A military dictatorship is a

dictatorship A dictatorship is a form of government which is characterized by a leader, or a group of leaders, which holds governmental powers with few to no limitations on them. The leader of a dictatorship is called a dictator. Politics in a dictatorship a ...

in which the

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distin ...

exerts complete or substantial control over

political Politics (from , ) is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that studi ...

authority, and the

dictator A dictator is a political leader who possesses absolute power. A dictatorship is a state ruled by one dictator or by a small clique. The word originated as the title of a Roman dictator elected by the Roman Senate to rule the republic in ti ...

is often a high-ranked military officer. The reverse situation is to have

civilian control of the military Civilian control of the military is a doctrine in military and political science that places ultimate responsibility for a country's strategic decision-making in the hands of the civilian political leadership, rather than professional m ...

Creation and evolution

Most military dictatorships are formed after a ''

coup d'état A coup d'état (; French for 'stroke of state'), also known as a coup or overthrow, is a seizure and removal of a government and its powers. Typically, it is an illegal seizure of power by a political faction, politician, cult, rebel group, ...

'' has overthrown the previous government. There have been cases, however, where the civilian government had been formally maintained but the military exercises ''

de facto ''De facto'' ( ; , "in fact") describes practices that exist in reality, whether or not they are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms. It is commonly used to refer to what happens in practice, in contrast with '' de jure'' ("by l ...

'' control—the civilian government is either bypassed or forced to comply with the military's wishes. For example, from 1916 until the end of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

, the German Empire was governed as an effective military dictatorship, because its leading generals had gained such a level of control over

Kaiser Wilhelm II Wilhelm II (Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor Albert; 27 January 18594 June 1941) was the last German Emperor (german: Kaiser) and King of Prussia, reigning from 15 June 1888 until his abdication on 9 November 1918. Despite strengthening the German Emp ...

that the Chancellor and other civilian ministers effectively served at their pleasure. Alternatively, the

Empire of Japan The also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was a historical nation-state and great power that existed from the Meiji Restoration in 1868 until the enactment of the post-World War II 1947 constitution and subsequent for ...

after 1931 never in any formal way drastically altered the constitutional structure of its government, but from that point, it is typically seen as a military dictatorship, since the Army and Navy had the effective legal right to veto the formation of undesirable governments (and also to compel the resignation of an existing government that had lost their favor), and since key cabinet posts traditionally held by civilians (especially the Premiership) were instead filled by active flag officers. Military dictatorships may gradually restore significant components of

civilian Civilians under international humanitarian law are "persons who are not members of the armed forces" and they are not " combatants if they carry arms openly and respect the laws and customs of war". It is slightly different from a non-combatan ...

government while the senior military commander still maintains executive

political power In social science and politics, power is the social production of an effect that determines the capacities, actions, beliefs, or conduct of actors. Power does not exclusively refer to the threat or use of force (coercion) by one actor against ...

. As an example, the Chilean military dictatorship under

Augusto Pinochet Augusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte (, , , ; 25 November 1915 – 10 December 2006) was a Chilean general who ruled Chile from 1973 to 1990, first as the leader of the Military Junta of Chile from 1973 to 1981, being declared President of ...

conducted a

plebiscite A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of ...

in 1980 that instituted a new constitution, thus legitimizing the regime's rule.

Justification

In the past, military juntas have justified their rule as a way of bringing political stability for the nation or rescuing it from the threat of "dangerous ideologies". For example, the threat of

communism Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society ...

socialism Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the ...

, and Islamism was often used. Military regimes tend to portray themselves as non-partisan, as a "neutral" party that can provide interim leadership in times of turmoil, and also tend to portray civilian politicians as corrupt and ineffective. One of the almost universal characteristics of a military government is the institution of

martial law Martial law is the imposition of direct military control of normal civil functions or suspension of civil law by a government, especially in response to an emergency where civil forces are overwhelmed, or in an occupied territory. Use Marti ...

or a permanent

state of emergency A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to be able to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state du ...

Comparison with other forms of authoritarianism

Comparison with monarchies

A military dictatorship is distinct from an

absolute monarchy Absolute monarchy (or Absolutism as a doctrine) is a form of monarchy in which the monarch rules in their own right or power. In an absolute monarchy, the king or queen is by no means limited and has absolute power, though a limited constituti ...

