Throughout history, many ideologies of the ruling party or the regime of ruling a country have existed. Fascism and totalitarianism are also different ideologies for ruling a country.
They have many differences in their planning, process, and ideologies. Here are some differences between them, showing the different methods of ruling in the past.
Key Takeaways
- Fascism is a far-right political ideology emphasizing nationalism, dictatorial power, and a centralized government. At the same time, totalitarianism is a broader concept encompassing any political system where the state exercises complete control over all aspects of society.
- Fascist regimes prioritize racial or ethnic superiority and suppress dissent, whereas totalitarian regimes focus on controlling every aspect of citizens’ lives, including ideology, economy, and social interactions.
- Both systems share similarities, such as authoritarian rule and suppression of individual freedoms, but fascism entails a more aggressive foreign policy and expansionist goals.
Fascism vs Totalitarianism Ideologies and Their Applications
Fascism is characterized by a focus on national unity, authoritarianism, and the rejection of liberalism and democracy. Totalitarianism is a political system in which the state has complete control over all aspects of society and the individual and seeks to impose total conformity.
Fascist governments always prioritised the people’s race and wanted the whole nation to be of only one race which would be in the back of the superior power.
They believed that if all the people belonging to the same race followed the same rules would have more unity, and the nation would be much stronger.
Totalitarianism was mostly dependent on governmental and military power for the ruling. This was also a dictatorship form of government.
There are very strict rules for the citizens. Some parts of Europe still have this form of government.
They do not have any urge to spread their boundaries across. But the citizens are bound to follow the rules and regulations of the government.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Fascism Ideologies and Their Applications | Totalitarianism Ideologies and Their Applications |
|---|---|---|
| Ideology | They mostly focus on the nation or society and consider the individual interest as less important than the nation. | They have an ideology to control the society as they considered it as corrupt and the individual person has no freedom. |
| Technique of ruling | They mostly depend on their secret police forces | They depend on the government and military power for the ruling |
| Power | They have executive power | They have full authority power |
| Boundaries | They have an ideology to spread their boundaries across | They do not have any ideology to spread their provinces. |
| Important sectors | Military planning was more important | Military, as well as, economic planning were equally important |
What are Fascism Ideologies and Their Applications?
The fascist party was developed in the late 19th century. This political party has existed in many European countries, including Italy, Germany, etc.
They mostly focus on the nation or society and consider the individual interest as less important than the nation. The leaders of this party always consider the nation as the foremost important.
They tend to increase and spread the country’s borders by concurring with other countries. There were strict rules and regulations for the citizens.
The ruling of Hitler was also considered under this ruling propaganda. The military and the police were given the major forces and power.
It is s dictatorship form of government that was led by the police and military forces.
Fascist governments always prioritised the people’s race and wanted the whole nation to be of only one race which would be in the back of the superior power.
They believed that if all the people belonging to the same race followed the same rules would have more unity, and the nation would be much stronger.
They have considered race as the priority from the individual level. They had also prioritized military-based planning as more important than the economy of the nation.
Military power is always in consideration, and it had the urge to increase that. They had no look after the economic sector of the nation, which is also equally important for an independent and strong country.
What are Totalitarianism Ideologies and Their Applications?
They have an ideology to control society as they consider it as corrupt, and the person has no freedom. Totalitarianism ideology was to gather the entire authority power of the nation.
They tend to control the life of the citizen as well as overall the sectors of the governmental bodies.
They were mostly dependent on governmental and military power for their ruling. This was also a dictatorship form of government.
There are very strict rules for the citizens. Some parts of Europe still have this form of government.
They do not have any urge to spread their boundaries across. But the citizens are bound to follow the rules and regulations of the government.
For them, the state is the most important factor, and the lives of the people are considered negligible. The observation of the common people’s life was also considered the nationalist work by the government.
There are restrictions in every set of life of citizens. Starting from the hairstyles of the people to the clothes to the TV channels of the country, everything is fixed
there the people can choose only between the options given by the government.
They have an ideology that everything should be within the state and only for the state.
Main Differences Between Fascism and Totalitarianism Ideologies and Their Applications
- Fascism mostly focuses on the nation or society and considers the individual interest as less important than the nation. In contrast to that, totalitarianism has an ideology to control the society as they consider it as corrupt and the person has no freedom.
- Fascism mostly depends on their secret police forces. On the other hand, totalitarianism depends on the government and military power for the ruling.
- Fascism has executive power; on the other hand, totalitarianism has full authority power.
- Military planning was more important for the fascist regime, but in comparison to that, military as well as economic planning was equally important for totalitarianism.
- Fascism has an ideology to spread its boundaries across, but in contrast to that, totalitarianism does not have any ideology to spread its provinces.
- https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=iwK_OXwxt-EC&oi=fnd&pg=PR11&dq=fascism&ots=v4InEBEsKg&sig=PyMAotDoS4XJeFPJ7yIn7L_tj4I
- https://muse.jhu.edu/book/13363
Last Updated : 13 July, 2023
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Emma Smith holds an MA degree in English from Irvine Valley College. She has been a Journalist since 2002, writing articles on the English language, Sports, and Law. Read more about me on her bio page.
The article’s explanation of fascism and totalitarianism is clear. Including how these ideologies came to be and the shared aspects provide a comprehensive understanding of these political systems.
The post provides a clear and comprehensive analysis of the differences between fascism and totalitarianism. The discussion on the similarities and differences is well-structured.
The article gives an informative explanation of fascism and totalitarianism. The use of specific examples helps readers understand the differences between the two ideologies.
Hilarious! This certainly explains the differences between fascism and totalitarianism and how each ideology has informed political and social movements.
The post provides an interesting comparison between fascism and totalitarianism, two authoritarian ideologies. I agree with the nuances highlighted within each ideology and appreciate the focus on the differences between them.
I’m thankful for the clear comparison between the two ideologies. I would also like to know the consequences of these theories on the society.
Yes, the post could have discussed the consequences of the ideologies on society.
How about discussing the impact on culture and arts under these two ideologies?
The post is truly informative. However, I would like to know what the post author thinks of these issues.
The perspective presented seems limited to European examples of these ideologies. It could be interesting to include examples from other regions of the world.
The post has offered a deep insight into these two ideologies. I’d like to know the author’s recommendations for the current time.
The post has shown a holistic view of the two. I would like to have examples from other time periods as well.
Interesting article. I didn’t know the differences of these authoritarian ideologies. It is always good to understand history to prevent these ideologies from gaining power in the present.
The response has presented a thorough comparison between fascism and totalitarianism. The discussion of the consequences of each ideology on the society would be a valuable addition.