Last Name 1
Raul Patel
History
Y13
To what extent was Hitler’s Germany totalitarian?
A totalitarian society consists of a system of government that is centralized and
dictatorial, requiring a compete subservience to the state. After becoming chancellor in 1933,
Hitler sought to establish a totalitarian regime. Through the enabling act, and the subsequent
death of Hindenburg, Hitler was able to unite presidency with his chancellorship, thus forming
the messiah-like figure of the “Fuhrer”. Gleichschaltung; the coordination of all aspects of
society was a characteristic feature of Hitler’s regime, which was seen with the use of terror,
indoctrination of the youth and propaganda to create a totalitarian regime. This essay will
evaluate how Hitler was able to control all aspects of society, from the media (propaganda),
military, political opponents, and the economy.
One of the main aspects of Hitler’s totalitarian society was his ability to minimise the
influence of political opponents over the German people. Even before gaining an official role
within the coalition government, he was able to manipulate the reputation of those whose values
were against those of Nazism. This was seen with the Communist groups, as Hitler was able to
disrupt official gatherings via intimidation from his SA, which set the foundations for his
totalitarian rule when he came to power. Moreover, Hitler’s suppression of opponents with the
potential to rise to power was seen with his “Fuhrerprinzip” ideology, based on creating a
hierarchy of leaders, where every commander has absolute responsibility in his own area. Using
the Enabling Act, Hitler was able to purge the SA, known as the Night of Long Knives in 1934,
where he imprisoned Rohm based on treason. Though he used manufactured evidence, Hitler
gained support of the German military, who had a fragile relationship with the leader of the SA
Raul Patel
History
Y13
To what extent was Hitler’s Germany totalitarian?
A totalitarian society consists of a system of government that is centralized and
dictatorial, requiring a compete subservience to the state. After becoming chancellor in 1933,
Hitler sought to establish a totalitarian regime. Through the enabling act, and the subsequent
death of Hindenburg, Hitler was able to unite presidency with his chancellorship, thus forming
the messiah-like figure of the “Fuhrer”. Gleichschaltung; the coordination of all aspects of
society was a characteristic feature of Hitler’s regime, which was seen with the use of terror,
indoctrination of the youth and propaganda to create a totalitarian regime. This essay will
evaluate how Hitler was able to control all aspects of society, from the media (propaganda),
military, political opponents, and the economy.
One of the main aspects of Hitler’s totalitarian society was his ability to minimise the
influence of political opponents over the German people. Even before gaining an official role
within the coalition government, he was able to manipulate the reputation of those whose values
were against those of Nazism. This was seen with the Communist groups, as Hitler was able to
disrupt official gatherings via intimidation from his SA, which set the foundations for his
totalitarian rule when he came to power. Moreover, Hitler’s suppression of opponents with the
potential to rise to power was seen with his “Fuhrerprinzip” ideology, based on creating a
hierarchy of leaders, where every commander has absolute responsibility in his own area. Using
the Enabling Act, Hitler was able to purge the SA, known as the Night of Long Knives in 1934,
where he imprisoned Rohm based on treason. Though he used manufactured evidence, Hitler
gained support of the German military, who had a fragile relationship with the leader of the SA