, although there are some similarities, especially concerning how the two are (or historically have been) established. Virtually all absolute monarchs (and even most constitutional monarchs) are commanders-in-chief of their nations' militaries, wear military uniforms at least on a ceremonial basis and hold military ranks and/or titles. Also, senior members of royal families, especially if they are male and/or heirs apparent or presumptive, are expected to perform military service prior to ascending the throne. Moreover, almost all monarchies (both current and defunct) established themselves over the past centuries and millennia by force of arms. A key difference between a monarchy and a military dictatorship is that once they are established and recognized by their subjects (a process that has often taken many generations) a monarchy typically establishes some form of hereditary succession to legitimately transfer power from generation to generation, and while there historically have been many cases of disputed claims to a throne, attempting to seize power through sheer force of arms without some sort of credible hereditary claim is usually regarded as illegitimate and/or illegal by monarchists. In constitutional monarchies the monarch is usually the commander-in-chief and is often formally the highest-ranking military officer but in practice is expected to defer to the advice of civilian ministers, especially when appointing flag officers who will exercise actual operational command, thus maintaining

. On the other hand, modern military dictatorships typically eschew hereditary succession with long-lasting juntas often emphasizing the traditional methods of promotion within the officer ranks as the eventual path to civil power. Military dictatorships which have attempted to establish themselves as monarchies or otherwise implement hereditary succession, whether or not by attempting to establish themselves as monarchies, have often collapsed very quickly. In one example,

Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three K ...

after deposing and executing King

Charles I of England Charles I (19 November 1600 – 30 January 1649) was King of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. He was born into the House of Stuart as the second son of King James VI of Scotland, but after ...

refused all offers to take the English Crown, but nevertheless attempted to have power transferred after his death to his son

Richard Cromwell Richard Cromwell (4 October 162612 July 1712) was an English statesman who was the second and last Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland and son of the first Lord Protector, Oliver Cromwell. On his father's death ...

; however, the younger Cromwell lacked the respect or support of the English military establishment, and was thus quickly forced to relinquish power. In another, a few years after staging a coup and establishing himself as the

French First Republic In the history of France, the First Republic (french: Première République), sometimes referred to in historiography as Revolutionary France, and officially the French Republic (french: République française), was founded on 21 September 1792 ...

's dictator,

Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...

crowned himself

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

Emperor An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother ( e ...

. Although he subsequently married a Habsburg princess and sired an heir to his newly established throne, Napoleon's claim to power was never fully accepted by French royalists who supported the deposed

House of Bourbon The House of Bourbon (, also ; ) is a European dynasty of French origin, a branch of the Capetian dynasty, the royal House of France. Bourbon kings first ruled France and Navarre in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Spanis ...

, nor by other European monarchies. Eventually, Napoleon's armies were defeated and he was forced to abdicate and go into exile. Although Napoleon's nephew eventually re-established the

Bonapartist Bonapartism (french: Bonapartisme) is the political ideology supervening from Napoleon Bonaparte and his followers and successors. The term was used to refer to people who hoped to restore the House of Bonaparte and its style of government. In thi ...

monarchy for a time, his seizure of power might be better described in the context of a

civilian dictatorship A civilian dictatorshiphttp://www3.nd.edu/~ggoertz/qmir/cheibub_etal2010.pdf is a form of government different from military dictatorships where the ruling dictator does not derive their power from the military. Among civilian dictatorships, domi ...

as described in the next section.

Comparison with civilian dictatorship

A military dictatorship is also different from

for a number of reasons: their motivations for seizing power, the institutions through which they organize their rule and the ways in which they leave power. Often viewing itself as saving the nation from the corrupt or myopic civilian politicians, a military dictatorship justifies its position as "neutral" arbiters on the basis of their membership within the armed forces, which in many countries are nominally expected to be apolitical institutions. For example, many juntas adopt titles along the lines of "Committee of National Restoration", or "National Liberation Committee". Military leaders often rule as a junta, selecting one of themselves as a head.

Current cases

Former cases

Country names in bold are ones that are currently a military dictatorship.

Africa

# ( 1965–1976; 1992–1994;

2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...

) # ( 1963–1964; 1965–1968; 1969–1970; 1972–1990) # ( 1966–1980; 1980–1982; 1982–1983; 1983–1987; 1987–2014;

2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the April ...

; 2022–present) # ( 1966–1974; 1976–1979; 1987–1992; 1996–2003) # ( 1966–1979; 1981–1986; 2003–2005; 2013–2014) # ( 1975–1979; 1982–1990; 2021–present) # ( 1990–1994) # ( 1999–2006) # ( 1968–1969; 1977–1979) # ( 1999–2000) # ( 1953–1956; 1981–2011; 2011–2012;

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

) # ( 1974–1987) # ( 1994–1996) # ( 1966–1969; 1972–1975; 1975–1979; 1981–1993) # (1984–1990; 2008–2010; 2021–present) # (1980–1984; 1999; 2003; 2012) # ( 1986–1991; 1991–1993) # ( 1980–1986) # ( 1969–2011) # (1972–1976) # ( 1968–1992;

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...

