[81] These reforms incorporated totalitarianism, fealty to the state, expansionism, corporatism, and anti-communism. What is a Dictatorship? Examples and Characteristics - Study.com However, modern dictators do not resemble ancient dictators as their absolute power is not in response to a crisis or emergency and is also not temporary. They tended to ally with a particular social class and attempted either to maintain the interests of wealthy and privileged elites or institute far-reaching left-wing social reforms. scholarly analysis of Mussolini, Hitler, Stalin and Mao, as well as Kim Il-sung of North Korea; Franois Duvalier, or Papa Doc, of Haiti; Nicolae Ceauescu of Romania; and Mengistu Haile Mariam of Ethiopia. [127] Foreign intervention takes place when another country seeks to topple a regime by invading the country or supporting the opposition. Sovereignty Concept & Kinds | What is Sovereignty? [138], In the 20th century, most dictatorships held elections in which voters could only choose to support the dictatorship, with only one-quarter of partisan dictatorships permitting opposition candidates to participate. Between 1967 and 1991, 12 Latin American countries underwent at least one military coup, with Haiti and Honduras experiencing three and Bolivia experiencing eight. [106], The nature of dictatorship changed in much of the world at the onset of the 21st century. The complex decisions required of governments in a technological era, the perfectionist impulses of the great bureaucratic structures that have developed in all industrialized societies, and the imperatives of national survival in a nuclear world continue to add to the process of executive aggrandizement. Stability in a dictatorship is maintained through coercion and political repression, which involves the restriction of access to information, the tracking of the political opposition, and acts of violence. Send us feedback about these examples. Iraq, Israel, Lebanon, and Palestine are the only democratic nations in the region, with Israel being the only nation in this region that affords broad political liberties to its citizens. Unlike in the United States and other similar nations, the people living in a dictatorship have no rights of free speech, freedom of religion, a free press or even the right to hold an opinion in opposition to the ruler and ruling party. The predominance of violent force in military training manifests in an acceptance of violence as a political tool and the ability to organize violence on a large scale. Accessed 1 May. [98] Several Middle Eastern countries were the subject of military coups in the 1950s and 1960s, including Iraq, Syria, North Yemen, and South Yemen. [14], Unless they have undertaken a self-coup, those seizing power typically have little governmental experience and do not have a detailed policy plan in advance. It does not involve any electoral process for the appointment. In other democracies, however, constitutional arrangements have survived quite lengthy periods of crisis, as in Great Britain and the United States during World War II, in which the use of extraordinary powers by the executive came to a halt with the end of the wartime emergency. FM to become first Israeli minister in nearly 30 years to visit the closed central Asian dictatorship, an oil-rich state on Iranian border . BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has called on the people, especially the workers, to stand up against the government. Fascism, in its National Socialist form, was primarily a counterrevolutionary movement that mobilized middle- and lower middle-class groups to pursue nationalistic and militaristic goals and whose sole principle of organization was obedience to the Fhrer. [75] Lenin was followed by Joseph Stalin in 1924, who consolidated total power and implemented totalitarian rule by 1929. [93] Chiang Kai-shek continued to rule as dictator of the National government's rump state in Taiwan until his death in 1975. Try not to focus so much on whether you are right or wrong, but rather, ask yourself if the leaders that you put on the list fit the characteristics ascribed to dictators. A personalist dictator will manage these appointees by segmenting the government so that they cannot collaborate. Mao consolidated his control of the People's Republic of China with the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s, which involved the destruction of all elements of capitalism and traditionalism in China. Similarly, although the 1958 constitution of the Fifth Republic of France contained far-reaching emergency powers conferred on the presidentwhen the institutions of the Republic, the independence of the nation, the integrity of its territory or the fulfillment of its international obligations are threatened with immediate and grave danger, and when the regular functioning of the constitutional authority is interruptedtheir implicit threat to the constitutional order has not been realized. Dictators are incentivized to avoid the use of violence once a reputation of violence is established, as it damages the dictatorship's other institutions and poses a threat to the dictator's rule should government forces become disloyal. To save this word, you'll need to log in. They are more likely to end in violence and less likely to democratize than other forms of dictatorship. copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. Thus, the proclamation of emergency rule was the beginning of the