POL 275 - Totalitarianism

Institution:

Washington and Lee University

Subject:

Politics

Description:

Totalitarian regimes aim to exert a totalizing control over their citizens, but they also demand active and enthusiastic participation from citizens, and expressions of belief in the regime’s driving ideology. In this course, we study regimes such as: Nazi Germany, Stalin’s USSR, Soviet satellites in Eastern Europe, Mao’s China, the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, North Korea, Khomeini’s Iran, and the Taliban’s Afghanistan. Studying totalitarian regimes helps us ask questions about the relationship between human nature and politics. While human history is littered with authoritarian and despotic regimes, political movements who oppress their followers in the name of elevating humanity are relatively recent phenomena. What is it about our modern understanding of life and purpose that makes such regimes and movements attractive to us? Zarakol

Credits:

4.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.wlu.edu/

Phone Number:

(540) 458-8400

Regional Accreditation:

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

The Course Profile information is provided and updated by third parties including the respective institutions. While the institutions are able to update their information at any time, the information is not independently validated, and no party associated with this website can accept responsibility for its accuracy.