This is a list of totalitarian regimes. There are regimes that have been commonly referred to as "totalitarian", or the concept of totalitarianism has been applied to them, for which there is wide consensus among scholars to be called as such. Totalitarian regimes are usually distinguished from authoritarian regimes in the sense that totalitarianism represents an extreme version of authoritarianism. Authoritarianism primarily differs from totalitarianism in that social and economic institutions exist that are not under governmental control.[1]
Note: Because of differing opinions about the definition of totalitarianism, and the variable nature of each regime, this article first states in prose the various opinions given by sources, even when those opinions might conflict or be at angles to each other. It is followed by a convenience table of basic facts, but the table is limited by its binary nature and can not always accurately reflect the complex and nuanced nature of the sources, which are more fully described in the prose section. |
Soviet Union
According to Encyclopedia Britannica, the early Soviet Union was a "modern example" of a totalitarian state.[2] Britannica says it was "the first examples of decentralized or popular totalitarianism, in which the state achieved overwhelming popular support for its leadership". This contrasted with earlier totalitarian states that were imposed on the people.[2] Totalitarianism in Russia began with the founding of the Soviet Union under Lenin, after the October Revolution of 1917.[3] According to Britannica, "every aspect of the Soviet Union's political, economic, cultural, and intellectual life came to be regulated by the Communist Party in a strict and regimented fashion that would tolerate no opposition".[4] According to Peter Rutland (1993), with the death of Stalin, "This was still an oppressive regime, but not a totalitarian one."[5] This view is echoed by Igor Krupnik (1995), "The era of 'social engineering' in the Soviet Union ended with the death of Stalin in 1953 or soon after; and that was the close of the totalitarian regime itself."[6] According to Klaus von Beyme (2014), "The Soviet Union after the death of Stalin moved from totalitarianism to authoritarian rule."[7]
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Power-sharing with son Serdar since 2022.
Power-sharing with father Gurbanguly.
"Leninism". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
Rutland, Peter (1993). The Politics of Economic Stagnation in the Soviet Union: The Role of Local Party Organs in Economic Management. Cambridge University Press. p. 9. ISBN 978-0-521-39241-9. after 1953 ...This was still an oppressive regime, but not a totalitarian one.
Krupnik, Igor (1995). "4. Soviet Cultural and Ethnic Policies Towards Jews: A Legacy Reassessed". In Ro'i, Yaacov (ed.). Jews and Jewish Life in Russia and the Soviet Union. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-7146-4619-0. The era of 'social engineering' in the Soviet Union ended with the death of Stalin in 1953 or soon after; and that was the close of the totalitarian regime itself.
Jensen, Geoffrey. "Franco: Soldier, Commander, Dictator". Washington D.C.: Potomac Books, Inc., 2005. p. 110-111.
"Bulletin" (PDF). www.umk.ro. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
Thompson, M. R. (1 June 2002). "Totalitarian and Post-Totalitarian Regimes in Transitions and Non-Transitions from Communism". Totalitarian Movements and Political Religions. 3 (1): 79–106. doi:10.1080/714005469. S2CID 145789019.
Rummel, R.J. (1994). "Democide in totalitarian states: Mortacracies and megamurderers.". In Charney, Israel W. (ed.). Widening circle of genocide. Transaction Publishers. p. 5. There is much confusion about what is meant by totalitarian in the literature, including the denial that such systems even exist. I define a totalitarian state as one with a system of government that is unlimited constitutionally or by countervailing powers in society (such as by a church, rural gentry, labor unions, or regional powers); is not held responsible to the public by periodic secret and competitive elections; and employs its unlimited power to control all aspects of society, including the family, religion, education, business, private property, and social relationships. Under Stalin, the Soviet Union was thus totalitarian, as was Mao's China, Pol Pot's Cambodia, Hitler's Germany, and U Ne Win's Burma
Wieland, Carsten (2018). "6: De-neutralizing Aid: All Roads Lead to Damascus". Syria and the Neutrality Trap: The Dilemmas of Delivering Humanitarian Aid Through Violent Regimes. London, UK: I. B. Tauris. p. 68. ISBN 978-0-7556-4138-3.
