Intellectuals often resorted to symbolic and covert means to express dissent in restrictive environments. Literature, art, and film became mediums to convey coded criticisms or allegories. For example, in the Soviet Union, writers like Bulgakov in "The Master and Margarita" used allegory and fantasy to comment on the absurdities of the regime. Similarly, in China, during periods of strict censorship, writers employed historical narratives or fictional settings to obliquely critique contemporary political issues. Using symbolism and metaphors, intellectuals challenged the status quo, ensuring their message reached those discerning enough to understand while avoiding outright censure.

No, the methods and intensity of suppression varied between authoritarian regimes based on their ideological leanings, the nature of opposition they faced, and the geopolitical context. While regimes like Stalin's USSR and Mao's China engaged in extensive purges, show trials, and large-scale imprisonments, others, like Franco's Spain, were selective in their repression, targeting specific groups like Republicans or Basque nationalists. Some authoritarian governments even temporarily tolerated opposition or allowed limited political plurality when it suited their strategic interests or during phases of detente with the international community.

While the use of force often provided immediate and visible results in suppressing opposition, its long-term efficacy varied. In many cases, overt brutality galvanised further resistance or led to international condemnation. For instance, the violent suppression of Hungary's 1956 uprising by Soviet forces drew worldwide criticism and intensified anti-Soviet sentiments. Similarly, the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989 severely tarnished China's international image. In many authoritarian states, while force curbed visible dissent, it also fostered resentment, fear, and underground resistance, challenging the very stability these regimes sought to ensure.

During apartheid-era South Africa, grassroots resistance played a pivotal role in opposing the oppressive racial segregation system. Key examples include the formation of the Black Consciousness Movement led by Steve Biko in the late 1960s and early 1970s, which sought to empower black South Africans to take pride in their identity and challenge the apartheid system. Another significant act of resistance was the Soweto Uprising in 1976, where thousands of students protested against the enforcement of Afrikaans as a medium of instruction in black schools. The protest saw widespread violence, and the brutal crackdown by the apartheid regime led to international condemnation.

The Stasi, East Germany's secret police, is often compared to the Gestapo of Nazi Germany, but they employed distinct surveillance methods reflecting their respective times and goals. The Gestapo, operative during the 1930s and 1940s, relied primarily on a vast network of informants and conducted physical raids, arrests, and intimidation tactics to suppress opposition. The Stasi, operative from 1950 to 1990, made use of more advanced technological means, tapping telephones, intercepting mail, and conducting covert operations with a vast network of civilian informants. The Stasi's approach was more systematic, aiming to control every aspect of citizens' lives, creating an omnipresent atmosphere of fear and distrust.