1. Aim: Define Totalitarianism

2. Setting the Stage for Stalin
Stalin was determined that the Soviet Union should find its place both politically and economically
Sought to make it among the most powerful of nations in the world
Worked to establish total control of all aspects of life in the Soviet Union
Controlled not only government but the economy & many aspects of citizens’ private lives 2

3. A Government of Total Control
Totalitarianism describes a government that takes total, centralized, state control over every aspect of public and private life
Leaders appear to provide a sense of security and to give a direction for the future
The leaders utilized secret police to crush opposition & create a sense of fear among the people 3

4. What Totalitarianism Challenges
Totalitarianism challenges the highest values prized by Western democracies:
Reason
Freedom
Human Dignity
Worth of the Individual
To dominate an entire nation, Totalitarian leaders devised methods of control & persuasion
Methods include:
Use of terror
Indoctrination
Propaganda
Censorship
Religious or Ethnic Persecution 4