Totalitarianism

Less than a century old, the concept of totalitarianism is one of the most controversial in political theory, with some proposing to abandon it altogether. In this accessible, wide-ranging introduction, David Roberts addresses the grounds for skepticism and shows that appropriately recast—as an aspiration and direction, rather than a system of domination—totalitarianism is essential for understanding the modern political universe. <br /> <br />Surveying the career of the concept from the 1920s to today, Roberts shows how it might better be applied to the three «„classic“» regimes of Fascist Italy, Nazi Germany, and the Stalinist Soviet Union. Extending totalit…