Were the Third Reich and Italy totalitarian states?
First of all it is important to define what a totalitarian state is. The Concise Oxford Dictionary describes a totalitarian state as, "relating to a form of government that permits no rival loyalties or parties, demanding entire subservience of the individual to the state". Therefore I will explore whether the Third Reich under Adolf Hitler and Fascist Italy under Benito Mussolini fit the description above.
What is definitely clear is that when Hitler became chancellor of Germany on the 30th January 1933, he was as Peukert says, "nowhere near being a personal dictator". Papen was vice chancellor, Hindenburg president and there were only 3 Nazis in a cabinet of 11. However as Joll says, "Hitler wanted to remove all rival opposition". Therefore Hitler cleverly coordinated a series of actions that removed all this opposition.…