Keegan, John (1979). "Syria". World Armies. New York, USA: Facts on File Inc. pp. 683–684. ISBN 0-87196-407-4.
C. Tucker, Spencer (2014). "Assad, Hafez al- (1930-2000)". Persian Gulf War Encyclopedia: A Political, Social, and Military History. Santa Barbara, California, USA: ABC-CLIO. pp. 40–41. ISBN 978-1-61069-415-5.
Keegan, John (1979). "Syria". World Armies. New York, USA: Facts on File Inc. p. 684. ISBN 0-87196-407-4.
Khamis, Sahar; Gold, Paul B.; Vaughn, Katherine (2013). "22. Propaganda in Egypt and Syria's "Cyberwars": Contexts, Actors, Tools, and Tactics". In Auerbach, Jonathan; Castronovo, Russ (eds.). The Oxford Handbook of Propaganda Studies. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. p. 422. ISBN 978-0-19-976441-9.
Ahmed, Saladdin (2019). Totalitarian Space and the Destruction of Aura. State University of New York Press, Albany: Suny Press. pp. 144, 149. ISBN 9781438472911.
- "Syria: Government". CIA World Factbook. Archived from the original on 3 February 2021.
- "Syrian Arab Republic: Constitution, 2012". refworld. 26 February 2021. Archived from the original on 5 March 2019.
- Khamis, Sahar; Gold, Paul B.; Vaughn, Katherine (2013). "22. Propaganda in Egypt and Syria's "Cyberwars": Contexts, Actors, Tools, and Tactics". In Auerbach, Jonathan; Castronovo, Russ (eds.). The Oxford Handbook of Propaganda Studies. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. p. 422. ISBN 978-0-19-976441-9.
A. Faksh, Mahmud (2006). "Syrian Arab Republic". In Schlager, Neil; Weisblatt, Jayne (eds.). World Encyclopedia of Political Systems and Parties (4th ed.). New York NY: Facts on File. p. 1300. ISBN 0-8160-5953-5.
B. Heller, Peter (1974). "The Permanent Syrian Constitution of March 13, 1973". Middle East Journal. 28 (1). Middle East Institute: 53–66. JSTOR 4325185.
Whine, Michael (1 September 2001). "Islamism and Totalitarianism: Similarities and Differences". Totalitarian Movements and Political Religions. 2 (2): 54–72. doi:10.1080/714005450. S2CID 146940668.
"David Arnett" (PDF). turkishpolicy.com. 2008. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
Filipec, Ondrej (2020). The Islamic State From Terrorism to Totalitarian Insurgency. Routledge. ISBN 9780367457631.
Peter, Bernholz (February 2019). "Supreme Values, Totalitarianism, and Terrorism". The Oxford Handbook of Public Choice. Vol. 1.
Ramet, Sabrina (2020). The Independent State of Croatia 1941-45 (Totalitarianism Movements and Political Religions). Routledge. pp. 54–68. ISBN 978-1-138-86811-3.
Suppan, Arnold (2019). The "Independent State of Croatia" Between the German Reich and Italy. Austrian Academy of Sciences. pp. 537–566. ISBN 978-3-7001-8410-2.
Bihari, Mihály (2013). "Magyarországi pártrendszerek (Történeti és analitikus bemutatás)" [Party systems of Hungary (historical and analytical presentation)]. Politológia: a politika és a modern állam: pártok és ideológiák [Political Science: Politics and the Modern State: Parties and Ideologies] (in Hungarian). Budapest: Nemzedékek Tudása Tankönyvkiadó. p. 367. ISBN 978-963-19-7628-1. OCLC 1081799738. Az egypárti diktatúra első szakasza 1949 nyarától 1953 nyaráig (az első Nagy Imre-kormány kinevezéséig) tartott. Ennek az időszaknak azegypártrendszere olyan totalitárius egypártrendszer, amely összekapcsolódott Rákosi Mátyás despotikus személyi hatalmával.
[The first phase of the one-party dictatorship lasted from the summer of 1949 to the summer of 1953 (until the appointment of the first Imre Nagy government). The one-party system of this period is a totalitarian one-party system connected with the despotic personal power of Mátyás Rákosi.]
