post industrial
• Seeks to motivate, energize, and mobilize the
  country towards some great goal

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Excerpt from George Orwells 1984

• Q. Why does the book have this title?
• A. Imagines totalitarianism in the future
• A. Technology will improve in the future, so
  government control will increase

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Image of Traditional Dictatorship Versus
Totalitarianism

• Traditional Dictatorship Govt over all aspect
  of society and maintains its own political power
• Totalitarianism Govt eliminates all aspects
  of society to have sole influence on the
  individual

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Old Conservative Authoritarianism
Totalitarianism
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Examples To Support my Definition of
Totalitarianism

• Stalins statue to a Soviet Boy
• Hitler Youth
• Hitlers Silent Night
• Mussolini with his red and blue pencils

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Looking At Totalitarianisms Place in the Flow Of
European History

• Perhaps since the Renaissance, and at least since
  the Enlightenment, there had been a political
  progression towards liberalism along with a faith
  in the value and worth of the individual and his
  natural rights
• Remember, by the time of Bismarck, even
  conservatives were enacting social reforms to win
  votes and the more liberal countries like England
  and the United States were moving towards full
  democracy and womens suffrage
• Totalitarian Leaders explicitly rejected this
  liberal tradition as weak
• Armed with Social Darwinism, extreme nationalism,
  and skewed interpretations of people like
  Nietzsche and Marx, Totalitarians embraced the
  good of the community over the good of the
  individual and embraced violence and praised the
  fierce will of the higher man with the nerve
  to make cold-blooded choices about the proper
  direction for the greater good of humanity

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So Why Would Totalitarianism Appear in This
Particular Time Period and In Multiple Countries
At Once?
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Reason A Anger over the Treaty of Versailles
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A (cont.)

• Germany has been crushed
• Italy wasnt given lands it had been promised for
  joining the allies
• Russia wasnt even invited, since it had been
  going through a Civil War
• Totalitarian leaders promise to rebuild their
  countries economies, honor, etc.
• Mussolinis train cars

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Reason B Disillusionment with Liberal Tradition

• Europe has been smashed up and largely destroyed
  by
• Liberal govts
• maybe government by the people (based on natural
  law) doesnt work
• Think- Lost Generation
• Should we try something else?

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Reason C Poverty Desperation

• The extreme poverty in Europe after WWI left
  people desperate for hope. People were willing to
  give up freedom for security.
• FDR People have grown tired of unemployment
  and insecurity. Finally, in desperation, they
  chose to sacrifice liberty in the hope of getting
  something to eat.
• In 1929, just as some of the European countries
  began to recover, the Great Depression hit. It
  was a worldwide depression.

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Reason D

• Total War conditioned civilians to follow
• orders
• Rationing
• Illegal to strike
• The Draft
• Etc.

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Reason E Charismatic Leaders

• Hitler, Stalin, and Mussolini were great speakers
• They used modern technology to get their message
  out (propaganda) and prevented other messages
  from getting out (censorship)
• They promised a better life for their people and
  often delivered
• Why would they be able to deliver?
• Mussolini made the _________ run on time.

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Propaganda
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Adolph Hitlers Youth Attend Germanys Schools
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Fuhrer, we will follow you!
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"Youth Serves the Führer. All 10-year-olds into
the Hitler Youth."
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• Beloved Stalin- the Peoples Happiness

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• Reason F
• Willingness of Totalitarians to Use Fear
• and Violence
• Secret Police

Gestapo
Mussolinis Black Shirts

• Stalin, Mussolini, Hitler and Franco all
  assassinated political rivals

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Reason G

• Power of new technologies
• Radio
• Television
• Telephone lines
• More powerful weapons
• Transportation
• Cars, trains, airplanes

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• So Why is There Controversy About the Term
  Totalitarian?
• Red and Brown are not the same
• Red Fascist Totalitarianism
• Brown Communist Totalitarianism

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Fascist Versus Communist Totalitarianism

• Charismatic leader
• Secret police
• propaganda and censorship
• One Party
• Have a Vision for Society
• Reject primacy of the individual/democracy
• Militaristic
• Hate each other

• Eliminate Social Classes
• Atheistic
• Govt runs the economy

• Extremely racist/ nationalistic