Totalitarian ideologies of Stalinist Russia Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy
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A. Dictatorships and authoritarian systems of rule have existed nearly as long as civilized society itself. What was new and unusual about the twentieth-century form known as totalitarianism? Compare and contrast Stalinist Russia, Fascist Italy, and Nazi Germany with respect to their totalitarian ideologies.
Absolute rule by one individual was nothing new to civilization; in fact it was the prominent method of rule throughout the majority of time. Even the Roman Empire averted to a dictatorship in times of an emergency or crisis. However, the absolute rule developed in the twentieth century was unique. The totalitarian movement of the early twentieth century grew out of society's contempt for conventional standards which had been greatly influenced by World War I and the events it caused. With the economic turmoil of the Depression, Europeans expected their governments to control the economy and help the masses. This rejection of capitalism and liberalism, and the growth of radical ideologies and disillusionment among the masses paved the way for authoritarian rule...