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ABSTRACT: Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin have both been the subjects of significant research. However, virtually no attempts have been made to compare and contrast them in light of recently developing social scientific notions of authoritarianism and authoritarian personalities. We begin with a short overview of these different theories of authoritarianism. Then, we analyze the lives of Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin, using these theories to analyze their relevant characteristics and policies. We do not enter into the debate about which theory of the authoritarian personality is superior, but merely seek to use important insights from each of these concepts to better understand our two subjects. Our paper investigates their family background, social class, religious faith, education, and their relationships with peers, women, and children. In each of these we find evidence, to varying degrees, of the sources and manifestations of the authoritarianism that would come to define their legacies.
This is Part I of a two-part series on Hitler and Stalin. In Part H, which will appear in the next issue of The Journal of Psychohistory, we will discuss the leaders' rise to power, writings, economic policies, commonalities, differences, and legacies.
INTRODUCTION
Many articles and books have been written about both Adolf Hitler, the charismatic Führer of Nazi Germany (1933-1945), and Joseph Stalin, the General Secretary of the Soviet Union's Communist Party (1927-1953). However, very few scholars have systematically compared these two infamous tyrants in light of recent developments in social science theories of authoritarianism and authoritarian personalities. This paucity is surprising for two main reasons, primarily because of the colossal impact these leaders had on the first half of the twentieth century, but also because they are often viewed as the quintessential authoritarian archetypes.
Several scholars consider these two leaders totalitarian as well. As described by Carl Friedrich and Zbigniew Brzeziński, totalitarianism is essen- tially defined as a state run by a cruel and absolute autocrat. Defining features of totalitarianism include single party dominance, state terrorism, a government-regulated economy, the mass mobilization of the populace, monopolies over weapons and communications systems, and most importantly, an overarching ideology that is pertinent to historical, economic, political, and social processes.1 However, for the purpose of this paper, their authoritarian traits will be the focus. In...