© 2025 Michigan State University Board of Trustees
Public Media from Michigan State University
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

What sparked Hannah Arendt's ideas behind "The Origins of Totalitarianism"

Season 39 Episode 5 | 2m 50s

Adolf Hitler projected his own narrative into his campaign speeches, giving his followers a coherent story that the Nazi movement was winning, even when they weren’t. Hannah Arendt began to come up with ideas for “The Origins of Totalitarianism” while observing what Hitler provided his followers: “The Nazis translated the propaganda lies of the movement into a functioning reality.”

Support for American Masters is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, AARP, Rosalind P. Walter Foundation, Judith and Burton Resnick, Blanche and Hayward Cirker Charitable Lead Annuity Trust, Koo and Patricia Yuen, Lillian Goldman Programming Endowment, Seton J. Melvin, Thea Petschek Iervolino Foundation, Anita and Jay Kaufman, The Philip and Janice Levin Foundation, Kate W. Cassidy Foundation, The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, The Ambrose Monell Foundation, Ellen and James S. Marcus, The Charina Endowment Fund, The Marc Haas Foundation and public television viewers.
Extras
Discover Hannah Arendt, one of the most fearless political writers of modern times.
Hannah Arendt came up with the concept of “the banality of evil” during the trial of Adolf Eichmann.
Hannah Arendt became a stateless person in 1933 upon fleeing Germany to France.
Hannah Arendt was teaching at Berkeley when McCarthyism took hold of the United States.
Trace the life and music of “Society’s Child” folk icon and LGBTQ+ advocate Janis Ian.
Musician Tunde Adebimpe on his creative process behind his solo album debut.
Photographer Gioncarlo Valentine documents intimacy as a radical act of self-exploration.
Janis Ian was inspired to write “Society’s Child” after observing an interracial couple on her bus.
Janis Ian wrote “Some People’s Lives” with songwriter Kye Fleming.
Janis Ian’s song “At Seventeen” spoke to audiences of all kinds and had a universal relevance.