Totalitarismo

EXTENDED ESSAY


How important is ideology in defining totalitarianism?























TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………..
II. CHAPTERS:
a. Totalitarianism according to Hannah Arendt and Brzezinski………….
b. The unimportance of ideology in the definition of totalitarianism…….
c. The importance thatideology has in the definition of totalitarianism….
III. CONCLUSION………………………………………………………………
IV. BIBLIOGRAPHY



































ABSTRACT

The role ideology has in the definition of totalitarianism
The objective of this essay is to examine how important is ideology in defining totalitarianism. Firstly, I will carry out a comparison between“The origins of totalitarianism” by Hannah Arendt and “Totalitarian Dictatorship and Autocracy” by Brzezinski and Friedrich in order to have their views of totalitarianism. For this, I will point out the similarities and differences which can be found between both books. Then, in the second chapter, I will analyze the unimportance of ideology in the definition and finally, in the third chapter,the importance that ideology has in the definition of totalitarianism. It is important to take into consideration that in order to debate the role of ideology in the last two chapters will base on Hitler’s and Stalin’s regimes.
Apart from using “Totalitarian Dictatorship and Autocracy” and “The origins of totalitarianism”, I will also be making reference to “The European Dictatorships” byAllan Todd, in order to obtain more background information of Stalin and Hitler, “Stalin” by Walter Laqueur to investigate on Stalin’s and Hitler’s cult of personality to be able to see the influence that ideology might have in the two totalitarian leaders and “Reflections on a Ravaged Century” by Robert Conquest in order to be able to have a general definition of totalitarianism.
Throughthe analysis I can say that ideology is not an important factor to define totalitarianism but instead, a method used as an excuse to shape the actions the totalitarian leaders want to carry out. The problem that might arise from this research is that it can’t be considered as a general statement which says that ideology is not an important factor in totalitarianism because it is an investigationbased on two specific opinions.




















INTRODUCTION


In this essay I will be focusing in is the importance that ideology has in defining totalitarianism. To be able to carry out this investigation I will be analyzing mainly Hannah Arendt’s and Brzezinski’s book which are based on totalitarianism.
To begin with, we can say that totalitarianism “isa political system where the state, usually under the control of a single political person, faction, or class, recognizes no limits to its authority and strives to regulate every aspect of public and private life wherever feasible.” (Conquest: 74) which initially arouse in 1923 by Giovanni Amendola based in the Italian Fascism, but was later modified.
One of the books which we will beusing in chapter one is the second edition of “Totalitarian Dictatorship and Autocracy”, written by Brzezinski and Friedrich. It was published in 1966 in United States and Brzezinski didn’t participate in the correction of this new edition due to other commitments he had. This book tries to give a more explanatory analysis of totalitarian dictatorship.
On the other hand, “The origins oftotalitarianism” by Hannah Arendt is the other book which will be used in the first chapter. Its first publication was in 1950 and its second one in 1958 in Ohio. One of the reasons which explain the second edition of “The origins of totalitarianism” is because there were new files discovered like for example from Hitler’s regime. In addition, its important to point out that her view, especially of...