I.

THE CONCEPT OF TOTALITARIANISM

• Definition: is a form of government and political system that prohibits all

opposition parties, outlaws individual opposition to the state and its claims,
exercises an extremely high degree of control over public and private life
• Characteristics: 1. Elaborate guiding ideology 2. Single mass party led by a
dictator 3. System of terror, using such instruments as violence and secret
police 4. Monopoly on weapons 5. Monopoly on the means of
 communication 6. Central direction and control of the economy through state
planning
• The concept of totalitarianism by Norman Davies: was rejected both by
communists and by fascists, that is, by the totalitarians by themselves; the
term used during the Cold War to describe political ‘skirmishes’ or football;
it is anathema (kárhoztatás) to anyone who holds either communism or
fascism to be uniquely evil; strongly supported by those Europeans who had
practical experience of both communism and fascism at first hand;
Communism and Fascism were never identical ( each of them evolved over
time, each spawned variegated offspring, but they had much more in
common)

Nationalist-Socialist ideology Both communism and fascism were radical

movements which developed ideologies
professing (állít, hangoztat) a blend of
nationalist and socialist elements
Pseudo-science Base their ideologies on fundamental
scientific laws eg scientific Marxism by
Communists, eugenics (fajnemesítés) and
racial science by Nazis
Utopian goals The vision of New Man who was to create a
New Order: classless stage of Marxism-
Leninism or Jew-free Aryan paradise of
Nazis or the restoration of the
pseudo-historical Roman Empire
The dualist party- state Create organs within its own apparatus to
duplicate and to oversee all other existing
institutions
The Führerprinzip Operate on strict hierarchical lines:
obedience from minions (kedvenc) through
the unquestioning cult of the Party Leader
Gangsterism Gangsters gain a parasitical hold over a
community by protecting it from the violence
which they themselves generate; terrorize
members, eliminate rivals, manipulate the
law, use blackmail and extortion
Bureaucracy Requires vast army of bureaucrats, offers
rapid advancement to individuals
Propaganda Mass advertising, employing emotive
symbols, political art,shameless
demagoguery (demagóg=olyan valaki, aki
olyan tanokat hírdet, mairől tudja, hogy
hamisak; érzelmekre és előítéletekre próbál
hatni)
The Aesthetics of Power ( A hatalom Virtual monopoly in arts: portraits of Leader,
esztétikája) oversized sculptures of musclebound
workers, propagating an environment which
glorified the ruling Party etc
The dialectical enemy ( A dialektikus Need for an “ opposite evil”in order to
ellenség) legitimize its own evil designs e.g: commies
struggle against fascism
The psychology of hatred Raise emotional temperature by beating the
drum of hatred against enemies within and
without; Fascists: Jews and Communists,
Communists: fascists, capitalists, kulaks and
saboteurs
Pre-emptive censorship Controlling all sources of information, not
sufficient to suppress unwanted opinions or
facts, prefabricate all the data that was
permitted to circulate
Genocide and coercion (Népírtás és Network of political police and security
erőszak) agencies destroying opponents and inventing
new ones; genocidal campaigns against
social/racial enemies keep population in
permanent state of fear; mass arrests and
shootings, concentration camps, random
murders
Collectivism Stress on activities which strengthen
collective bonds and weaken family and
individual identity eg: youth movements,
party rituals, military parades (cement social
discipline and conformist behavior)
Militarism Magnified the “external threat” or invented
it, to rally citizens to the fatherland’s
defence; rearmament received topeconomic
priority, all offensive military plans were
described as defensive
Universalism Acted on assumption that their system would
somehow spread across the globe: Marxism-
Leninism “scientific” therefore universally
applicable; “ For today it’s Germany that’s
ours, and tomorrow the whole wide world
Contempt for liberal democracy (A All totalitarians despised it for its
liberális demokrácia megvetése) humanitarianism, belief in compromise, co-
existence, attachment to law and tradition
Moral nihilism (Erkölcsi nihilizmus) Goals justified their means=cél szentesíti az
eszközt; Nihilism hold that “ nothing is true,
everything is permitted”; the belief that life has
no value (a cél érdekében bármit megtehetsz,
Azok használják, akik valami rosszat tesznek és
azzal indokolják, hogy nemes cél érdekében
tették)
II. HITLER’S CONSOLIDATION OF POWER

• January 30 1939 - Adolf Hitler become Chancellor of Germany

• 5 March 1933- The Reichstag Election- 44 percent of the German people
voted for the Nazis, who won 288 seats in the Reichstag (this was still not the
2/3 majority)
• 23 March 1933- Hitler was able to secure the passing of an important law, the
Enabling Act- gave him the right to make laws without the Reichstag’s
approval for the next four years. 1. Destroy all opposition to his rule 2. The
Act removed the Reichstag as a source of opposition
• 30 June 1934- Hitler ordered the SS (Hitler’s personal body guards) to
murder 400 (Hitler justified slaughter by accusing the SA being
homosexuals and plotting against Germany)
• 3 July 1934- Reichstag passed a law legalizing the Knight of the Long
knives ( destroyed all opposition to Hitler within Nazi party, strengthened SS
and discouraged potential opponents)
• 2 August 1934 Hitler becomes Führer (Army sears allegiance to him)

III. EARLY FOREIGN POLICY (“PEACEFUL ANNEXATIONS”)

• Hitler had three aims in foreign policy: 1. Revise the Treaty of

Versailles 2. Unite all German- speaking people into one Reich 3.
Expand eastwards to achieve Lebensraum
• January 1935, the population of Saar coalfield were allowed a
plebiscite- showed the majority wanted to reunite with Germany
• 1936- The outbreak of the Spanish Civil War enabled Hitler to
establish close working relations with Benito Mussolini- October
25 –the two countries linked in a coalition (Rome-Berlin Axis)
• 1936 Hitler marched German troops to Rhineland ( reasons: key
industrial region –coal, steel, iron resources, forms a natural
barrier to France)
• November 25, 1936- Anti-Comintern Pact with Japan ( one year
later November 6, 1937-adhesion of Italy to the Pact)
• March 12- 1938- Anschluss: Germany annexes Austria
• September 29, 1938-Munich Agreement is signed. Britain and France accepted
Hitler’s annexation of Sudetenland.
• March 15, 1939- Germany occupies Czechoslovakia