Leaders of the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany forged quasi-totalitarian regimes based on their absolutist political philosophies. Similarly, the mullahs of the Islamic Republic of Iran aspired to craft a government that was totally...
moreLeaders of the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany forged quasi-totalitarian regimes based on their absolutist political philosophies. Similarly, the mullahs of the Islamic Republic of Iran aspired to craft a government that was totally governed by Shia Islamic law. All three countries used their intelligence and security services to maintain control. The SS, the KGB, and the Iranian Guards arrested, imprisoned, and killed those whom they considered enemies of the state. All three services were heavily ideological. The SS expressed the principles of Adolph Hitler, and the KGB reflected the ethics of Lenin and Stalin. The Iranian Guards were built in the image of Ayatollah Khomeini and continue to hold him as the exemplar. 1 This article focuses on five points of intersections of all three services: unlimited authority to secure and maintain power for the nascent government; guarding political prisoners; controlling foreign legions; grooming tomorrow's leaders; and participating in the national economy.
