Al e xCo l o s i mo T oWha tEx t e ntwa sGe Ge r ma nyat ot a l i t a r i a ni s ms oc i e t yi nt hepe r i odof1 93 31 93 9?
Thet er mt ot al i t ar i ani s mi saf or m ofgov er nmenti nwhi c ht hes t at ec ont r ol sal l as pec t soft hel i v es ofi t speopl e.I twasfi r s tus edbyI t al i andi c t at or ,Mus sol i ni i n1923t odes cr i bet heFas ci s t Mov ement .Thet ot al i t ar i anr egi mewasfir s tc r eat edbyhi s t or i ansl i k eCar l Fr i edr i c hi nt hemi d 1950’ sandwasdefi nedasas i ngl epar t yl edb yac har i s mat ma i cdi c t at or ;s t at ec ont r ol o v ert he ec onomy ;s t at eus eoft er r orandr epr es si on;par t yc ont r ol o vert hear medf or c es .T oane xt ent ,i t wasi ni t i al l ybel i ev edt hatGer mans oc i et yf r om 19331939di dc omeundert het ot al i t ar i anr egi me, howev er ,l at ers t udi esandr es ear c hs ugges t st hats omeas pec t sof theNaz ir egi medi dno tfi tt he ent i r ec r i t er i a.Thet woar east obear guedar eas i ngl e,c har i s ma mat i cdi c t at orandul t i mat epol i t i c al poweri nt hehandsoft her ul i ngpar t y .
T oane xt ent ,Ger mans oc i e t yf r om 19331939c oul dbec ons i der edasat o t al i t ar i ans t at e. T ot al i t ar i ani s mi mpl i est hatt hes t at eoc cupi esac har i s mat ma i cdi c t at orwhoper s oni fi est henat i on. Hi t l erwasas t r ongl eaderandbel i ev edt hathi si nt ent i onss houl dr efl ec tuponGer mans oc i et y .Hi s p l at f o r m wa sh el p edr a i s edb yGo ebb el s ’ p r op og an dap i ec est os ee kh i ms el fa sFu hr e r ,wh er e e v ent ual l y , t heGe Ger manpeopl eunder s t oodandper c ei v edHi t l erasaGo Godl i k efigur e.Gr unber ger ex c l ai mst hat‘ t her ewasl i t t l eev i denc et hatt heGer manpeopl ef el tan yhat r edf orhi m,ev eni nt he mi ds tofdes t r uc t i on. ”Af t ert heMuni c hPut s c h,Hi t l er ’ se xi s t enc ewasbec omi ngwi des pr eadand ev i dent l y ,no ti nanegat i v emanner .Hi t l erwasabl et ous ehi sGo Godl i k efi gur et omani pul at e Ger man yb ydi r ec t i ngs t r i c tor derandr ef or m,t houghel i mi nat i ngRohm ando t hert hr eat si n1934, t husf ac i ngnooppos i t i on.Thes es t r at egi esandmo vement st os eekHi t l erasFuhr erar et het r i gger poi nt st opr oc l ai m Ger manyasat ot al i t ar i an s t at e.Thi snot i onc ont i nueds t r ongf oral ongt i meas Hi t l er ’ spol i t i c al l eader s hi pr emai nedunques t i onedandunc hal l engedt hr oughoutt hey ear soft he Thi r dRei c h.
Thi ss t r ongnot i onofHi t l erasac har i s mat ma i candawar edi c t at ori showev er ,ques t i onedt houghl at er s t udi est hati mpl yt hes ugarc oat i ngoft hey ear sbe t ween19331939.Hi s t or i ansl i k eKar l Br ac her , k no wnasi nt er nat i onal i s t ss eem t obel i e v e‘ t heNaz ir egi mewasac hao t i c ,i neffic i ents y s t em wi t ha c onf us edo ver l appi ngs t r uc t ur e ’ .Cer t ai nl yot hergr oupsofhi s t or i ansshar edac ommonv i e wpoi nt s uc hast hes t r uc t ur al i s t sandt oanex t ent ,Br i t i s hhi s t or i an,I anKer s her ,t obel i ev et hatt hi schaot i c nat ur eoft heNaz ir egi medoesnotappl yt ot het er mt ot al i t ar i ani s m.T m. ot al i t ar i ani s m woul di mpl yt he s uc c es sofeffic i enc yandor g ani s at i ons k i l l s ,c omponent st hatHi t l ers uppos edl yl ac k ed.Hewas s ai dt oha v eav o i d edma mak i ngde ci s i o nsan da l l o wedpr ob l e mst ms ofl oa tb ene at hhi m.The sev i e ws woul dt hani mpl yt hatt heNaz ir egi medoesnotc ons t i t ut ei t s el ft obeat ot al i t ar i ans t at ebec aus ei t s weak nes s es-c haosanddi s or gani s at i on-o v erpower edi t ss t r engt hs-abi l i t yt oc ont r ol andr i s et o p owe rwi t he as e .
