Totalitarian Rulers in Europe

Past IB Exam Questions A purge is a necessary characteristic of the single party state. To what extent do any TWO single party states, each chosen from a different region, illustrate this contention? Assess the success and failure of TWO rulers of single party regimes, each chosen from a different region, in solving the social and economic problems of their countries. Analyze conditions that led to single party states during the twentieth century

More IB exam questions Compare and contrast the economic and social policies of Mao and Stalin. Analyze the methods used and the conditions which helped the rise to power of ONE ruler of a single party state. Examine the status of women in TWO single party states, each chosen from a different region.

Totalitarianism Extraordinary powers of the leader Importance of an exclusivist ideology Existence of a single mass party Secret policy prepared to use terror to remove all domestic opposition Monopoly on communications media as well as over the educational system Determination to change basic social, artistic and literary values

Can also include… Purges State economic planning Degree of private life allowed

Totalitarian rulers… Controlled major decisions without consultation with others Did not need to take into account customs or laws Unaffected by appeals to conscience or pity Not restrained by official ideology… the ruler decided the ideology and could change it at any time, sometimes reversing what had previously been official ideology “No discussion… only obedience” Mussolini

Rulers came to power… Pointed out dangers of class struggles and then “solved” the problem Blamed the nation’s problems on forces outside the country Violence or life of action was a prominent characteristic

Totalitarianism as religion Charismatic leaders Texts Disciples Ceremonies Processions True believers with indisputable truth… the “chosen” who belonged to the “right” group or race Nonbelievers and nonfavored groups who needed to be eradicated Young people to be indoctrinated in the new “religion” so it could continue indefinitely

Totalitarian government Constitutions which were either ignored or protected the government (not the rights of citizens against the government) Claimed to rule for the people Held elections or plebiscites Ultra paternalistic People are either too irrational or too ignorant to be entrusted with self-government Demanded positive support… not enough to simply not oppose the government

Developments that made totalitarianism possible Mass circulation newspapers Modern communication methods… telegraph, telephones, radio, movies Modern transportation… car, airplane, railroads Compulsory education

Fascism Combination of… Nationalism Corporativism (economic) Expansionism Anti-Communist Elements of private property State over the individual Social programs/welfare

Mussolini Quotes Fifty thousand guns are better than the support of five million voters. Often I would like to be wrong, but so far it has never happened & events turn out just as I foresaw. The individual exists only insofar as he is subordinated to the interest of the state. All within the state, nothing outside the state, nothing against the state.

Mussolini—the Forum & Via Dei Fori Imperiali

1938 10 out of 27 European countries were democratic Great Britain, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Czechoslovakia, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden

Authoritarian regimes Concerned with maintaining status quo Small elitist group… landowners for example Wanted to avoid agrarian reforms of the USSR Political rights were severely limited but did not try to control all aspects of a person’s life Did not glorify war or class struggle Hungary, Portugal, Spain (Franco), Poland

SOURCES The European history Series: Hitler, Stalin and Mussolini—Totalitarianism in the 20th Century by Bruce Pauley Years of compiled notes http://honorsaharchive.blogspot.com/2005/09/fascism-and-via-dei-fori-imperiali.html http://courses.umass.edu/latour/Italy/Mussolini/index.html