dictatorships of Mussolini in Italy, of Kemal Atatrk in Turkey, of Jzef Pisudski in Poland, of Antnio de Olveira Salazar in Portugal, of Franz von Papen and Hitler in Germany, and of Engelbert Dollfuss and Kurt von Schuschnigg in Austria. dictatorship, form of government in which one person or a small group possesses absolute power without effective constitutional limitations. President Biden is expected to make his reelection announcement as soon as Tuesday, beginning the 80-year-old career politician's final campaign. Dictatorship - HISTORY CRUNCH - History Articles, Biographies The people living in dictatorships are often subjected to human rights abuses and severe limits to their personal freedom. [48], An absolute monarchy is a monarchy in which the monarch rules without legal limitations. Forms of Government: Definition & Types | StudySmarter The communist and fascist dictatorships that arose in various technologically advanced countries in the first half of the 20th century were distinctively different from the authoritarian regimes of Latin America or the postcolonial dictatorships of Africa and Asia. Omissions? [54], Asia saw several military dictatorships during the post-classical era. [42] Within a personalist regime an issue called "The dictators dilemma" arises. [73] During World War II, Italy and Germany occupied several countries in Europe, imposing fascist puppet states upon many of the countries that they invaded. The modern caudillo proved to be less a provincial leader than a national one. Military dictatorship of Chile (1973-1990) - Wikipedia [98], One of the tasks in political science is to measure and classify regimes as either democracies or dictatorship (authoritarian) countries. Foreign Minister Cohen heading to Turkmenistan to open embassy 15 miles [32], One-party dictatorships became prominent in Asia and Eastern Europe during the Cold War as communist governments were installed in several countries. Industrialization produces new, differentiated elites that replace the small leadership groupings that once controlled social, economic, and political power in the society. The figure who embodies this dictatorship is obviously the dictator and this always represents the maximum hierarchy and authority for all things related to the development of a society. [43] This idea references the heavy reliance on repression of the public in order to stay in power, which creates incentives for all constituents to falsify their preferences, which does not allow for the dictator to know the genuine popular beliefs or his realistic measure of societal support. Example: Dictators frequently use psychological manipulation. [123], The type of economy in a dictatorship can affect how it functions. Its like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. Italian dictator Benito Mussolini coined the term totalitario in the early 1920s to characterize the new fascist state of Italy, which he further described as "all within the state, none outside the state, none . [129] Revolution takes place when the opposition group grows large enough that elites in the regime cannot suppress it or choose not to. [102] The stability of the Soviet Union weakened in the 1980s. Presidential System of Government Overview & Function | 7 Roles of the President, Landmark Cases Based on Constitutional Amendments. They usually allied themselves with a particular social class, and attempted either to maintain the interests of wealthy and privileged elites or to institute far-reaching left-wing social reforms. Antonio Lpez de Santa Anna in Mexico and Juan Manuel de Rosas in Argentina are examples of such leaders. Learn a new word every day. [26], A dictatorship may fall because of a military coup, foreign intervention, negotiation, or popular revolution. In very few cases, a small group of people holds this power, which is called an oligarchy. [103], Military dictatorships remained prominent in Latin America during the Cold War, though the number of coups declined starting in the 1980s. This makes it distinct from constitutional monarchy and ceremonial monarchy. Dictatorship can be defined as a form of government in which the power is centralized. Many dictatorships thrive on a cult of personality that results in the ruler being seen and even worshiped as a god. [62][63][64] Maximilien Robespierre has been similarly described as a dictator while he controlled the National Convention in France and carried out the Reign of Terror in 1793 and 1794. [73], Dictatorships in Latin America persisted into the 20th century, and further military coups established new regimes, often in the name of nationalism. In an essay of about two to three paragraphs, define dictatorship and explain how a dictator can rise to power. Today, the term "dictator" is associated with cruel and oppressive rulers who violate human rights and maintain their power by jailing and executing their opponents. Korea experienced military dictatorships under the rule of Yeon Gaesomun in the 7th century[58] and under the rule of the Goryeo military regime in the 12th and 13th centuries. While the term has been used several times throughout history, most common usage of the term is in relation to different types of dictatorships that existed in the 20th and 21st centuries. The role of dictator was created for instances when a single leader was needed to command and restore stability. [122] The form of government does not correlate with the amount of economic growth, and