Autocracy is defined as a form of government in which supreme political power is held by one person. The term autocrat is derived from the Greek word autokratôr, auto meaning self, and kratia meaning rule. It implies self-rule, where one can do whatever they want if they have power. Totalitarianism is considered a modern form of an autocratic government, where the government controls all aspects of the society. A totalitarian political party seeks to control not only all economic and political matters but the attitudes, values, and beliefs of the people, eliminating the distinction between state and society. According to Carl Friedrich and Zbignew Brzezinksi there are six key elements of totalitarianism and without these elements totalitarianism cannot exist: 1) an official ideology, 2) a single party typically led by one man, 3) a terrorist police, 4) a communications monopoly, 5) a weapons monopoly, and lastly 6) a centrally directed economy. The ultimate goal of a totalitarian government is to establish a “perfect” society in the eyes of the political party. Three major historical totalitarian states include the Soviet Union under Stalin, Italy under Mussolini, and Nazi Germany under Hitler.

Totalitarianism is an attempt to change the society as a whole, which is implemented by a single political party that controls all aspects of the society. The government would control all lines of communications, and used terror to intimidate society in hope that the society would only hear the political party’s ideology without any outside distractions. Totalitarianism states had full control the mass media. For example, newspapers, radio stations, and publishing houses were all run by the political party. Computers & photo copy...

1 11 2 2000 2002 2003 2004 21st 3 4 4th 5 6 6th absolut accord achiev act addit affect aggress agn almost also although analysi anti anti-semit aren argument arrest aryan aspect aspir attempt attitud auto autocraci autocrat autokratôr away ballot ban basic becam behalf belief believ bibliographi blame bombard book bowl brought brzezinksi call came camp candid cannot carl castro cell central centuri challeng chang character characterist citizen coercion colleg columbia common communic communism communist comput conclus conduct consid conspiraci constant constitut control copi could countri creat cuba cultur defin democrat deriv despit dickerson dictat dictatori dictionari didn differ direct disciplin distinct distract done doubt easili econom economi edit educ effect effort either element elimin encyclopedia enemi ensur enterpris erad essenti establish et european even exampl execut exercis exist expens extrem eye facil factor fascism fascist fidel final fish flanagan follow forc foreign form freedom friedrich full gain gale general germani gestapo get goal govern great greek group harsher hear heard held histor histori hitler hollow hope hospit hostil hous howev idea ideal ident ideolog il immedi implement impli impos includ independ individu initi injur institut insur integr interest intimid introduct involv itali italian jail jew jewish jong judg juli june key kgb kill kim knight korea kratia labor lack last law leader learn led let liber life like limit line live m.o machin magazin maintain major make man mani manipul manner mass materi matter mean meant meanwhil media mental michael militari mind modern monopoli movement much mussolini must nation nazi negat nelson new newspap normal north offici one outsid ownership parliamentari part parti particip patricia peopl perfect person photo place plan polic polit posit power prison privat problem product prohibit promin promis properti pseudo pseudo-democrat public publish purg pursu question race racism radio ralli random ration read regim regul regular rejuven remad repress requir resist respect revolutionari rid right routledg rule ruler run russia secret seek self self-rul semit separ sever share signific singl six social societi sole solidifi soviet speak special speech stabil stalin state station status steam still strengthen stretch strict strip strong superior supervis support suprem sure sustain system term terror terrorist theme thomson though three time took tortur totalitarian totalitarianist toward tradit tri two typic ultim underlin union univers unlik use utopian valu violenc voic want war weapon webster well western whatev white whole without word world would youth zbignew