To what extent were Italy, Germany, and the Soviet Union in the 1930s totalitarian regimes?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

The ideal answer should include:
a. Totalitarianism refers to the comprehensive control that the state holds over the political system, the economy, culture, and society.
b. In all three countries, there was one party headed by one person that controlled the government: Mussolini in Italy, Hitler in Germany, and Stalin in the Soviet Union.
c. State control of the economy was the strongest in the Soviet Union, as evidenced in the Five-Year Plans.
d. In all three countries, the state made its ideology (Fascism, Nazism, Communism) the basis of all cultural production.
e. The films directed by Leni Riefenstahl exemplify the state’s control of culture.
f. The state controlled people’s social interactions by placing them in state-run organizations (e.g., Hitler Youth, collectives).
g. The Soviet Union and Germany were strong totalitarian states; Mussolini’s control of Italy never matched that of Hitler and Stalin over their respective countries.