dictatorships on average grow at the same rate as democracies, though dictatorships have been found to have larger fluctuations. Dictatorship - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms | Vocabulary.com Freedom House, the Polity data series, and the Democracy-Dictatorship Index are three of the most used data series by political scientists. [84] Other nationalist movements in Europe established dictatorships based on the fascist model. [57] The rule of a dictator was not necessarily considered tyrannical in Ancient Rome, though it has been described in some accounts as a "temporary tyranny" or an "elective tyranny". In the most brutal dictatorships, the citizens live in extreme poverty because the government withholds food and supplies in order to keep the people under control. A dictator may address the opposition by repressing it through force, modifying laws to restrict its power, or appeasing it with limited benefits. Dictatorship in the technologically advanced totalitarian regimes of modern fascism and communism was distinctively different from the authoritarian regimes of either Latin America or the postcolonial states of Africa and Asia. Political scientists such as Juan Jos Linz and Samuel P. Huntington identify key attributes that define the power structure of a dictatorship, including a single leader or a small group of leaders, the exercise of power with few limitations, limited political pluralism, and limited mass mobilization. Dictatorship or Totalitarianism is a situation where a single person or political party rules the entire country. Dictatorship means that system of Government which rests on a single person and that is of high authoritarianism. In the Roman Republic, the title "dictator" was temporarily given to an individual to deal with state crises and emergencies. These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dictatorship.' Opposing a dictator or disobeying the laws in a dictatorship can be punished with extreme violence and even death. The group may be military or political, it may be organized or disorganized, and it may disproportionately represent a certain demographic. Alfred says, dictatorship - Kids | Britannica Kids | Homework Help [125] One-party dictatorships are generally more stable and last longer than military or personalist dictatorships. She has a Master's degree in History. These caudillos, or self-proclaimed leaders, usually led a private army and tried to establish control over a territory before marching upon a weak national government. Meaning of Dictatorship. You won't find a dictator who calls himself a dictator. Human nature being what it is, dictators don't rise to power for the good of their nations (though they usually claim otherwise). Organized opposition is a threat to the stability of a dictatorship, as it seeks to undermine public support for the dictator and calls for regime change. [44] As a result of authoritarian politics, a series of major issues may ensue. Dictatorship - Definition, Examples, Cases, Processes - Legal Dictionary Power is enforced through a steadfast collaboration between the government and a highly developed ideology. Ruler often rises to power out of conflict, Dictators control all branches of government and the media, Intimidation, murder, imprisonment, violence and other human rights abuses are used to control the population, A cult of personality makes the ruler appear divine, Consider the factors that make a country a dictatorship, Describe the quality of life under a dictator's rule. [15] If the dictator has not seized power through a political party, then a party may be formed as a mechanism to reward supporters and to concentrate power in the hands of political allies instead of militant allies. [97], The Middle East was decolonized during the Cold War, and many nationalist movements gained strength post-independence. The fascinating story behind many people's favori Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz! Origin 1540-1580 Middle English < Latin dicttor (dictator + ship) What is a Dictatorship In some circumstances, monarchies are also considered dictatorships if the monarchs hold a significant amount of political power. In the Aristotelian classification of government, there were two forms of rule by the few: aristocracy and its debased form, oligarchy. Updates? ", "The Cromwellian Protectorate: A Military Dictatorship? Dictatorship is an old form of government with origins in ancient Rome. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. A self-proclaimed leader, usually an army officer, heading a private army typically formed from the peasantry with the support of provincial landowners, established his control over one or more provinces, and then marched upon the national capital. New forms of oligarchic rule have also made their appearance in many advanced industrial societies. The 69-year-old leader, who has sought to dispel concerns about his health weeks before a crucial election, has canceled several campaign stops. [2] The inner circle's support is necessary for a dictator's orders to be carried out, causing elites to serve as a check on the dictator's power. Military dictatorships may be ruled by a single high-ranking military officer or by a group of such officers. Many of the classical conditions of oligarchic rule were found until the 20th century in those parts of Asia in which governing elites were recruited exclusively from a ruling castea hereditary social grouping