1984 By George Orwell: The Party Vs. Real World Totalitarian Regimes

In the dystopian novel 1984, written by George Orwell, a country known as Oceania is ruled by a totalitarian government known as the party. Totalitarian is defined as a central government that does not tolerate parties of differing opinions and that exercises dictatorial control over many aspects of life. The party that Orwell describes has many similar characteristics of real-world totalitarian regimes. Examples of these governments include: Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, North Korea, and China. The party and Nazi Germany have many similarities. Both Nazi Germany and the Party attempted to make the majority of the population hate a certain group of people. In 1984 the party did this using the Two Minutes Hate. The Two Minutes Hate was literally a time where citizens gathered just to bash their enemy at the time, whether it was Eurasia or Eastasia did not matter. Both governments also had some sort of secret police. In Germany the secret police were called the Gestapo, and in Oceania they were called the thought police. The actions of these police forces were similar as well, they both caught people who were opposing the parties, and in some cases even eliminated them. Finally, both governments wanted to gain as much power as possible. They both tried to gain power by trying to take over the other countries.

O’Brien directly said that, “The Party wants power entirely for its own sake. We are not interested in the good of others…”. This quote shows us the party’s true reason for wanting power. They don’t want power for the benefit of the people, the just want it for their selves. When inspected a little closer, you begin to see many parallels between Nazi Germany and the party. Another historical totalitarian government that shares similarities with the party is the Soviet Union. In 1984 members of the inner party have certain benefits. These benefits include luxury clothes and food, such as coffee, chocolate, real sugar, larger homes, and the ability to turn their telescreens all the way off. The most important people in the Soviet Union actually got their food for free, special stores to shop at, and personal limos. In the Soviet Union, Josef Stalin rewrote many books that didn’t align with his beliefs. This parallels with 1984 because the party has a whole ministry, which is ironically called the Ministry of Truth, dedicated to changing history. Orwell stated that, “Winston had worked more than ninety hours in five days. So had everyone else in the ministry”. The fact that everyone in the Ministry of Truth had to work ninety hours in five days shows us that the party would do whatever it takes to make sure there were no sources that were contrary to their beliefs, even if it takes away from the wellbeing of their own employees.

North Korea is a great example of a modern-day totalitarian regime. In 1984 the party controls the past through the Ministry of Truth, but did you know that the same thing happens in North Korea today? In North Korea, libraries are not allowed to have books that are more than fifteen years old. Every five years these books must be re-edited and reprinted. After they are reprinted, they often contain lies about food supplies, their economy, and the cruelty of western powers (Henderson). In North Korea and Oceania, there is rarely a moment where citizens have privacy. The party achieves this through telescreens, junior spies, and small microphones. North Korea says that they have a system of informants to keep tabs on other citizens. This system is made of multiple levels and rewards informants, monitors internet use, and even monitors the use of telephones. In 1984 every citizen is required to love Big Brother, if the party suspects that someone has rebellious thoughts, which is known as thought crime, they are captured and tortured in an attempt to “cure” them. After Winston was arrested and the torture began, Winston asked O’Brein why they were torturing him if they were just going to kill him anyways. O’Brein responded, “We are not content with negative obedience, nor even with the most abject submission. When finally you submit to us, It must be of your own free will”. This quote tell us that that the overall goal of the “curing” process is to make sure that every single citizen in Oceania absolutely loves big brother. While North Korea may not capture and torture citizens to make them love powerful political figures, everyone still must love their leader. For example, even though Kim Il-sung is dead, he is still called “Eternal President”.

In addition to North Korea, China also has a lot in common with Oceania. China attempts to control the past, just like the party in 1984, but instead of rewriting books and newspapers, China uses social media to take attention away from questions that go against their beliefs. Every year there are at least 488 million false updates posted on social media. Mass surveillance is a major technique in China, just as it is in 1984. In China, citizens are required to download an app on their phones that allows the government to monitor the photos and videos. China also has a facial recognition system that allows them to find people in large crowds. A reporter for BBC tested the system and it took the police only seven minutes to catch him. Chinese Police also stop pedestrians to randomly check their phones.

China and Oceania’s mass surveillance systems are eerily similar. In conclusion, the world described by Orwell in 1984 is very similar to both governments from history and governments today. Almost every totalitarian regime uses some sort of system to keep tabs on their citizens. They are also all power hungry, and will do anything possible to change history to align with their beliefs. Even though the party that Orwell described in 1984 is fictional, it has many similarities with totalitarian regimes from both history and present day.