In terms of discussing the Soviet experience, totalitarianism is a term often found in academic journals and articles. However, is it possible to apply this term to the entire leadership of the Soviet Union? In this essay I will discuss the concept of totalitarianism and where in Soviet history it is applicable. Totalitarianism is defined as the political concept in which a citizen is totally subject to absolute state authority; To further explain this, I will use Friedrich and Brzezinski's six criteria of a totalitarian regime. Besides that, since totalitarianism is often applied to the Stalin era (1924-1953), I will also discuss whether the concept of totalitarianism can be applied to the Soviet Union under Lenin (1917-1924), Khrushchev (1953-1964), and Gorbachev (1985-1991). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Friedrich and Brzezinski (1965: 22) argue that there are six defining characteristics of a totalitarian regime: a singular guiding ideology; a single mass party led by an omnipotent figure; a system of terror (e.g. secret police and terrorist regimes); the monopoly on armed forces and weapons; the monopoly of communication within and around the state; and direct control of the economy through the government or any other channel. Kohn (2002: 621) implies that Arendt, a political theorist who developed further ideas of totalitarianism, was “aware that her concept of totalitarianism could only acquire full meaning after the regimes she described had come to an end.” Therefore, while the concept of totalitarianism will vary in usefulness, it is worth remembering that Arendt's work and her theories will be useful for many years. Lenin's leadership of the Soviet Union began in 1917 after the Russian Revolution and ended after his death in 1924. Although Stalinist Russia was famously dubbed a key example of a totalitarian state, Leninism was considered "the ideological foundation" of totalitarianism (McFaul & Markov, 1993: 310). Lenin's leadership actually falls to some extent within Friedrich and Brzezinski's criteria. Marxism and communism serve as the basic form of ideology, and through the Cheka, torture and murder were common. This was in order to reduce the formation of the opposition following the civil war. The Cheka also contributed to the monopolization of communications within the state, for example by banning strikes and limiting the freedom of popular culture. The little freedom that artists and authors had was given to reduce the chances of riots in Russia. However, although strikes and much popular culture were banned, Lenin's regime obviously experienced periods of frivolity, whether it was peasant revolts or someone owning a banned book. The economic policies within Lenin's system of war communism were incredibly totalitarian, due to the nationalization of much industry. by the Bolshevik government. The overall goal was to “abolish private trade” and “militarize work in essential industries” (Figes, 2014: 151). In doing so, he provided tight control over the Russian economy and workforce. However, Lenin soon moved away from the concept of totalitarianism with the NEP (New Economic Policy). The NEP troubled many as some citizens may have believed that Lenin was headed towards capitalism. Since capitalism was seen as an enemy of the state due to its Western connotations, Lenin introduced the NEP to avoid an economic disaster (Figes, 2014: 151). The NEP liberated the peasants slightly,allowing them to sell excess inventory. This then encouraged peasants, farmers and small businesses to build up a sizable food supply to reduce the famine plaguing Russia at the time. While this was statistically successful, totalitarianism is not all that useful in explaining the Soviet experience and Lenin's regime. Conversely, one could theorize that totalitarianism is also useful in another way; it offers people stable jobs and at least a minimum wage, regardless of the difficulty of their work. Totalitarianism is often attributed to Stalin's regime, primarily due to the substantial power he held as a leader. The concept can be applied almost entirely to Stalin's leadership as there is evidence to support all six of Friedrich and Brzezinski's criteria. After Lenin's death in 1924, Stalin began to assert his desire for power and soon rose through the ranks. For scholars focused on the totalitarian model, the Great Purges of 1937-1938 represent the prime example of a system of terror with a totalitarian regime. The purges allowed Stalin to maintain control of the Soviet Union and eliminate political opponents; everyone was vulnerable and citizens lived in fear of being sent to the gulags. This helped Stalin form a totalitarian regime. In addition to being an actor in the creation of terror, the NKVD (a form of secret police) also denounced those who participated in suspicious activities and regulated forms of censorship and communication. The Russian state has infiltrated everywhere; from the common peasant to high-ranking members of the Communist Party (Kenez, 2006: 109). An interesting addition to the totalitarian regime that developed under Stalin is the creation of the “cult of personality”. To present Stalin in a positive light, images of Russian history were changed to portray Stalin as a Russian hero and citizens would have images of their leader around their homes (Figes, 2014: 334). However, "during the Terror, Stalin had to scale back his totalitarian goals" (Service 2014: 235). Under Stalin, economic and industrial monopolization was widespread. Traditional farmers were accustomed to small farms and often threatened to withhold grain from the state if they were forced to conform to communist standards (Figes, 2014: 209). However, when collectivisation was implemented from 1928 to 1940, “army and police units” were used to force “60 million people in 100,000 villages” to organize a collective (Figes, 2014: 210): any resistance meant abuse , arrest or being transferred to a gulag. The intensity of violence used in the early period of Stalin's regime highlights the concept of totalitarianism and is extremely useful in explaining the Soviet experience under Stalin. World War II devastated the Soviet Union and its economy, but strengthened Stalin's totalitarian control; the war provided information on the “distribution of loyalty” within the state and allowed it to “better manage its enemies”. Service (2015: 235) argued that “the state has not only monopolized the tools of coercion but has also dominated the mass media,” implying little or no challenge to the criteria of single ideology. However, Stalin still struggled to avoid dissidence. After the establishment of collectivization, a peasant revolt broke out in 1929 in which crops were burned and livestock slaughtered. Disease was rampant and in 1932 “millions of peasants fled collective farms” (Figes, 2014: 216). The influx of peasants into the large cities caused a worsening of famine and disease, accentuating the terrible situation experienced by the kulaks. Repression.