set apart from the rest of society by religion, kinship, economic status, prestige, and even language. Exceptions to the pattern of poverty in dictatorships include oil-rich Middle Eastern dictatorships and the East Asian Tigers during their periods of dictatorship. Delivered to your inbox! Dictators tend to resort to force or fraud to gain political power. By definition, a dictatorship is an absolute authority in any sphere. The dictator has absolute power. Many are noted for their cruelty, while others are honored as national heroes. But monarchs usually inherit their position. Most dictatorship countries do not refer to their leader as a dictator, but rather as kings, presidents, prime ministers, etc. Elites in personalist dictatorships often do not have a professional political career and are unqualified for positions they are given. Today, dictators do not rise in response to an emergency and the position is not temporary. In the new states of Africa and Asia after World War II, dictators quickly established themselves on the ruins of constitutional arrangements inherited from the Western colonial powers that had proved unworkable in the absence of a strong middle class and in the face of local traditions of autocratic rule. - Definition & Process, What is Neuroeconomics? [107] Dictatorships are often recipients of foreign aid on the condition that they make advances toward democratization. What Makes a Ruler a Dictator? Definition and List of Dictators - ThoughtCo Benefits of Dictatorship. What is a Dictatorship? Definition, Feature & Characteristics The dictatorship is opposed to the democratic system of government. [10] Political scientist Juan Jos Linz identifies a spectrum of political systems with democracies and totalitarian regimes separated by authoritarian regimes with varied classifications of hybrid systems. Example: The cult of personality often elevates a dictator to divine status. [140] Opposition parties in dictatorships may be restricted by preventing them from campaigning, banning more popular opposition parties, preventing opposition members from forming a party, or requiring that candidates be a member of the ruling party. [38] Due to the lack of accountability and the smaller group of elites, personalist dictatorships are more prone to corruption than other forms of dictatorship,[39] and they are more repressive than other forms of dictatorship. A military dictatorship is a form of government in which the military holds most or all political power. A dictatorship is a form of government, where one person effectively has all the power to run a country. [23] Military coups do not necessarily result in military dictatorships, as power may then be passed to an individual or the military may allow democratic elections to take place. Totalitarianism is the most extreme form of authoritarianism and is considered an oppressive method of ruling a nation. [87] Populist movements were strengthened following the economic turmoil of the Great Depression, producing populist dictatorships in several Latin American countries. Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Military dictatorships are notorious for human rights abuses and the denial of political and social freedoms. The ruler of a dictatorship is called a dictator. Leadership Types and Styles: Help & Review, What is a Leader? [82], Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party created a second fascist dictatorship in Germany in 1933,[83] obtaining absolute power through a combination of electoral victory, violence, and emergency powers. Personalist dictatorships are more common in Sub-Saharan Africa due to less established institutions in the region. Dictatorship is the special type of ruling over a country. All rights reserved. Dictators usually come to power through some kind of violent struggle, rather than the peaceful passage of power that we take for granted in the United States. These dictators may view themselves as impartial in their oversight of a country due to their nonpartisan status, and they may view themselves as "guardians of the state". [68] The Spanish American wars of independence took place in the early-19th century, creating many new Latin American governments. Governments classified by mode of succession, Succession by constitutional prescription, Governments classified by stage of development, Protection of political and social rights, Development and change in political systems. The rights of the people are typically suppressed in a dictatorship, sometimes to a great degree. By contrast, Soviet communism grew out of a revolutionary theory of society, pursued the goal of revolutionary overthrow of capitalist systems internationally, and employed the complex bureaucratic structures of the Communist Party as mechanisms of governmental organization. It is an authoritarian form of government where one person is in charge of enforcing and enacting the law. Economies based on natural resources allow dictators more power, as they can easily extract rents without strengthening or cooperating with other institutions. (See personalismo.) Personalist regimes diverge from other regimes when it comes to their longevity, methods of breakdown, levels of corruption, and proneness to conflicts. 