Summary 7 - Was the Nazi regime totalitarian

Question 1

What is a totalitarian society?

Answer 1

A totalitarian society means the political rulers control every aspect of private and social life in the society, as well as having extensive political power so that virtually no liberty or autonomy in decision making is left to individuals or groups outside the political power system.

Question 2

Was the Nazi state a true totalitarian regime?

Answer 2

The Nazi state was not a true totalitarian regime.

Question 3

Give some evidence which suggests that the Nazi regime was not fully totalitarian?

Answer 3

To be judged totalitarian, the Nazis would have had to have had complete control of all aspects of Germans’ private and social lives.
However, Nazi rule derived, to some extent from the population’s consent and the party never needed to control all aspects of society.
The Nazis left the Christian faith and the economy largely alone.
While they publicised their aim of Volksgemeinschaft, they did not put in place the comprehensive policies needed to achieve a society without any alternative ideologies or organisations.

Question 4

In which aspect of their rule were the Nazis the most totalitarian?

Answer 4

In terms of political control, the Nazis came closer to being a totalitarian regime.

Question 5

Give evidence which suggests that the Nazis came closer to being a totalitarian regime in terms of political control?

Answer 5

A totalitarian system requires extensive political power to be concentrated in one or a few individuals who ensure virtually no liberty or autonomy in decision making is left to those outside the political power system.
The Nazis largely achieved this concentration of power in the few. While it was at times, chaotic and inefficient, key individuals such as Hitler and Himmler were at the heart of the system and devised a political system that left no room for independent decision making and brutally crushed those who failed to conform.