Browse Hierarchy HST5009U: Totalitarianism: Authoritarian Politics in History and Theory, 1920 to the Present

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How did the twentieth century become the 'age of extremes'? This module introduces you to the history and theory of authoritarian politics from 1920 to the present. Beginning in the aftermath of WWI, we look at the birth of Italian fascism, Stalinism and Nazism, exploring how they functioned, why they unleashed catastrophic violence, and how they were understood as a new kind of 'totalitarian' politics. The course traces this contested concept of 'totalitarianism' through WWII, the Cold War and decolonisation before turning to the 'War on Terror' and contemporary fears of techno-authoritarianism. The module blends intellectual history with political and cultural history. You will read classic texts alongside recent scholarship, connecting primary sources - from propaganda to diaries - with historiographical and theoretical debates. In doing so you will engage with themes such as power and ideology, racism and empire, and terror and resistance.

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