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Nazi Germany as a Totalitarian State Essay

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Nazi Germany as a Totalitarian State

Goebbels once said "the aim of the Nationalist Socialist Revolution must be a totalitarian state, which will permeate all aspects of public life"

In reality to put this into practise was a lot more difficult. From the outside, people assume that the Nazis had brainwashed every German citizen during their reign. By booking more closely, through Germanys archives we can see a better picture of what Germany was really like. Totalitarian states must have a number of things, primarily being one main leader, government control of all aspects of life and create committed members of state.

In 'Weimar and Nazi Germany' by John Hite and Chris Hinton, they give …show more content…

Historians who believed this view are Mommsen and Broszat.

However, the current consensus is that he was a bit of both. The Nazi policy reflected Hitler's overall vision. He didn't initiate many policies (i.e. a ' non-interventionalsit dictator'). Kershaw believes that Hitler's view was uncontested and there was no effective opposition to him. His image as an infallible leader was kept, as he didn't get involved in faction fighting which came with this chaotic government. This lead to the people of Germany liking Hitler more than the actual party. When dealing with potential rivals he was certainly not weak. He was the source of power if you wanted to get ahead in the party, and so you had to be careful with your actions. For instance, Goebbels was cold shouldered in the 'good years' until Hitler needed him again in 1942 to produce propaganda to unite the German people when the war was looking bad. A chaotic government suited him as it fitted in with his personality, and he didn't want to be associated with failing Nazi policies, and the system fitted in with belief in Social Darwinism. He was not a master in the 3rd Reich, as he didn't enjoy absolute authority. He had to work with his limitations, for example he had to be aware of the mood of the German people, be cautious in his dealings with the elite and be cautious when

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