Characteristics of a Totalitarian Government Portrayed in...

Citizen Kane, released in 1941, is one of America’s greatest films. The film is widely considered a cautionary tale for the late 1930’s and the early 1940’s. The main character, Charles Foster Kane is portrayed as a character that is similar to the totalitarian dictators that came about during this time period, such as Adolf Hitler. Totalitarian dictatorships have the goals of creating unity among the masses and obtaining control over individuals and society. There are three key characteristics of totalitarian governments that are portrayed in the film Citizen Kane. This form of government uses propaganda to sway the opinion of the mass population, they gain power with the unity, support, and trust of the masses, and they try to†¦show more content†¦It shows that propaganda can be a successful tool in getting the people to think what the publisher wants them to think. Adolf Hitler used propaganda as a tool to unite the people under his rule and to s way the political beliefs of the masses in his favor. As Adolf Hitler began to gain power in Germany, propaganda was a key component of his political plan. Hitler believed that propaganda was the best way to unite the masses. He used propaganda in a different manner than Charles Foster Kane did in the film, but it had the same goal; to formulate the opinions of the people of Germany in his favor. Hitler believed that the best use of propaganda was through simple slogans that specifically targeted the emotions of the middle and lower classes. The main emotion that was targeted by Hitler and the Nazi party was terror. â€Å"Many Germans, seduced by Nazi propaganda, accepted terror as a legitimate weapon against subversives and racial defilers who threatened the new Germany† (Perry 445). As seen with the people of Germany during the 1930’s and 1940’s, propaganda can easily sway the beliefs of the people. While Hitler believed that propaganda was the key to uniting the masses, it was not through written sources that he believed the key lied to reach unity, it was through speeches. This is also seen in Citizen Kane. The character of Charles Foster Kane is portrayed as being an advocate for the people of lower