The Origins of Totalitarianism

Lore & Background

The work is structured as three linked essays: “Antisemitism,” “Imperialism,” and “Totalitarianism.” It first examines the rise of antisemitism across Europe in the early-to-mid nineteenth century, focusing on the Dreyfus affair and the special role of European Jewry in supporting the nation-state after emancipation. Arendt argues that modern antisemitism grew as traditional nationalism declined, and that the fate of Jewry became tied to the nation-state system. The book then analyzes New Imperialism from 1884 to the start of the First World War, tracing how racism emerged as an ideology, particularly among the Boers during the Great Trek, and became an ideological weapon for imperialism. Arendt describes how excess capital in European nation-states required overseas investments, leading to political control abroad and the rise of continental imperialist movements such as pan-Germanism and pan-Slavism, which were hostile to the state and anti-parliamentarist. The final section addresses totalitarian movements themselves, focusing on Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. Arendt contends that totalitarianism is a novel form of government, differing from despotism, tyranny, or dictatorship, because it uses terror against entire populations, not just political opponents, and seeks to dominate human beings from within. She notes that Jewry was a convenient proxy, not the operative factor, in the Holocaust; totalitarianism in Germany was ultimately about terror and consistency. A key concept is “Radical Evil,” applied to those who created such tyranny and viewed victims as “superfluous people.” Arendt distinguishes Italian fascism as nationalist authoritarian, while Nazism and Stalinism were totalitarian, aiming to remove all limits on power. She observes that totalitarian movements depend on sheer numbers, making them seemingly impossible in countries with small populations. The book describes the transformation of classes into masses, the role of propaganda, and the essential use of terror, concluding that totalitarian regimes strive to control every aspect of life as a step toward global domination, unlike autocratic regimes that seek only absolute political power.

Reader's Guide

The Origins of Totalitarianism is significant for its argument that totalitarianism is a fundamentally new form of government, using terror against entire populations rather than just political opponents, and for its application of Kant's phrase 'Radical Evil' to the perpetrators. Arendt contends that totalitarianism in Germany was ultimately about terror and consistency, not solely the eradication of Jews. The work has been widely influential, placed on lists of the best books of the 20th century by Le Monde and the National Review, though it has also attracted criticism, notably from Bernard Wasserstein regarding Arendt's use of antisemitic sources.

Did You Know?

• Arendt argues that totalitarianism differs essentially from despotism, tyranny, and dictatorship because terror is used against entire populations.
• The book applies Kant's phrase 'Radical Evil' to the men who created and carried out totalitarian tyranny.