;

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in ...

, 2021–present) # ( 1978–1979; 1979–1992; 2005–2007; 2008–2009) # ( 1974–1987; 1987–1993; 1996–1999; 2010–2011) #

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of G ...

(

1966 Events January * January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko. * January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo is ...

; 1966–1975; 1975–1976; 1976–1979; 1983–1985; 1985–1993; 1993–1998; 1998–1999) # ( 1973–1994) # (1995; 2003) # ( 1967–1968; 1992–1996; 1997–1998) # ( 1969–1976; 1980–1991) # ( 1958–1964; 1969–1971; 1985–1986; 1989–1993; 2019–present) # ( 1967–2005) # ( 1987–1994) # ( 1971–1979; 1985–1986; 1986–2004) # ( 1990–1994) # ( 1965–1997) # ( 2017–2018)

Americas

# ( 1835–1852; 1930–1932; 1943–1946; 1955–1958; 1966–1973; 1976–1983) # (1839–1843; 1848; 1857–1861; 1861; 1864–1871; 1876–1879; 1899; 1920–1921; 1930–1931; 1936–1940; 1943–1946; 1951–1952; 1964–1982) # (1889–1894; 1964–1985) # ( 1924–1925; 1925; 1927–1931; 1932; 1973–1990) # (1854; 1953–1958) # (1868–1870; 1876–1882; 1917–1919) # (1933; 1952–1959) # (1882–1899; 1930–1961; 1963–1965) # ( 1876–1883; 1925–1926; 1937–1938;

1947 It was the first year of the Cold War, which would last until 1991, ending with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Events January * January– February – Winter of 1946–47 in the United Kingdom: The worst snowfall in the count ...

; 1963–1966; 1972–1976; 1976–1979;

2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...

) # (1885–1911; 1931–1979; 1979–1982) # ( 1931–1944; 1944–1945; 1954–1957; 1957–1966; 1970–1986) # (

1983 The year 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call. Events January * January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to TCP/IP is officially completed (this is considered to be the beginning ...

) # (1946; 1950–1956; 1956–1957; 1986–1990; 1991–1994) # (1933–1949; 1956–1957; 1963–1971; 1972–1982; 2009–2010) # ( 1835–1846; 1913–1914) # ( 1937–1979) # (1903–1904; 1968–1989) # ( 1940–1948; 1954–1989) # ( 1843–1844; 1865–1868; 1868–1872; 1879–1881; 1914–1915; 1930–1933; 1933–1939; 1948–1956; 1962–1963; Revolutionary Government of the Armed Forces of Peru, 1968–1980) # (National Military Council (Suriname), 1980–1991) # (Venancio Flores, 1865–1868; Lorenzo Latorre, 1876–1879; Gabriel Terra, 1933–1938; Civic-military dictatorship of Uruguay, 1973–1985) # (Julián Castro (Venezuelan politician), 1858–1859; José Antonio Páez, 1861–1863; Juan Crisóstomo Falcón, 1863–1868; José Ruperto Monagas, 1869–1870; Joaquín Crespo, 1892–1898; Cipriano Castro, 1899–1908; Juan Vicente Gómez, 1908–1935; Military dictatorship in Venezuela, 1948–1958)

Asia

# (Mohammed Daoud Khan, 1973–1978; Saur Revolution, 1978) # (Presidency of Ziaur Rahman, 1977–1981; Hussain Mohammad Ershad, 1982–1990) # (Khmer Republic, 1970–1975; Hun Sen, 1997–1999) # (Dong Zhuo, 189–192; Empire of China (1915–1916), 1915–1916; Zhang Zuolin, 1927–1928; Chiang Kai-shek, 1928–1948) # Goguryeo (Yeon Gaesomun, 642–665; Yeon Namsaeng, 665; Yeon Namgeon, 665–668) # Goryeo (Goryeo military regime, 1170–1270) # (New Order (Indonesia), 1966–1998) Jenderal TNI Soeharto

