During the first part of the 20th century, a new system of government, totalitarian

dictatorship, came into being. The men who governed these governments were called dictators.

These countries shared basic Social, economic, and political characteristics but each ruled in

their own specific way. One man was Joseph Stalin who was the leader of Russia and had an

extreme left-wing style totalitarian government. Another man was Adolf Hitler who was the

leader of the Nazi party. A third man was Mussolini who was the leader of fascist Italy. Both of

these leaders had an extreme right-wing style of totalitarian government.

First Benito Mussolini became a dictator in Italy in 1925. Mussolini came from the left

wing of socialism because he had an ideal, the social revolution that he tried to end. In 1929

Mussolini noted that Italian jews had been a demographically small yet culturally integral part of

Italian society since Ancient Rome. His views on Italian Jews were consistent with his early

mediterraneanism viewpoint, which he then suggested that all Mediterranean cultures, including

the jewish culture shared a common bond. “Mussolini brought economic growth and ended

conflicts between owners and workers. Mussolini also brought the economy under state

control which he then preserved as capitalism.” Pg 456 Mussolini brought soviets to work

and paid them a fair amount of money and whoever did hard work was paid a little more than

the other people were. Under Mussolini’s corporate state representatives of business, labor,

government, and the Fasicist party controlled industry, agriculture, and trade. Mussolini thought

by putting youth groups and toughening them taught them to obey strict military disciplines.

“Men were urged to be ruthless, selfless warriors for the glory of italy. Women were

pushed out of paying jobs, but instead Mussolini called on women to “win the battle of

motherhood.” Pg (456). Second Adolf Hitler and his ways helped him move to build a new

Germany like Mussolini but Hitler appeared to be nationalism by recalling past glories. Hitler

promised to end reparations, create jobs, and defy the Versailles treaty by rearming Germany.

“Within the government he had it was paralyzed by divisions, both the Nazis and
Communists won more seats in the Reichstag, lower house of the legislature.” Pg 460.

Hitler began a crash program to rearm Germany, in violation of the Versailles treaty. Hitler

demanded for military hardware, stimulated businesses, and helped eliminate unemployment.

“The communist demanded radical changes like Lenin had brought to Russia.” (Pg 459).

Under Hitler’s state of individuals the public faced severe problems from the start but his control

in government was weak because Germany, France had many small parties. Although in 1919

Germany’s leaders drafted a constitution in the city of the Weimar Republic. Hitlers government

was also led by moderate democratic socialists, and came under constant fire from both the left

and right. Third, Joseph Stalin and his five year plans set high production goals, especially for

heavy industry and transportation. Stalin brought all economic activity under government

control. “The Soviet Union developed a command economy, in which government officials

made all basic economic decisions. Under Stalin, the government owned all businesses

and allocated financial and other resources.” Pg 406 and 407. In 1921 Lenin adopted the

New Economic Policy, NEP which allowed capitalist ventures. Although the state kept control of

banks, foreign trade, and large industries, they were also allowed to reopen for private profit.

“Under Stalin’s government owned all businesses and allocated financial and other

resources' '. Pg (406) Stalin sent millions of people to lives of misery in forced-labor camps

which put most people in stress or fear. One of Stalin’s groups possesses absolute power

without effective constitutional limitations. Stalin’s Communist used secret party, censorship,

violent purges, and terror. “Stalin used his secret police force to find Old Bolsheviks in

order for him to carry out his “Great Purge” in this reign of terror. In this reign of terror,

Stalin and his secret police cracked down especially on the Old Bolsheviks party and the

activists from the early days.”Pg (408) Stalin’s power was absolute, he harbored obsessive

fears that the rival party leaders were plotting against him.
 Stalin’s Russia social characteristics were the communists that used propaganda to their

advantage by discouraging capitalists ideals and talking about the success of the Communist

party. “In movies, theaters, and schools, citizens heard about communist successes and

the evils of capitalism.” Pg 411. Stalin’s communist used secret party, censorship, violent

purges, and terror. Stalin also used his secret police force to find Old Bolsheviks in order for him

to carry out his “Great Purge”. “In this reign of terror, Stalin and his secret police cracked

down especially on Old Bolsheviks and the party’s activists from the early days.” Pg 408

Stalin’s educated workers were needed to build a modern industrial state. In addition to basic

skills, school taught communist values, such as atheism, the glory of collective farming, and love

of Stalin. Stalin’s power was absolute, he harbored obsessive fears that the rival party leaders

were plotting against him. In 1934, he launched the Great Purge, in this reign of terror, Stalin

and his secret policy cracked down on the Old Bolsheviks.

