What is totalitarianism?
Many people don't know what totalitarianism is, or are confused about it. The definitions below might make it more clear.
Totalitarianism was first developed in 1923 by Italian fascists. According to Wikipedia, it is "a political system in which the state holds total authority over the society and seeks to control all aspects of public and private life whenever possible". It is also "a form of government that theoretically permits no individual freedom and that seeks to subordinate all aspects of the individual's life to the authority of the government".
In other words, totalitarianism is a form of government where one or many people (a party) are in charge. For example, Germany had a totalitarian era. In World War Two, the Nazi Party was in charge, with Hitler being the supreme leader, the chancellor of Germany. Whoever is in charge of the population holds total authority over not only the one's public life, but also their private life. The slightest act of rebellion from a citizen can be reported and the rebelled will be caught.
Often found in a totalitarian community are propaganda, censorship, control, obedience, and lots of fear from the population. Often, a secret police is present too, so that people are constantly watched. The citizens have no privacy or freedom.
What does "totalitarianism" mean?
The word "totalitarian" comes from "total", or "totality", as in "total power" and the suffix "arian" which means "to support". To create the word "totalitarianism", the suffix "ism", which means "a distinctive system" is also added. So "totalitarianism" literally means: "a distinctive system that supports the ideology of total power".
A different perspective
From the people's point of view, the ones being controlled, it is a life without any privacy. A life filled with tensed moments and stress, with limitations on everything. A life where the uneasy feeling of being watched becomes normal and part of the daily routine, which is also controlled by higher authorities. From wake up time to physical activities, even food, everything is under the control of the government. It has power over absolutely everything and anything. And well the people, they're afraid of a revolution. They're afraid of standing up for themselves. And even if they did, they don't stand a chance beside the powerful authorities. They'll get knocked down before they even start rebelling. This weakens them, so they become even more easy to control. It's a cycle, the cycle of the controllers and the controlled.