What does "totalitarian state" refer to in Nazi Germany?

The term "totalitarian state" refers to a political system where the government holds total authority over all aspects of public and private life. In the context of Nazi Germany, this meant that the Nazi regime, led by Adolf Hitler, exercised complete control over political institutions, the economy, education, culture, and even personal beliefs and behaviors. The state sought to regulate every aspect of citizens' lives, suppress opposition, control the media, and enforce a strict ideology.

This approach aimed to create a unified society under the Nazi worldview, which was characterized by extreme nationalism, militarism, and racial purity. The regime employed various methods, including propaganda, censorship, and terror tactics, to eliminate dissent and enforce conformity. Thus, the essence of a totalitarian state in Nazi Germany lies in this overwhelming control of both public life and private conscience, making the option describing total authority over society the correct choice.