Mussolini’s social characteristics were the fascist and how it blasted propaganda that

praised Mussolini. “Men, Women, and children bombarded with slogans glorifying the

state and Mussolini.” Pg 456 Italy remained a parliamentary monarchy, it was a dictatorship

upheld by terror. There critics were thrown into prison, forced into exile, or murdered. Mussolini

thought by putting youth groups and toughening them taught them to obey strict military

discipline. “Men were urged to be ruthless, selfless warriors for the glory of italy. Women

were pushed out of paying jobs, but instead Mussolini called on women to “win the battle

of motherhood.” Pg 456

Hitler’s Social Characteristics were the Nazi’s and they were able to take control over the

lives of German citizens. “The Nazi controlled all areas of German life” Pg 461 The Nazi’s

also controlled all areas of German life from government to religion to education and his secret

policy was that the Gestapo rooted out of opposition. The Nazi’s used education as a

propaganda tool. School courses and textbooks were rewritten to reflect Nazi racial views. Hitler

set out to drive jews from Germany. In 1935, the Nuremberg Laws placed severe restrictions on
Jews; they were prohibited from marrying non-jews. They attended teaching at German schools

or universities, holding government jobs, practicing law or medicine, or publishing books.

Stalin’s political characteristics were under control by the party control, factory and mine

that Stalin outputted which had then fallen. Peasants tried to stop producing grain, knowing it

would only be seized by the government. “The new government united much of the old

Russian empire in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.” Pg 405 Stalin also sent millions

of peoples' lives to misery in forced-labor camps.

Mussolini’s political characteristics was on how he coined the term, but fascists had no

single unifying set of beliefs, as marxists did. Under Mussolini’s corporate state representatives

of business, labor, government, and the Fascist party controlled industry, agriculture and trade.

“Mussolini brought the economy under state control which he then preserved as

capitalism.” Pg 456 Mussolini surprised rival parties, muzzled the press, rigged elections,

replaced elected officials with Facist supporters.

Hitlers political characteristics was on how the threat of a socialist revolution, the Kaiser

abdicated. The public faced severe problems from the start which then led to Germany, France

being weak because they had many small parties. In 1919 German leaders drafted a

constitution in the city of Weimar. It created a democratic government known as the Weimar

Republic. “Germany’s government was also led by moderate democratic socialists, and

came under constant fire from both left and right.” Pg 459

Stalin’s economic characteristics was that in 1919 Lenin adopted the New Economic

Policy, NEP which allowed some capitalist ventures. Although the state kept control of banks,

foreign trade, and large industries, they were allowed to reopen for private profits. “Under

Stalin, his government owned all businesses and allocated financial and other

resources.” Pg 406 Stalin’s five-year plans set high production goals, especially for heavy
industry and transportation. The government pushed workers and managers to meet these

goals by giving bonuses to those who successfully did well in their jobs.

Mussolini’s economic characteristics was that he suppressed the rival parties and then

muzzled the press which rigged elections and replaced elected officials with Facists supporters.

“To encourage economic growth and end conflicts between owners and workers.

Mussolini brought the economy under state control. Unlike socialists, though, he

preserved capitalism.” Pg 456 Under Mussolini’s “corporate state” representatives of

business, labor, government, and the Fascist party which then took control of industry,

agriculture, and trade.

As this shows, there are many similarities and many differences between totalitarian

dictatorships. They had a new system of government which came into being a totalitarian

dictatorship. All of the three leaders had a good and bad impact on the economy and the people

but then they also had a chance to take control of the economy that almost caused people to

stand up for rights such as Women rights.