Non-compliance, Indifference and Resistance in Regimes of Mass Dictatorship

Abstract

Mass dictatorship—surprising as it may sound—should be seen as a collective enterprise. Despite the commanding position of the dictator—an individual usually marked out as being in some way personally unique—the masses have a fundamental role to play. The cheering crowds and people-packed squares are not simple choreography as they might seem, not just colourful extras to a ruthless will to power on the part of the dictator, but constitute an integral part of the dictatorial whole; without them the dictator stands alone—and the mass dictator cannot stand alone. The people are supposed to be “one with their leader” when it comes to crucial decisions and they are required to express their support in a visible and often vocal manner. The demonstrable consensus of the masses, whether real or apparent consensus, is a key feature of mass dictatorships. It is sufficient to watch newsreels of Hitler at Nuremberg, of Mussolini in Piazza Venezia, of Stalin in Red Square or—nearer to our times—of Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang’s Kim Il Sung Square to appreciate this connection. The intended demonstration of a link between the leader and the led is evident, the role of popular acclamation obvious. It is for this reason that mass dictatorships differ from more simple authoritarian dictatorships, where repression rather than consensus is the dominating characteristic.