Mezey, Barna; Gosztonyi, Gergely, eds. (2003). "A szovjet típusú államberendezkedés Magyarországon (1949–1956)" [The Soviet-type state system in Hungary (1949–1956)]. Magyar alkotmánytörténet [Hungarian Constitutional History] (in Hungarian). Budapest: Osiris Kiadó. pp. 467–468. ISBN 963-389-532-4. OCLC 1014875954. ... a párt nemcsak megszervezni igyekezett a társadalmat, hanem megpróbálta saját képére és hasonlatosságára formálni, s ellenőrzése alá vonta a termelést és az elosztást. ... A magyar társadalom ellenállása csupán néhány évig biztosította a valóban totalitárius berendezkedést.
[... the party not only sought to organize society, but also to shape it in its own image and likeness, bringing production and distribution under its control. ... The resistance of the Hungarian society ensured a truly totalitarian system for only a few years.]
Körösényi, András; Tóth, Csaba; Török, Gábor (2007). "A kommunista korszak tradíciója" [The tradition of the communist era]. A magyar politikai rendszer [The Hungarian Political System] (in Hungarian). Budapest: Osiris Kiadó. p. 21. ISBN 978-963-389-963-2. OCLC 1088039656. A politikai hatalom totális jellegűvé vált ... A rendszer totalitárius jellege abban ragadható meg, hogy a pártállami kontroll a politikai szférán messze túlmenően minden létszférára – a gazdaságtól a kultúrán keresztül egészen az iskolai és ifjúsági szocializációig – kiterjedt.
[Political power has become total in nature ... The totalitarian nature of the system can be grasped in the fact that party-state control extended far beyond the political sphere to all spheres of existence, from the economy through culture to school and youth socialization.]
Romsics, Ignác (2010). "A rákosista diktatúra" [The Rákosist dictatorship]. Magyarország története a XX. században [History of Hungary in the 20th Century] (in Hungarian). Budapest: Osiris Kiadó. p. 337. ISBN 978-963-276-179-4. OCLC 1081699371. Nem kétséges, hogy az 1949-re kialakult magyar rendszer ... kimeríti a totalitarianizmus fogalmát.
[There is no doubt that the Hungarian system formed by 1949 ... exhausts the concept of totalitarianism.]
Tucker, Ernest (2019). "21: Middle East at the End of the Cold War, 1979–1993". The Middle East in Modern World History (Second ed.). New York, NY: Routledge. p. 303. ISBN 978-1-138-49190-8. LCCN 2018043096. During their first few months in power, the Communists remade Afghanistan into a Soviet-style totalitarian state...
Kirkpatrick, Jeane J (1981). "Afghanistan: Implications for Peace and Security". World Affairs. 144 (3): 243. JSTOR 20671902. ...the Communists violently seized power in Kabul and, with the help of growing numbers of Soviet "advisers," began forcibly to impose upon the people of Afghanistan a foreign ideology and a totalitarian system
Roy, Olivier (2018). "3: The Sovietization of Afghanistan". In Hauner, Milan; L. Canfield, Robert (eds.). Afghanistan and the Soviet Union: Collision and Transformation. New York, NY: Routledge. p. 51. ISBN 978-0-367-01216-8.
S.Margolis, Eric (2001). "2: The Bravest Men on Earth". War at the top of the World: The struggle for Afghanistan, Kashmir, and Tibet. New York, NY: Routledge. p. 15. ISBN 0-415-92712-9.
Roy, Olivier (2018). "3: The Sovietization of Afghanistan". In Hauner, Milan; L. Canfield, Robert (eds.). Afghanistan and the Soviet Union: Collision and Transformation. New York, NY: Routledge. p. 49. ISBN 978-0-367-01216-8.
Roy, Olivier (2018). "3: The Sovietization of Afghanistan". In Hauner, Milan; L. Canfield, Robert (eds.). Afghanistan and the Soviet Union: Collision and Transformation. New York, NY: Routledge. pp. 48–57. ISBN 978-0-367-01216-8.