what effect does totalitarian rule have on a country's people?
death toll
Dyadkin estimates that the USSR suffered 56 to 62 million "unnatural deaths" during Stalin's rule, with 34 to 49 million directly linked to Stalin (How Many People Did Joseph Stalin Kill?).
Overall Stalin killed more than Hitler, however Hitler still killed an enormous amount of people.
Under Hitler's rule, the Germans deliberately killed 11 million noncombatants,12 million if deaths from deportation, hunger, and sentences in concentration camps are included (Hitler vs. Stalin: Who Killed More?).
Obviously, the mass murders from the totalitarian dictators affected most of their citizens as many lost their family and friends, but what kind of mental scarring did it have on the citizens fearing for their own lives?
Overall Stalin killed more than Hitler, however Hitler still killed an enormous amount of people.
Under Hitler's rule, the Germans deliberately killed 11 million noncombatants,12 million if deaths from deportation, hunger, and sentences in concentration camps are included (Hitler vs. Stalin: Who Killed More?).
Obviously, the mass murders from the totalitarian dictators affected most of their citizens as many lost their family and friends, but what kind of mental scarring did it have on the citizens fearing for their own lives?
Many citizens during Stalin's Reign of Terror had extreme paranoia, much like Stalin's own paranoia. Stalin's personal paranoia was mainly based on the fear of someone taking over his empire, which caused him to be suspicious of everyone around him. He was especially furious at former allies or friends, and began a series of purges. During his purgers he would have fits of anger and turn on random unsuspecting people. Many citizens were terrified of being spontaneously attacked by one of his guards for being suspected of treason or plotting against Stalin himself. Adding to this terror Stalin had many "thug groups" and spies planted all around Russia. He used these people as another means of terrorizing his citizens. Many of his people did not know if they could trust their neighbors, and were constantly in hiding. Stalin's actions left no one in Russia to feel even remotely safe, as he attacked at random. He sometimes focused on generals and officers, but all that was still subject to change.
Hitler's effect on the Jews was terrorism, however he had effects on the German population too. Adolf Hitler wanted a Blond haired blue eyed population, and to get such a population he needed more Germans producing more children. This resulted in the changed role of the German women, their only meaning was to be mothers, bear and raise children at home whilst their husbands worked outside the house. Hitler saw no reason for women to work at all, and so the education given to the girls was very minimal, and also biast. The little education they were given told them that they should live at home giving birth to as many children as possible. Women were to marry at a young age to a "proper" german, and keep a decent home for her husband (The Role of Women in Nazi Germany). Hitler murdered 12 million Jews in an attempt to rid his country of imperfections, and completed diminished the role of women in Germany to the bare biological meaning. Children were raised as young Nazis and men worked slave hours for the government itself.
|
Works cited
"How Many People Did Joseph Stalin Kill?" International Business Times. Web. 29 Mar. 2015. <http://www.ibtimes.com/how-many-people-did-joseph-stalin-kill-1111789>.
"Hitler vs. Stalin: Who Killed More?" NewYork Book Review. Web. 29 Mar. 2015. <http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2011/mar/10/hitler-vs-stalin-who-killed-more/>.
"The Role of Women in Nazi Germany." History Learning Site. Web. 29 Mar. 2015.
<http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/Women_Nazi_Germany.htm>.
"Hitler vs. Stalin: Who Killed More?" NewYork Book Review. Web. 29 Mar. 2015. <http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2011/mar/10/hitler-vs-stalin-who-killed-more/>.
"The Role of Women in Nazi Germany." History Learning Site. Web. 29 Mar. 2015.
<http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/Women_Nazi_Germany.htm>.