The Origins of Totalitarianism

According to Arendt, antisemitism is an ideology which differs from the hatred of Jews by individuals. Antisemitism calls for the total eradication of Jews, and it was a centerpiece for totalitarian movements in the 20th century. Arendt suggests that antisemitism serves as a pre-history to totalitarianism and that totalitarian regimes and pan-movements used antisemitism as an ideological weapon to engage and mobilize the masses.

The body politic represents the organized group of citizens within a nation. Arendt speaks about the body politic regarding imperialism, which seeks to expand outward and conquer peoples while still maintaining the importance and prevalence of the body politic.

Bolshevism represents a revolutionary socialist totalitarian movement with ties to Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin. Arendt explores the history and functionality of bolshevism, as well as German Nazism, throughout The Origins of Totalitarianism.