Totalitarianism

Totalitarianism

Totalitarianism is the extreme form of authoritarianism where the federal government in place prohibits opposition parties, exercises excessive regulation over both public and private life, and limits distinct hostility to the state and its claims. Different governments operate differently with an am of achieving their set objectives or to serve the general public without much resistance.

In most cases, totalitarianism is exercised in situations where the government has much interference from the opposition, making it not to perform its legal duties. In the 1950s, Mao Zedong of the Communist Party of China governed the People’s Republic of China. Mao exercised totalitarianism in his era to focus on the development of the country. This paper discussed the elements, revolutionary stages, characteristics, and the development of the totalitarianism regime in China under Chairman Mao.

Elements of Totalitarianism

Mao’s leadership was accountable for most of the political inventiveness that changed China into a better country. Mao made some reforms in the country that included land reforms, distribution of medical services, and collectivization of agriculture. Mao used to lead Chinese people to what he believed that would reform oppressions and sensitivity of interests of the oppressed. His leadership skills were not to be doubted by any individual as he did what he believed in. Mao’s ideology was to realize a socialist revolution in the agricultural and industrial sectors of the country. Mao was driven by the term “people’s war,” meaning that China was free, and people needed to be free to conduct their activities. Mao’s organization of work can be well explained by his philosophy, which stated that the “revolutionary struggle of the vast majority of people against the exploitation classes and their state structures”. The statement indicates that Mao focused on freeing people and seeing that China can stand on their own.

Mass propaganda techniques were being applied under Mao’s regime by using mass campaigns to legitimize the state and the policies of leaders. The campaigns ensured that people adapted to the needs of the country by influencing the rural and illiterate populations to work and develop the economy like the Rectification Movement that was used in 1942. Violent people in Mao’s regime were dealt with by instilling discipline in them and placing them in correctional facilities to correct their behaviors. Most people lost their lives during Mao’s regime because they were not spared for acting against the government. Mao was focused on eliminating all threats to power before spending time on stabilizing the economy.

A successful revolution requires certain elements that include mass frustrations that result in local uprisings. People become disconnected and protests and rebels against the authority to lift or implement specific changes in the sectors that affect them. The educated and wealthy citizens are also made to take actions against the government for it to realize that it is right to implement the recommended changes. For people to participate in demonstrations, some dissatisfactions like financial crisis, economic instability, peasant rebellions, or defeat at war. After the whole region is in a crisis of demonstrations, the government is paralyzed of its administrative duties and powers, enabling people to choose leaders who can represent them in the best way possible.

Stages of Totalitarianism

Totalitarianism has three stages that are the pre-power stage, the exercise of state power, and the total domination stage. The pre-power stage is the stage where a movement recruits adhere and sustains their loyalty to the course in pursuing their goal for the majority of people. The movement can either use strength or success to assume office and start serving people. The exercising of the power stage is where the movement in government exercises its power on the people towards growing and developing the country economically. The government puts measures to reduce resistance and offer solutions for all economic problems. The total domination stage enables the acting government to work and apply their measures without many difficulties since the opposition has no power. The government dictates what is to be done and the rules to be followed, failure to which actions are taken.

Characteristics of Totalitarianism

Characteristics of totalitarianism include lack of democracy, absolute control over the economy, extensive political repression, widespread personality cultism, mass surveillance, restriction of speech, and total control of the military. Mao’s leadership was characterized by a one-party dictatorship that exercised full control over all public properties and private practitioners in the country. Violence to the public, leashing, and muzzling of the media platforms was conducted with extreme ruthlessness. Among the world dictators, Mao is the only leader who is remembered for his actions since they helped in transforming the lives of the country. Oppression was reduced, and people began focusing on their daily lives in economic activities.

After Mao achieved economic development and stabilization of China’s economy, he started delegating duties to other leaders in China. His era was ending, and the succeeding governments continued with measures to ensure benefits to the people from the political systems. Chinese people are still struggling to let things go about the deaths of their countrymen. To top it up, most people in the country consider Mao is a hero who changed China from a semi-colony into a self-governing and influential nation. During his reign, people were poor, and the economy was not doing so well since he majored in streamlining the societies, but China was a geopolitical center of the world during the period.

In conclusion, the above-discussed elements, revolutionary stages, characteristics, and the development of the totalitarianism regime in China under Chairman Mao signifies the political situation of the Chinese economy during that time. China has become one of the most significant economies in the world, having risen from dictatorship to free economies. Mao is still remembered for his achievements in the economy, and people will never forget the great work that he accomplished.