# (Reza Shah Pahlavi, 1925–1941; Fazlollah Zahedi, 1953–1955; Regency Council (Iran), 1978–1979) # (1933–1935; 1936 Iraqi coup d'état, 1936; 1937–1938; Salah al-Din al-Sabbagh, 1941; 1949–1950; 1952–1953; Abd al-Karim Qasim, 1958–1963; Abdul Salam Arif, 1963–1968) # (Shōgun, 1192–1867; Tōseiha, 1931–1940; Statism in Shōwa Japan, 1940–1945) # (Supreme Council for National Reconstruction, 1961–1963; Fourth Republic of Korea, 1972–1981; Fifth Republic of Korea, 1981–1987) # (Sounthone Pathammavong, 1959–1960) # (Michel Aoun, 1988–1990) # (Manchukuo, 1932–1945) # (Burmese Way to Socialism, 1962–1988; State Peace and Development Council, 1988–2011; State Administration Council, 2021–present) # Kingdom of Nepal, Nepal (Swarup Singh Karki, 1776–1777; Vamsharaj Pande, 1776–1779; Sarbajit Rana Magar, 1777–1778; Vamsharaj Pande, 1782–1785; Mulkaji, 1785–1804; Mukhtiyar, 1806–1837; 1838–1840; 1840–1846; Rana dynasty, 1846–1951) # (Abdullah al-Sallal, 1962–1967; Ibrahim al-Hamdi, 1974–1977; Ahmad al-Ghashmi, 1977–1978; Abdul Karim Abdullah al-Arashi, 1978; Ali Abdullah Saleh, 1978–1990) # (Mohammad Ayub Khan, 1958–1969; Agha Muhammad Yahya Khan, 1969–1971; Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, 1977–1988; Pervez Musharraf, 1999–2008) # (Dictatorial Government of the Philippines, 1898; Second Philippine Republic, 1943–1945; Martial law under Ferdinand Marcos, 1972–1981) # (1963 South Vietnamese coup, 1963–1967) # (1949; 1951–1954; Salah Jadid, 1963–1970, Hafez al-Assad, 1970–2000) # (Temporary Provisions against the Communist Rebellion, 1948–1975) # (Phraya Phahonphonphayuhasena, 1933–1938; Plaek Phibunsongkhram, 1938–1944; Phin Choonhavan, 1947; Plaek Phibunsongkhram, 1948–1957; Sarit Thanarat, 1957; 1959–1963; Thanom Kittikachorn, 1963–1973; Sangad Chaloryu, 1976; 1977; Kriangsak Chamanan, 1977–1979; Sunthorn Kongsompong, 1991; Sonthi Boonyaratglin, 2006; Surayud Chulanont, 2006–2008; National Council for Peace and Order, 2014–2019) # (Revival Lê dynasty, 1533–1789; Trịnh lords, 1558–1788) # (Ali Abdullah Saleh, 1990–2012)

Europe

# (Zog I of Albania, 1925–1939) # (First Republic of Armenia, 1918–1920) # (Surat Huseynov, 1993–1994) # (1923 Bulgarian coup d'état, 1923–1926; 1934 Bulgarian coup d'état, 1934–1935; 1944 Bulgarian coup d'état, 1944–1946) # (Nikos Sampson, 1974) # (Napoleon, 1799–1814; Cabinet of General Cavaignac, 1848; 1851 French coup d'état, 1851–1858; Government of National Defence, 1870–1871) # (Military Council (Georgia), 1992) # (Oberste Heeresleitung, 1916–1918) # (The Protectorate, 1653–1659) # (Kyriakoulis Mavromichalis, 1909–1910; Anastasios Charalambis, 1922; Sotirios Krokidas, 1922; Stylianos Gonatas, 1922–1924; Theodoros Pangalos (general), 1925–1926; Alexandros Othonaios, 1933; Georgios Kondylis, 1935; Greek military junta of 1967–1974, 1967–1974) # (Artúr Görgei, 1849) # (Janko Vukotić, 1913–1915; Milo Matanović, 1915–1916; 1917) # (Józef Piłsudski, 1926–1935; Martial law in Poland, 1981–1983) # (Joaquim Pimenta de Castro, 1915; Sidónio Pais#Government and presidency, 1917–1918; Ditadura Nacional, 1926–1933; National Salvation Junta, 1974–1975) # (Ion Antonescu, 1941–1944) # Russian State (1918–1920), Russia (Alexander Kolchak, 1918–1920) # (Fatti di Rovereta, 1957) # (Miguel Primo de Rivera, 1923–1930; Francoist Spain, 1936–1975) # (Three Pashas, 1913–1918) # (National Unity Committee, 1960–1961; 1971 Turkish military memorandum, 1971–1973; 1980 Turkish coup d'état, 1980–1983) # (Dictatorship of Garibaldi, 1860) # (Pavlo Skoropadskyi, 1918)

Oceania

# (Sitiveni Rabuka, 1987–1999; 2006 Fijian coup d'état, 2006–2014)

Notes

Source

{{DEFAULTSORT:Military Dictatorship Military dictatorships, Constitutional state types Military sociology Civil–military relations