In Book 6, Chapter 8 of The Lord of the Rings, the Hobbits return to the Shire and find that things have greatly changed since their departure. It is explained that the Hobbits of the Shire have fallen under the rule of a man by the name of Sharkey who turns out to be the fallen wizard Saruman. Saruman was able to take over the Shire because he threatened to put a course on the Shire if any of them were to harm him. (Ch. 8: p 1019). Saruman had no power left other than that passed on by word of mouth. Although he could no longer cast spells he was still able to manipulate the Hobbits through fear. The Hobbits were unaware that his power had left him but they obeyed his lies because they were scared of the possible punishment that would come if they did not. Saruman rose to power through phycological power rather than physical harm. Hannah Arendt’s Origin of Totalitarianism goes into detail about how totalitarian leaders gained domination by using the same tactics as Saurman. They would manipulate the masses with threats or promises(Ch 10, p 316). The Totalitarian leaders of the past wanted unquestionable loyalty from the people they ruled over. In order to do so, they would psychologically isolate, making them believe that they had to fall in line behind everyone else who fell under totalitarian rule. A large factor in Hitler’s rise to power was the ability to get everyone he was speaking to engaged and motivated by everything he said. His use of manipulation by word of mouth was one of, if not his strongest attributes.
It was not until Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin got back to the Shire that the other Hobbits decided to fight back. The Hobbits of the Shire, much like many victims of totalitarian rule, needed help from an outside power. In most historical events, countries under totalitarian rule need assistance from other countries outside of their own. The four Hobbits rallied their relatives and prepared them to fight against Saruman’s rule. Saruman had been defeated by Gandalf the white but he tried to make one last effort to bring terror to the world through the Shire. Many rulers who know their reign is coming to an end make a final effort to cause damage and terror to their opposers and the people they rule over.