Although Hitler and Stalin espoused very different doctrinal ideas on paper, when it came to governing they both established totalitarian states—using centralized power, personality cults, propaganda, secret police, state terror, and strict control over all aspects of life. These practical methods of rule were remarkably similar, revealing that in practice their ideologies converged on the same authoritarian, all-encompassing model of government:

• Totalitarian Centralization of Power

Both leaders built regimes in which nearly all political, social, and economic life was controlled by the state. They dismantled independent institutions and eliminated any rival power centers to secure absolute authority.

• Cult of Personality

Each dictator cultivated an almost mythic image of himself. They used mass rallies, portraits, and state media to promote themselves as the sole guarantors of national destiny, ensuring that loyalty was directed as much toward their personal leadership as to the state ideology.

• Extensive Propaganda and Censorship

Both regimes employed state-controlled media to disseminate a single, unchallengeable narrative. They rewrote history, tightly controlled information, and censored any dissenting views to shape public opinion and legitimize their rule.

• Use of Terror and Repressive Apparatus

State terror was central to both systems. Hitler’s Gestapo, SS, and concentration camps, and Stalin’s NKVD and the apparatus of purges (including the Great Purge) were used systematically to arrest, intimidate, and eliminate real or perceived opponents.

• Suppression of Political Dissent and One-Party Rule

Any form of political pluralism was forbidden. Both dictators maintained a single-party system where all opposition—whether political, social, or intellectual—was ruthlessly repressed, ensuring that no alternative voices could emerge.

• State Control Over the Economy

While differing in economic theory (fascism versus Marxist–Leninism), both regimes intervened heavily in economic affairs. They directed resources for rapid industrial and military buildup and centralized economic planning to serve their expansionist and militaristic goals.

• Indoctrination Through Education and Mass Organizations

Both governments restructured education and youth organizations to indoctrinate citizens. Textbooks, youth groups, and public ceremonies were used to instill loyalty to the regime and to reinforce the state’s ideological messages.

• Militarization and Expansionist Policies

Each regime mobilized society for war. Although Hitler’s expansionism was explicitly racial and territorially aggressive, Stalin also pushed militarization and used aggressive policies (for example, in Eastern Europe) to secure the regime’s borders and project power.