18 Dictatorship Examples (2023) - Helpful Professor The rigging of elections is just one example of how citizens in a dictatorship have little to no personal freedom. [50] Monarchies allow for strict rules of succession that produce a peaceful transfer of power on the monarch's death, but this can also result in succession disputes if multiple members of the royal family claim a right to succeed. But in a modern-day dictatorship government, one person (or a small group of individuals) has complete control over the government regardless of whether there is a state of emergency or not. Think back to what you have previously learned about history. The other was a constitutional democracy. They differ from other forms of dictatorships in that the dictator has greater access to key political positions and the government's treasury, and they are more commonly subject to the discretion of the dictator. [4] A unified inner circle has the capacity to overthrow a dictator, and the dictator must make greater concessions to the inner circle to stay in power. Monarchy Lesson for Kids: Definition & Facts, Nigeria's Dictators & Their Impact on the Country. Difference Between Totalitarianism, Authoritarianism, Fascism - ThoughtCo Make a list of at least four leaders from world history that could be considered dictators. Military dictatorships are more prone to conflict due to the inherent military strength associated with such a regime, and personalist dictatorships are more prone to conflict due to the weaker institutions to check the dictator's power. Often, too, 20th-century dictators in Latin America allied themselves with a particular social class, attempting either to maintain the interests of established economic groupings or to press social reforms. Dictatorship News, Research and Analysis - The Conversation In modern times, it's not unusual to hear news stories about dictators being elected by their citizens, when in fact the elections are manipulated through intimidation of voters to ensure the dictator's victory. The simple forms of oligarchic rule associated with pre-industrial societies are, of course, rapidly disappearing. [1] A dictatorship that is ruled by soldiers is called a military dictatorship or junta. Whether as presidential dictatorships or as military dictatorships, the regimes that came into being appear to have had common roots in the social and economic problems of the new state. They may also employ techniques of mass propaganda in order to sustain their public support. The result is that such regimes have no internal checks and balances, and are thus unrestrained when exerting repression on their people, making radical shifts in foreign policy, or starting wars with other countries. [45] Although, when it comes to polling and elections a dictator could use his power to override private preferences. Make a poster, chart, or some other type of graphic organizer that shows the methods dictators use to control their people. [51] In the modern era, absolute monarchies are most common in the Middle East. Military dictators may also be less trusting or diplomatic and underestimate the use of bargaining and compromise in politics. After World War II, for example, in both the United States and Britain, the use of extraordinary powers by the executive came to a halt with the end of the wartime emergency. The 20th century saw the rise of fascist and communist dictatorships in Europe; fascism was eradicated in the aftermath of World War II in 1945, while communism spread to other continents, maintaining prominence until the end of the Cold War in 1991. This person is called a dictator. [78], At the same time, nationalist movements grew throughout Europe. That's because there's no other branch of government that is not controlled by the dictator. [6], The opposition to a dictatorship represents all of the factions that are not part of the dictatorship and anyone that does not support the regime. [95] A similar phenomenon took place in Korea, where Kim Il-sung created a Soviet-backed communist dictatorship in North Korea[96] and Syngman Rhee created a US-backed nationalist dictatorship in South Korea. During times of domestic or foreign crisis, even most constitutional governments have conferred emergency powers on the chief executive, and in some notable cases this provided the opportunity for duly elected leaders to overthrow democracy and rule dictatorially thereafter. Dictatorship definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary These nationalist movements supported non-alignment, keeping most Middle Eastern dictatorships out of the American and Soviet spheres of influence. The earliest military dictatorships developed in the post-classical era, particularly in Shogun-era Japan and in England under Cromwell. [7] The opposition can be an external group, or it can also include current and former members of the dictator's inner circle. Dictatorship. Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dictatorship. The term "dictatorship" comes from the Latin word "dictator." Dictators use intimidation, terror, and the suppression of basic civil liberties. Allowing the opposition to have representation in the regime, such as through a legislature, further reduces the likelihood of terrorist attacks in a dictatorship. A totalitarian government has "total control of mass communications and social and economic organizations". Even in constitutional regimes, no fully satisfactory answer has been found to the question of how these bureaucratic decision makers can be held accountable and their powers effectively restrained without, at the same time, jeopardizing the efficiency and rationality of the policy-making process.