Dominant ideology and architecture: The effects of the totalitarian regimes on architecture

In this thesis, it is discussed how the totalitarian regimes of Europe used architecture in the direction of their own ideologies. Therefore, the concepts of ideology, power, politics, totalitarianism, propaganda and utopia will be examined first, then the relations of these concepts with the discipline of architecture will be revealed and analyzed under a single heading. After examining the conceptual terms and their relation with the architecture, the periods that inspired the architecture of the totalitarian regime, the Hellenistic period during the Great Alexander era, the Roman period of the Emperor Augustus period and the architects practiced during the Napoleonic period, will be examined. And then the totalitarian regime architects, which are the main theme of the thesis, will be analyzed as Mussolini, Hitler and Stalin periods respectively after these mentioned periods. The reason for the selection of this research topic was to reveal how architecture was transformed into a propaganda towards the ideological goals in the hands of the most important totalitarian powers in history, as well as what kind of sociological impact and use of architecture is beyond its art and engineering direction. Architecture is the name given to the art of building places where people's vital activities go. However, apart from the artistic feature, architecture has been manipulated and used by ruling political ideologies for the sake of power and propaganda, is still being used today. European totalitarian regimes have used architectural discipline as a tool for their own ideological goals to establish a bond among themselves, to legitimize political ideologies, and to control and manipulate people's perception through propaganda techniques, using similar stereotypical political activities. The relationship of the architect with these ideological concepts can be observed from the smallest public constructions to the urban scale. So architectural discipline and architects are a means of serving and enlisting the political power. Because the urban façades, which have been renewed to reflect the ideology and lifestyle of the ruling elder, turn into symbolic and ideological monuments that live in the physical environment. In fact, all this architectural process is an ideological fiction designed by the power of the city, which holds the authority. The society that lives in this ideological fiction environment established by the sovereign power with architecture becomes a mass directed to the senses. Hence architects have had a secret relationship with sovereign political power at times, sometimes willingly and unintentionally. Those who oppose this relationship have fallen into the struggle for existence. Today, this relationship continues without any deterioration.