Since its coinage in the 1920’s the term ‘totalitarianism’ has adopted various connotations and has
lead to highly controversial discussions in a multitude of scientific texts. Created by the opposition of
Italian fascism, it is soon taken up by Mussolini himself. After the end of the Second World War,
Hannah Arendt and Carl J. Friedrich write two standard works, that classify both Nazism and
Stalinism as totalitarian regimes. In the following cold war period the term develops into an
ideological catchword of the Right, which culminates in the equation of the crimes of Communism
with the Holocaust in the ‘Historikerstreit’ in 1986. Recently, after the collapse of soviet
Communism, the term is rediscovered as a useful tool to classify and compare political systems.
In the following pages, I will therefore discuss the general concept of totalitarianism and the
socio-historic causes for the rise of totalitarian regimes in the 20th century with the help of the classic
theories of Hannah Arendt, Carl J. Friedrich and Karl D. Bracher. Further on I will deal with some
of the criticism that the theory of totalitarianism was confronted with and show the benefit of the
concept for scientific discourse. In view of the flood of theories and criticism, it is not possible for
me, to comment on the debate on totalitarianism as a whole. Instead I will concentrate on some of
the crucial arguments of the debate, being aware that certain aspects will be left out in my
discussion.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Characteristics of Totalitarian Organizations
- The Age of the Masses
- Criticism and Controversies
Objectives and Key Themes
This paper explores the concept of totalitarianism and its historical and societal roots. It examines the rise of totalitarian regimes in the 20th century, focusing on the classic theories of Hannah Arendt, Carl J. Friedrich and Karl D. Bracher.
- The defining characteristics of totalitarian regimes
- The role of ideology in totalitarian systems
- The impact of the "age of the masses" on the rise of totalitarianism
- The use of terror and control in totalitarian states
- The differences between totalitarian regimes and earlier forms of dictatorship
Chapter Summaries
The first chapter delves into the concept of totalitarianism, exploring the defining characteristics of these regimes as described by Hannah Arendt, Carl J. Friedrich and Karl D. Bracher. The analysis focuses on the elements of ideology, terror and control that set totalitarian regimes apart. The chapter also examines the impact of modern technology and the “age of the masses” on the rise of totalitarianism.
The second chapter explores the notion of “the age of the masses” and its role in the emergence of totalitarian regimes. It discusses the societal changes and crises associated with modernization, such as industrialization and the disintegration of traditional social structures, which created a “mass of individuals” susceptible to totalitarian ideologies.
Keywords
Totalitarianism, Ideology, Terror, Control, Modernization, Age of the Masses, Hannah Arendt, Carl J. Friedrich, Karl D. Bracher, Historical Context, Socioeconomic Factors, Political Systems, Dictatorship.
- Quote paper
- Peter Brüstle (Author), 2003, Totalitarianism - The Concept and the Controversies Underlying It, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/32595
