Authoritarian regimes, autocratic, communism, fascism

• Authoritarian regime - Where power is vested in a person, a class, a group, NOT in the people (encompasses any government)
• Elections that take place in authoritarian regimes will always favor the governing power, they hold sham elections
• Authoritarian regimes take the appearance of democracies but exercise oppressive, brutal control
• example of an authoritarian regime is Belarus
• To determine if a regime is authoritarian or not, we consider whether those who govern take the will and interests of citizens into account, if they are or aren't accountable to the people
• In an authoritarian regime, there is one dominant party
• Freedom of speech is limited
• Ruling elite are not accountable to the public
• protests are banned
• Free press is limited, the absence of free press
• Other parties cannot enter elections
• levers of government are controlled by the party, compliance through force, propaganda is multi-channel
• Totalitarianism; power in an authoritarian regime is based on ideological control exerted over the public
• In a totalitarian regime, civil liberties and the ability of citizens to participate in decision-making are very limited/absent
• totalitarianism is the extreme form of authoritarianism
• The difference between an authoritarian regime and a totalitarian regime is

  • Authoritarian - Societies are governed by the elite with considerable power
  • Totalitarian - power exerted over every aspect of civil life
• autocratic ideologies

  • Nazism
  • Theocracy
  • Military Junta/Praetorianism
  • Oligarchy
• Nazism:

  • Variant of Fascism, Totalitarian ideology, Mixed extreme nationalism with racism
  • Military expansion, ‘Nazi’ derives from
  • National Socialist German Workers’ Party
• • Nazi Party; Party of Adolf Hitler
  • Elected as Chancellor of Germany, 1933
  • Once in power, Nazis governed as one party, totalitarian state
  • Nazi ideology: Illiberal
  • Anti-Semitic
  • Anti-Marxist
  • Stridently Nationalistic
• • Key element of Hitler’s Nazism; Unite Germanic People
  • Single Empire/Reich
  • ‘Lebensraum’
  • First move
  • Annexation of Austria
  • Acquisition of Sudetenland (parts of Czechoslovakia)
  • Military conquest of Poland
• • Modern day Nazism
  • Referred to as Neo-Nazism
  • Not specifically associated with Germany
  • Ideology of white supremacy
  • Military elements
  • Lacks coherent philosophy
  • Nazism as a viable regime
  • Died with Hitler
  • Cult of personality
• • Theocracy
  • Rule by God
  • Either directly
  • Or by earthly representation
  • In the form of clerics
  • Not the same as a state religion
  • Which works alongside political rule
  • Power to govern
  • Derived from God
• • Whoever governs
  • Conduit for God’s laws
  • Sometimes, same hierarchy
  • Administers religious and political affairs
  • If two systems
  • Secular subservient to religious
  • Several historical examples
• • Origin; Term Theocracy
  • Based upon
  • Josephus
  • 38-100 AD
  • Ancient Hebrew Constitution
  • God’s laws handed to Moses
  • Carved on tablets of stone
  • Blend of the secular and sacred
• Theocracy;

  • Israelites
  • Mosaic Law
  • Renaissance Popes
  • Vicar of Christ/Secular Power
  • Papal States
  • Divine Right of Kings
  • Answerable only to God
  • Chinese Emperors
• Theocracy most common in the middle east and Vatican
• • Praetorianism
  • Refers to military rule or a strong military influence over politics
  • Praetorian Guard of the Roman Empire
  • Soldiers in charge of:
  • Protecting political leaders
  • Over time, guard became powerful
  • Assassinating emperors (e.g. Caligula)
  • Elevating others to power
• Military junta

  • In a contemporary context
  • Armed forces are politicized
  • Political arbiters
  • Or assuming full control of the political system
  • Military leaders consider themselves
  • More able than civilians
  • In both military and political matters
• Military junta

  • Phenomenon associated with:-
  • Weak elite commitment to democracy

  1. Fragile political institutions
  2. Ideological polarization
  3. Strong ties of elite to military leadership
  4. Sense of military’s legitimacy

  • Military’s dominant role becomes entrenched
  • Central Political Actor
• Military Junta

  • Military rule
  • Most evident in Global South
  • Sub-Saharan Africa
  • South Asia
  • Military was strongest institution
  • At the time of independence
  • Continued to mediate
  • Civilian/political conflict
  • Well into post-independence era
• Oligarchy

  • Power rests with a small number of people
  • Also known as ‘plutocracy’
  • Selected from a small elite
  • Term introduced by Aristotle
  • Little power or freedom to most citizens
  • Elite control the economic/financial system
  • Plus key industries
• • Fascism is:-
  • Radical
  • Totalitarian
  • Nationalistic (loyalty and devotion to one’s nation)
  • Governing philosophy
  • Origins - Italy (Benito Mussolini)
  • Illiberal regime
  • Denies rights of the individual
  • Expects citizens to function together
  • Corporate fashion - for the glory of the state
• • Fascism is defined as much by what it opposes
  • Anti-modern
  • Anti-rationality
  • Anti-democratic
  • Anti-communist
  • Fascism is also militaristic (supports the idea of strong armed forces)
  • Supports an imperialistic, expansionist foreign policy
• • Military symbolism
  • Means of highlighting
  • Importance and power of state
  • Common theme of Fascist government
  • Source of the name
  • Fasces
  • Roman symbol
  • Bundle of wooden sticks, with axe blade
• • Symbol was adopted
  • Recalled the glory and power
  • Of Ancient Rome
  • Similarity between Fasces
  • And Italian word for group/bundle - Fascio
  • Emphasizes notion of power, strength in unity
  • Mussolini supporters - Blackshirts
• • Born in 1883
  • Father - Blacksmith, Socialist, Proud Nationalist
  • Early 20s - Mussolini, active socialist
  • Editor of Socialist newspaper
  • WW1 - Decisive
  • Mussolini - supporter of the war
  • Opportunity for Italian influence
  • Socialist Party - Anti-intervention
  • Mussolini expelled - 1914
• • During WWI
  • Mussolini denounced Socialism
  • Failed Italy
  • 1919 - Formed Fasci Italiani di Combattimento
  • Italian Combat Squad
  • Mussolini’s Fascism
  • Powerful nationalist message
  • Corporate ‘third-way’ economic policies
• • 1922, with support of King
  • Mussolini’s National Fascist Party seized control
  • Once in power:-
  • Mussolini used propaganda, violent coercion
  • Banning opposition parties
  • Establishing dictatorship
  • Despite brutality
  • Mussolini was popular
  • Widely supported, programme of public works
• • Uneasy relationship
  • Mussolini and Hitler
  • Nazi brand of fascism
  • Did not appeal to Mussolini
  • E.G. - Anti-Semitism, Eugenics
  • Alliance with Nazi Germany
  • Pragmatic and Opportunistic
  • Believed Hitler would win the war
  • Advance cause of Italian Empire
• • 1943
  • Axis powers losing WW2
  • July - Mussolini forced from office
  • Deeply unpopular at home
  • Arrested
  • Island of Ponza
  • Was later rescued (by the Nazis)
  • Used as a figurehead in new puppet Fascist Regime (Salo Republic)
  • Captured in 1945 by Communist Partisans
  • Executed