Hitler and Castro are two excellent example of dictator. Hitler was single party leader during 1933~1945 in German, and he ended up his life with suicide. Another dictator Castro was also a single party leader in Cuba during 1959~2006. Their policies are deeply related to success of their regime, and especially internal policy is significant as it affect daily life of citizens. Hitler and Castro have their own domestic policies to maintain their government, and the essay will compare and contrast policy of those two leaders’. Their internal polices are divided into three main themes ; Political, social, and economical policies. This essay will only examine social aspects.
Hitler and Castro’s social policy was similar in education of youth, and youth group, but it was significantly different in treatment of woman and minority. Both leaders used education as an effective tool to ensure loyalty so their regime could be maintained. In case of Hitler, Nazi ideology permeated through every subjects especially in biology and history. During history class, school focused on teaching German’s history and how unfair Treaty of Versaile was. In biology class, they learned to measure other’s skull, so they could distinguish race between Jews and Aryan.
Additionally, teacher had one month training that Nazify them, as a result 97% of all teachers joined Nazis teacher association, so they are generally loyal to Nazi. Youth learned ideology without doubt, and some of them still believe Hitler was successful leader. Castro also put political contents in text book for school education. They taught detail about revolution of Castro and it was absolutely biased. Also book was politicized, and they had contents about ‘new man’ which were ideal man for Castro’s ideology. So, they believed that Castro’s revolution was fair, and they believed it is right to be ‘new man’ which Castro was aiming for. As we could see here, Castro and Hitler used education effectively to brainwash citizens to maintain their government.
Both leaders had youth organization that will be loyal to them, and those groups were trained militarily and politically. Hitler had Nazi youth organization for 6 to 18 years old German. In 1939, it became compulsory to join the group. Hitler’s ideology was imposed in youth group as well. Boy and girl had different role in youth group. Boy trained militarily, and girls were discouraged from working and from taking up higher education.
Castro created few youth group including ‘The union of pioneers in Cuba’(UPC) and ‘The society for patriotic Military education’. In the UPC, they devoted to community service and recreational activities, and they learned obedience, cooperation, punctuality, cleanliness and self-analysis. This group grew markedly during the 1960s. Also, 100,000 young men went through ‘the society for patriotic military education’ programme, which are aimed to reduce hostility towards the military through battlefield visits, parachuting and shooting. Both Hitler and Castro’s youth organization had function to train ‘military man’, and it also had function to train ideologically suitable man. However, those two leader’s policy weren’t same in every respect.
They held different views on woman, and they implemented policies in different ways. Hitler strongly believed that woman and man had separate roles in society, and they are meant to be different. There were three ‘Ks’ sum up Nazi perception of woman ; Kinder, Kuche, Kirche, which means children, cooking and church. Women were discouraged from working but they are encouraged to stay at home and look after their husband and children.
Women, who had over 5 children, received Motherhood awards and were respected and honored. Contrastingly, Castro believed that women deserve equal treatment. During Castro regime, women, like men, were entitled to education or rewarding employment. It could be seen by increasing number of female workforce from 17% in 1957 to 45% in 1979.
Especially, women comprised 66% of all teachers, 48% of all doctors, and 69% of dentists. Although, women were underrepresented in the ranks in government, their overall status improved significantly. As we could see here, Hitler and Castro treated women in different ways, and it effects in different ways. Castro was largely welcomed by woman who held 50% of votes.
Both leaders also had different view on minority. Hitler suppressed minorities such as Jews, disabled, gypsies. Sterilization law was passed, and it allowed Nazis to sterilize people with certain illness described as “simple mindedness” and “chronic alcoholism”; between 1934 and 1945 700,000 man and woman were compulsorily sterilized. Gypsies were not allowed to marry with German, and even worse, some gypsies were sent to concentration camps. Jews were the group mainly blamed by Hitler as he held “Anti-semitism” view point.
In 1933, there was one day boycott of Jews shop. Jews lost their jobs in education, law and media. By the 1935, Nuremburg was passed, and Jews officially lost German citizenship. It became harsh as day passed, and by 1942, most of jews were sent to death camps which most of them were not able to return with sound mind and body. However, Castro was against to racism. He called for an end to racial discrimination in the workplace and in cultural centers by 1959 – Add more details on this section. – he has policy for equal opportunity employement that requires businesses to hire people of colour. Check your three dictators book.
In 1970s, Cuba guaranteed entitlement of all citizens regardless of gender and ethnicity equal wages, education, healthcare, and merit hiring. As a result he Castro government maintained Afro-Cubans’ support. Hitler persecuted minority, but he didn’t lost major support, because their minority was just a minority in the German. Unlikely, in Cuba, population of Afro-Cuban and mulatto was increased at the fast rate, so he should not ignore them.
Also, it showed different leadership style. Hitler is more likely to dictator, but Castro was more likely to paternalistic leader. Both leaders had similar policy in education of youth and youth organization. It was important internal policy since youth are future of the regime and they are easily changed. That is why both leader politicized education, and create youth organization to protect their government.
However, Castro and Hitler held different views in woman and minority. Hitler ignored right of weakness, and he was extremely traditionalist who believed woman has their own role. However, Castro was more progressed leader who believed Woman and minority deserve equal right. It shows two different mass opinion of two regime nowadays. Nazi considered as one of the worst dictatorship ever, but Castro’s government sometimes praised by perfect government in some media.
