Comparison of Nazism and Stalinism
Encyclopedia
The comparison of Nazism and Stalinism has been a topic of much academic study and debate, which has provoked some political controversy, and led to the historians' dispute
within Germany. The comparison between the two regimes is driven by the facts that both regimes were seen as more alike than not by many Western contemporaries, the pivotal role played by the two regimes in shaping European history and the start of World War II
, that the two regimes have been accused of being the most murderous in history, with only Pol Pot
being comparable, and finally the claim that some form of comparison of Nazi and Soviet rule is necessary to understand the histories of East European
nations.availability of archival materials subsequent to the fall of the Soviet Union has stimulated scholarship comparing Nazism and Stalinism. The regimes are claimed to have shared attributes such as engaging in large-scale killings, the use of concentration camps, one party rule and the use of secret police in the system of political power.
Historikerstreit
The Historikerstreit was an intellectual and political controversy in late 20th-century West Germany about the historical interpretation of the Holocaust. The German word Streit translates variously as "quarrel", "dispute", or "conflict"...
within Germany. The comparison between the two regimes is driven by the facts that both regimes were seen as more alike than not by many Western contemporaries, the pivotal role played by the two regimes in shaping European history and the start of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, that the two regimes have been accused of being the most murderous in history, with only Pol Pot
Pol Pot
Saloth Sar , better known as Pol Pot, , was a Cambodian Maoist revolutionary who led the Khmer Rouge from 1963 until his death in 1998. From 1976 to 1979, he served as the Prime Minister of Democratic Kampuchea....
being comparable, and finally the claim that some form of comparison of Nazi and Soviet rule is necessary to understand the histories of East European
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
nations.availability of archival materials subsequent to the fall of the Soviet Union has stimulated scholarship comparing Nazism and Stalinism. The regimes are claimed to have shared attributes such as engaging in large-scale killings, the use of concentration camps, one party rule and the use of secret police in the system of political power.
See also
- Holocaust
- Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact
- Mass killings under Communist regimesMass killings under Communist regimesMass killings occurred under some Communist regimes during the twentieth century with an estimated death toll numbering between 85 and 100 million. Scholarship focuses on the causes of mass killings in single societies, though some claims of common causes for mass killings have been made...
- Communist crimes against humanity