Biopolitics as a form of terror in totalitarian regimes of the 20th century – III Reich, USSR, PRC

Abstract

Totalitarian regimes based their actions on biopolitical practices. The merging of natural sciences with politics and its allocation to ideology lead to the biggest humanitarian catastrophe in history. It is estimated that in the 20th century because of totalitarian regimes, over 100 million people lost their lives. The transformation of man to “bare life” was an ideal justification for that type of practice. The article tackles the problem of dangers arising from the process of politicization of life through the analysis of actions cultivated in the Third Reich, USSR and PRC under Mao Zedong. The goal of this article is to compare the biopolitical activities of those regimes and show their similarities. Analyzing those dangerous processes makes it possible to effectively reflect on prevention methods.