TotalitarianisTotalitarianismm

How do dictators gain & How do dictators gain & maintain power?maintain power?

What is a Totalitarian What is a Totalitarian government?government?

Government in which Government in which one one rulerruler has has unlimited unlimited power power & authority (aka: & authority (aka: autocracy)autocracy)

Government controls the Government controls the economyeconomy

Government controls the Government controls the media (ex: newspapers)media (ex: newspapers)

Government uses a police Government uses a police force to create a sense of force to create a sense of terror and violenceterror and violence

The people’s The people’s experience…experience…

Little FreedomLittle Freedom

Fear of PoliceFear of Police

Fear of GovernmentFear of Government

No Right to Protest (Get killed or No Right to Protest (Get killed or jailed)jailed)

How do dictators How do dictators gain & maintain gain & maintain

power?power?

Life Before the Life Before the DictatorDictator

When living conditions When living conditions (especially the economy) are (especially the economy) are bad, bad, people are willing to people are willing to listen to a leader who listen to a leader who promises a better lifepromises a better life

PropagandaPropaganda

Definition: Definition: One sided One sided informationinformation

Dictators use propaganda to Dictators use propaganda to make people believe that make people believe that government is working for government is working for them. them.

Terror & FearTerror & Fear

Dictators create a police force Dictators create a police force that helps to keep them in power.that helps to keep them in power.

When When people are afraid of the people are afraid of the policepolice, they cannot act out , they cannot act out against the government (aka: the against the government (aka: the dictator)dictator)

ViolenceViolence

Dictators Dictators kill anyone who kill anyone who opposes them opposes them or tries to or tries to challenge their authoritychallenge their authority

Progress & Progress & ImprovementsImprovements

Sometimes dictators are Sometimes dictators are able to improve peoples’ able to improve peoples’ daily livesdaily lives,, which makes which makes people loyal to the dictatorpeople loyal to the dictator

IdeologyIdeology

Often, dictators put in place Often, dictators put in place a a new type of government or new type of government or new ideas.new ideas.

The people believe in the new The people believe in the new way of thinking, and this makes way of thinking, and this makes them loyal to the dictator.them loyal to the dictator.

People who follow the People who follow the dictatordictator

Many Many people get caught up people get caught up in the ideas and beliefs of in the ideas and beliefs of the dictator.the dictator.

They believe in the dictator so They believe in the dictator so strongly that they strongly that they stop stop questioning whether what is questioning whether what is going on is right or wrong.going on is right or wrong.

Dictator Him/HerselfDictator Him/Herself

Dictators often have Dictators often have charismatic (likeable) charismatic (likeable) personalitiespersonalities..

They are good at giving They are good at giving speeches and convincing speeches and convincing people to follow them.people to follow them.