Running head: Anaylizing Nazi germany and Stalinist Russia

Using Hofstedes Cultural Dimensions to Analyze

Nazi Germany and Stalinist Russia
Walter C. Bober
University of Kentucky

Authors Note:
This paper was prepared for CIS 110 by
Walter Bober
Wcbo224@uky.edu

Anaylizing Nazi germany and Stalinist Russia

Abstract
Hofstedes cultural dimensions theory is used today to encourage and facilitate deeper levels of
cross-cultural communication and relations, thus it is becoming an ever more crucial tool in the
growing global economy. However, the theory is such that it can be applied to any culture, at any
time so long as there is enough data with which to draw conclusions. This paper will explore the
cultural similarities and differences between Nazi Germany and Stalinist Russia during the first
half of the twentieth century by utilizing Hofstedes theory. The goal is to better understand why
these two regimes were able to rise to prominence concurrently, and what can be learned about
totalitarian regimes at a social level.
Keywords: Nazis, Stalin, History, Sociology

Anaylizing Nazi germany and Stalinist Russia

Using Hofstedes Cultural Dimensions to Analyze

Nazi Germany and Stalinist Russia
Nazi Germany and Stalinist Russia are two regimes which together influenced the
twentieth century more than any other. While these two governments tend to be lumped together
in the same vein of early twentieth century political experiments, their identities run so much
deeper than this grouping allows.
Individualism-Collectivism
The first dimension of cultural analysis as proposed by Hofstede is that of IndividualismCollectivism. This concept seeks to define cultures by the emphasis they place on either the
individual, or the greater society. By definition, Fascism, the kind of political system exhibited
by the Nazis, is a very collectivist one. The word fascism is a translation from the Italian word
fascismo, which itself derives from the Latin word fasces, for a bundle of wood. This is no
accident, as fascism places a great emphasis on national unity, and collective values. The Nazis
wished to form a collective, unified society based on a kind of nationalism which placed
Germans in the role of rightful conquerors. (Baberowski and Manteuffel, 2009, pg. 180) The
Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin also emphasized collectivism over individualism. The kind of
Marxism in practice under Stalin is such that it can be identified in its own right as Stalinism,
where attempts were made across the country to collectivize agriculture, industry and society
as a whole. Communism by definition restricts private property, and transfers the means of
production to the workers, both of which clearly illustrate collectivism in political terms. The
Soviet Union attempted to collectivize society by eliminating those deemed socially dangerous
(Gerlach and Werth, 2009, pg. 139) including those who owned land, and people living on the
fringes of Russian lands. At least in terms of Individualism-Collectivism the two regimes shared

Anaylizing Nazi germany and Stalinist Russia

values, even if they differed in terms of how collectivization must be brought about, as Germany
was already a largely homogenous land, while the former Russian empire included a wide
spectrum of ethnicities. (Baberowski and Manteuffel, 2009, pg. 181)
Masculinity versus Femininity
Hofstede uses this dimension to analyze how the ideas of masculinity and femininity are
represented in a culture. He also asserts that a culture can be described as tending towards one or
the other. (National Culture, n.d, para. 5) In Nazi Germany, the roles of men and women were of
frequent importance in the party platform. The Nazis emphasized traditional gender roles, and
believed that only the man should work and earn, leaving the woman to the household sphere.
While not a particularly revolutionary idea, it shows that the Nazis attempted to encourage a
family dynamic by calling on women to become mothers, as evidenced in many propaganda
posters of the era. The Nazis also used the idea of a single earner household to open up more
jobs, and thus reduce unemployment following the depression. The role of man was to serve his
nation, through work, and through warfare. (Fritzsche and Hellbeck, 2009, pg. 310) It would be
too simple to say that the Nazis simply placed the role of men above that of women, as their
extensive propaganda campaigns show. The Nazis did not place one above the other in
ideological terms, but simply in different spheres. In the Soviet Union, everyone was encouraged
to take part in work, both men and women. In soviet tradition though, the stereotypical role of
women was found in agriculture, while men were largely employed in industry. This was by no
means an enforced practice however, as both men and women were involved in agriculture, and
industry. Another curious difference between the Nazis and the Soviets can be found in that the
Soviet Union actively recruited women for the Red Army from the beginning of the Second
World War, while this would have never been tolerated under Nazism, until the last days of the
war. While the two states were very different in how they approached to topics of gender, they

Anaylizing Nazi germany and Stalinist Russia

both could be seen as masculine cultures by Hofstede in that they both exhibited the
characteristics of repression, aggressiveness, and competitiveness.
Power Distance
This dimension can be described as how a people view and accept social inequality.
(National Culture, n.d, para. 3) In Nazi Germany for example, inequality was a conspicuous
factor before the Nazi rise to power. Class played a huge role in German society, with people
forming clubs and organizations with those of a similar class, while seldom interacting with
others from lower, or higher classes. (Allen, 1984, pg.18) This class divisiveness made many to
accept that power and influence was divided unequally, which is what made the Nazis different
when they vowed to create a class-less nation. The kind of inequality which existed under the
Nazis was not primarily of class, or power, (as even the Nazi leadership was fragmented) but on
ethnic/racial lines. (Gorlizki and Mommsen, 2009, pg. 52) the Nazi regime played on the
divisions between Germans and other central and eastern European peoples to encourage a
national identity and consciousness known as Volksgemeinschaft. In Stalinist Russia, the class
structure before the 1917 revolution was with significant inequality, but was less rigid than that
of Germany. Under Stalin, class was to be abolished, but in fact the divisions between those with
power and those without only grew. Collectivization of agriculture, as mentioned before, took
land from small farmers and gave it to the state, which fueled further inequality. (Fitzpatrick and
Ludtke, 2009, pg. 270) In all inequality was present in both societies, but accepted more by
Germans, who while unequal, largely had approved of the regime, whereas in the Soviet Union, a
lot of people lost many privileges and possessions as a result of the regime, and were more likely
to resist the perceived inequality.
Conclusion

Anaylizing Nazi germany and Stalinist Russia

While the two aforementioned totalitarian regimes both have much in common, and
while recent study of soviet record lends itself to categorizing Stalinist Russia more closely with
Nazi Germany, in reality the two regimes were structured differently in key ways. Also, the way
people lived their lives, or died under both governments varied wildly. This information is out
there and can be connected, but through application of Hofstedes cultural dimensions theory, we
can gain a more precise, intimate understanding of both Nazi Germany and Stalinist Russia in
relation to each other. The highlighted dimensions of Individualism-Collectivism, Masculinity
versus Femininity, and Power Distance show that the societal values and dictated practices of the
regimes are not merely isolated incidents, and that the next totalitarian state can occur as easily
today as it might have in 1917, or 1933.

References
Allen, W. (1984). The Nazi Seizure of Power. Danbury, CT: Groiler Publishing.
Bytwerk, R. (n.d.). German Posters pre-1933. Retrieved October 6, 2015, from
http://www.bytwerk.com/gpa/posters1.htm
Furet, F., & Nolte, E. (2001). Fascism and communism. Lincoln, Nebraska: University of
Nebraska Press.
Geyer, M., & Fitzpatrick, S. (Eds.). (2009). Beyond totalitarianism: Stalinism and Nazism
compared. New York, N.Y.: Cambridge University Press.

Anaylizing Nazi germany and Stalinist Russia

National Culture. (n.d.). Retrieved October 6, 2015, from http://geert-hofstede.com/nationalculture.html