Similarities Between Stalin And Hitler

Stalin and Hitler: Similarities and Differences

Stalin and Hitler emerged when political and economic instability had crippled the USSR and Germany in the 1920s. They began making improvements which encouraged their people to believe that prosperity awaited them. This notion was unfortunately a delusion as both figures would eventually rule by decree. Despite treading on different paths of dictatorship, both figures still find some commonalities.

Two prominent differences would certainly come to mind when distinguishing Stalin and Hitler. The first notable difference lies in the fact that both men had reigned over different territories. Stalin was the dictator of the USSR whereas Hitler was the ‘Führer’, leader in other words, of Nazi Germany
Firstly, both political figures had opposing perceptions on the role of women. Stalin considered women as men’s equal and thus restricted the practicing of gender discrimination in the USSR (Trueman, 2015b). Hitler, on the other hand, perceived women as men’s inferior whose sole duty was to conceive several children (Waugh, 2001). Secondly, both men had conflicting insights concerning racism. Stalin would refrain himself from coining any racist remark when delivering speeches (Waugh, 2001). Such caution could be enumerated by the fact that Stalin was a communist, which consequently resulted in him having to abide by the rubric of promoting equality (Waugh, 2001). Hitler was however very critical when referring to Non-Aryan residents, especially the Jews (McAleavy, 2002). His claim that the Jews were solely responsible for all German setbacks could be used to emphasize how much he resented the Jews (McAleavy,
Firstly, Communism existed in the USSR before Joseph Stalin came to power (McAleavy, 2002). The USSR consequently became a one party state and Stalin’s opposition would thus come from his own political party (Waugh, 2001). Hitler, in contrast, faced stiff competition from different political parties during the 1920s (Waugh, 2001). The Great Depression and President Hindenburg’s complacency would consequently provide Hitler with a breakthrough (Waugh, 2001). The consolidation of power was complete when Hitler received sufficient national backing to pass the Enabling Act (Trueman, 2015a). This gave him the authority to dissolve all rival political parties (Trueman, 2015a). Secondly, the affluent in Nazi Germany could manipulate political reforms for their role in providing Hitler with finance (Waugh, 2001). Stalin on the other hand had no such obligations as communism ensured that all resources and decision-making was controlled by the government (Waugh, 2001). Finally, Stalin preferred being addressed as ‘Uncle Joe’, as he believes that this title promotes the brotherhood shared by communists, whereas Hitler tends to get flattered when addressed as ‘Führer’ (Waugh,