The Two Major Instances of Totalitarianism: Observations on the Interconnection between Soviet Communism and National Socialism

Abstract

Compares reciprocal relations between the totalitarian regimes of the USSR under Joseph Stalin & Germany under Adolf Hitler, & examines how they influenced & reacted to each other. A review of 20th-century history draws on German, French, & British studies by Ernst Nolte (1987), Francois Furet (1996), & Eric Hobsbawm (1994), respectively, stressing ways they complement/contradict each other. Historical turning points in the duration of both regimes are examined, along with the role of democratic states in their rise & fall. It is argued that Germany's national socialist regime served to prolong the existence of Soviet communism, & they each viewed the other as both a model & source of anxiety. Ways in which an ideology of antifascism helped to legitimize communist regimes are examined, along with an exploration of the impact of Hitler & Stalin's regimes on the present-day states where they were once in power. Future prospects are explored in light of the complex nature of current Eastern European political systems. J. Lindroth