1917- Europe’s first practical dictatorship in the form of the Bolshevik revolution in Russia liquidised the capitalist system in favour of a communist state.
1919- two years after the Russian revolution, Benito Mussolini founded the fascist party in Italy and started the establishment of his dictatorship in 1928-29.
1933- inspired by Mussolini and frightened by Russia’s revolution, Hitler created perhaps the most influential dictatorship in world politics, leading to World War Two.
The catalyst for these dictatorships? World War One.
The world and its rules were thrown into disarray with political extremism on the rise and desperation amongst the people growing. Taking advantage of the opportunity for change, dictators manipulated the people into supporting an authoritarian government.
Could coronavirus provide the same opportunity for extremists today? The world’s rules are up in the air and state intervention on our liberties have already been deemed ‘necessary’ and implemented globally.
Hungary has recently succumbed to totalitarian rule with PM Viktor Orbánof censoring the media and manipulating the pandemic to effectively establish an elective dictatorship, the first in the EU.
Although there haven’t been many overt signs of the potential for new dictatorships to form in Europe as of yet, a political scientist at the University of Georgia stated that authoritarian leaders whether in dictatorships or nominal democracies are “using the coronavirus crisis, like most crises, to strengthen their grip on power and weaken dissent and opposition." Even 15 years after WWI, Europe was still feeling the effects that indirectly lead to Hitler’s dictatorship. Could coronavirus produce the same effect?
Written by Coco Clelland
Artwork by Zara Masood
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