Both Hitler and Stalin maintained everyday control over their citizens through various methods:
Hitler:
Propaganda: Hitler and the Nazi regime used extensive propaganda to manipulate public opinion, control information, and promote their ideology.
Secret Police: The Gestapo, Hitler's secret police, employed surveillance, interrogation, and terror to suppress opposition and maintain control.
Paramilitary Forces: The SS served as Hitler's paramilitary organization, enforcing loyalty and discipline through fear and violence.
Censorship: The Nazis tightly controlled media and cultural expression, censoring information deemed critical or contrary to their agenda.
Indoctrination: The Hitler Youth and other Nazi organizations indoctrinated German youth with Nazi ideology, ensuring loyalty to the regime.
Stalin:
Secret Police: Stalin's secret police, the NKVD, later known as the KGB, employed surveillance, mass arrests, and forced labor camps (Gulags) to suppress dissent and maintain control.
Propaganda and State-Controlled Media: Stalin controlled the media, spreading propaganda to shape public opinion and glorify himself as a leader.
Purges and Show Trials: Stalin conducted purges within the Communist Party, targeting perceived enemies and conducting highly publicized show trials to instill fear and maintain obedience.
Collectivization and Forced Labor: Stalin implemented collectivization of agriculture, forcing peasants into state-controlled farms, and used forced labor to drive industrialization.
Cult of Personality: Stalin promoted a cult of personality, portraying himself as a benevolent leader and using his image to maintain loyalty and obedience.
Both Hitler and Stalin relied on a combination of propaganda, secret police, repression, and indoctrination to control their citizens, albeit with some differences in emphasis and methods.