Al e xCo l o s i mo Oneoft hec omponent si nt het ot al i t ar i anr egi mei st hatpol i t i c al poweri nt hehandsoft her ul i ng par t ydoes n’ tal l owan yot herac t i v epar t y . Thr oughoutt hey ear sof19331939,Ger man ycanbe c l as si fi edasat ot al i t ar i ans t at ebec aus et heNaz is t at ewer et heonl yr ul i ngpar t ydomi nat i ng Ger mansoc i et y .Af t ert hedeat hofPr es i dentHi ndenbur g,Hi t l erc or r obor at edwi t hGoebbel s , t oget herwi t hper s uas i v epr opagandaandpubl i caddr es st ofi nal i s et hec ons ol i dat i onofHi t l erand t heNaz i ’ spo wer .Onc eHi t l erpos s es s edhi sdes i r edpo wer ,her ef or mat t edt hel eader s hi p pos i t i ons ,c ombi ngc hanc el l orandpr es i denti nt ooneanddi s engagi ngal l ot herpar t i esex c eptf or t heNat i onal Soc i al i s tpar t y .Thi senabl edt heNaz ipar t yt obes ugges t edasat ot al i t ar i ans t at e.
Pol i t i c al poweri nt hehandsoft her ul i ngpar t ydi dn’ tal l owanyot herac t i v epar t i es ,butt owhat e xt entdi dt hi ss uffic et hr oughoutt hey ear sof193339i nGer man y ?I st r uet hatt her er emai ned onl yonepar t yt hr oughoutt hes ey ear s ?Yes ,howev er ,wh yi si tt hathi s t or i ansques t i ont hi s i deol ogy ?Theex t entof‘ t ot al ’ i nt ot al i t ar i ani s mi sques t i onedt os ayt hatt heNaz ir egi me,wasnot i nf ac t ,t ot al .I twasi nv es t i gat edt hatt heNaz i par t yheav i l yr el i edonnonNaz ii ns t i t ut i ons .Thi scan b es ee nwh ent h ebu r e au cr ac yandt h ed i p l o ma t i cs er v i c ewer ene v ert o t a l l yNa zi fi eda ndt he s e gr oupswor k edal ongs i des i mi l arNaz is er v i c es .Fr anzNer manndes c r i best o t al i t ar i ani s mv i e wsas ‘ Man yha ves t r es s edt hepec ul i ar“ s hapel es snes s”oft het ot al i t ar i angov er nment ’ whi c hs ugges t s t hatt heNaz ir egi mewasnoe xc ept i on.T oar guet hi sc as ef ur t her ,t hec haost hatoc cur r edi nt he r egi meal s os uppor t st hi snot i ont or ev eal par t ybodi esofv ar i ousac t i v i t i es .TheGer mans t at e c oul dnotpos si bl ybei s suedundert het ot al i t ar i anr egi me,duet oi t sflex i bl eandl oos el ys t r uc t ur ed s ys t em t hatwaspas si v et os mal l ernonNaz ii ns t i t ut i onsandpar t i es .
T odefi neat ot al i t ar i ans t at ewoul di nc l udek e yt er mssuc hasfix eds t r uc t ur es ,effic i entor gani s at i on andt heabi l i t yt ohol dpowerwi t hc onfi denc e.TheGer mans t at et oane xt entf ol l owedt hi s‘ fi x ed’ r egi me,howev er ,f ur t hers t udi espr o vi dee vi denc et obel i ev et hi st y peofr egi mewasonl yagui deor bac k bone.Hi t l erhadt hepeopl er unni ngt hec ount r yal l t hr ought hei rs uppor tf orhi mi namongs t t h ec ha oswi t h i nso ci e t yt h atma dehi ms t a ndasaGo dl i k efi gu r e .Th ei d eat h atGer ma nybe t we en 193339wasat ot al i t ar i ans t at ec annotbej us t i fi edbec aus eev i dent l yt hepeopl edi dnotneedHi t l er t omai nt ai nHi t l er spower ,Hi t l erneededt hepeopl e.
