Table of content

1.1 Meaning of dictatorship

1.2 Types of dictatorship
1.3 Dictatorship compared to democracy
1.4 The good and bad side of dictatorship
1.5 World dangerous and famous dictators
1.6 Summary
 1.1 Meaning of Dictatorship
Dictatorship, form of government in which one person or a small group
possesses absolute power without effective constitutional limitations.
The term dictatorship comes from the Latin title dictator, which in
the Roman Republic designated a temporary magistrate who was granted
extraordinary powers in order to deal with state crises. Modern dictators,
however, resemble ancient tyrants rather than ancient dictators. Ancient
philosophers’ descriptions of the tyrannies of Greece and Sicily go far
toward characterizing modern dictatorships. Dictators usually resort to
force or fraud to gain despotic political power, which they maintain
through the use of intimidation, terror, and the suppression of basic civil
liberties. They may also employ techniques of mass propaganda in order
to sustain their public support.

A dictatorship is a form of government in which all the power lies within

one person. Some power can be shared with others close to the dictator,
but the overwhelming majority of power resides with that one person.
Dictatorships are notorious for being scary, evil, and dangerous, but they
still exist today. 

If it sounds like a monarchy, that's because the two forms of government

have a lotta similarities. However, there are some characteristics that set
the two forms of government apart. Dictators tend to take power and not
let go. They don't look out for their people's best interests, whereas a
monarch does or at least is supposed to. 

A dictator may claim that's what they're doing, but their actions usually
tell the truth. In fact, they usually take a different title because they don't
like being called a dictator. 

1.2 Types of Dictatorship

There are three types of dictatorship.They are Military dictatorship,Single
party dictatorship and personalist dictatorships.

1.2.1 Military Dictatorship

In a military dictatorship, military leaders exercise substantial or

complete control of the people and functions of government. As
an autocratic form of government, a military dictatorship may be ruled by
either a single military strongman whose authority is unlimited or by a
group of high-ranking military officers—a “military junta”—who can to
some extent limit the dictator’s authority. 

During the 19th century, for example, many Latin American countries
struggling to reorganize after being freed from Spanish colonial rule,
allowed military dictators to take power. These charismatic self-
proclaimed leaders, known as “caudillos,” usually led private guerilla
armies that had won control of former Spanish-held territories before
setting their sights on vulnerable national governments.

In most cases, military dictatorships come to power after the previous

civilian government has been overthrown in a coup d'etat. Typically, the
military dictator completely dissolves the civilian government.
Occasionally, components of the civilian government structure may be
restored after the coup d'etat but are strictly controlled by the military. In
Pakistan, for example, while a series of military dictators have
sporadically staged elections, they have fallen far short of the UN’s
definition of “free and fair.” The secrecy of the ballot has been regularly
compromised and military authorities often denied the rights to freedom
of expression, association, assembly, and movement.

Along with the suspension or revocation of constitutional rights and

freedoms, an almost universal characteristic of a military dictatorship is
the imposition of martial law or a permanent state of national
emergency intended to distract the people with a constant fear of attack.
Military regimes typically disregard human rights and go to extremes to
silence political opposition. Ironically, military dictators have often
justified their rule as a way of protecting the people from “harmful”
political ideologies. For example, the threat of communism or
socialism was often used to justify military regimes in Latin America.

Playing on the public assumption that the military is politically neutral,

military dictatorships may attempt to portray themselves as the people’s
“savior” from corrupt and exploitive civilian politicians.
For example, many military juntas adopt titles such as Poland’s “National
Liberation Committee” in the early 1980s, or Thailand’s current “Peace
& Order Maintaining Council.”

Since their oppressive style of rule often spawns public dissent, military
dictatorships often go out the same way they came in—through an actual
or imminent coup d'etat or popular revolt.

Military Juntas

A military junta is a coordinated group of high-ranking military officers

who exercise authoritarian or totalitarian rule over a country after taking
power by force. Meaning “meeting” or “committee,” the term junta was
first used about the Spanish military leaders who
resisted Napoleon’s invasion of Spain in 1808 and later about the groups
that helped Latin America win independence from Spain between 1810
and 1825. Like military dictatorships, military juntas often take power
through a coup d'etat.Under the rule of this military junta, up to 30,000
people went missing in Argentina. Horacio Villalobos/Corbis via Getty
Images

Unlike pure military dictatorships, in which the power of a single dictator

or “military strongman” is unlimited, the officers of a military junta can
limit the dictator’s power.Unlike military dictators, the leaders of military
juntas may end martial law, wear civilian clothing, and appoint former
military officers to maintain de-facto control over local governments and
political parties. Rather than all functions of the national government,
military juntas may choose to control a more limited range of areas, such
as foreign policy or national security.

1.2.2 One party dictatorship

One-party dictatorships are governments in which a single political party

dominates politics. Single-party dictatorships are one-party states in
which only the party in power is legalized and all opposition parties are
banned. Dominant-party dictatorships or electoral authoritarian
dictatorships are one-party states in which opposition parties are
nominally legal but cannot meaningfully influence government. Single-
party dictatorships were more common during the Cold War, but
dominant-party dictatorships replaced them after the fall of the Soviet
Union.One-party dictatorships are distinct from political parties that were
created to serve a dictator; the ruling party in a one-party dictatorship
permeates every level of society. One-party dictatorships became
prominent in Asia and Eastern Europe during the Cold War as
Communist governments were installed in several countries.
One-party dictatorships are more stable than other forms of authoritarian
rule, as they are less susceptible to insurgency and see higher economic
growth. Ruling parties allow a dictatorship to more broadly influence the
populace and facilitate political agreement between party elites. Between
1950 and 2016, one-party dictatorships made up 57% of authoritarian
regimes in the world. Due to the structure of their leadership, one-party
dictatorships are significantly less likely to face civil conflict, insurgency,
or terrorism than other forms of dictatorship. The use of ruling parties
also provides more legitimacy to its leadership and elites than other forms
of dictatorship.

A ruling party in a one-party dictatorship may rule under any ideology or

it may have no guiding ideology. One-party states ruled by Marxist
political parties are sometimes distinguished from other types of one-
party dictatorship, but they are distinct in ideology rather than
function.When a one-party dictatorship develops gradually through legal
means, in can result in conflict between the party organization and the
state apparatus and civil service as the party rules in parallel and
increasingly appoints its own members to positions of power. Parties that
take power through violence are often able to implement larger changes
in a shorter period of time.
1.2.3 Personalist Dictatorship
Personalist dictatorships are regimes in which all power lies in the hands
of a single individual. They differ from other forms of dictatorships in
their access to key political positions, other fruits of office, and depend
much more on the discretion of the dictator. Personalist dictators may be
members of the military or leaders of a political party, but neither the
military nor the party exercises power independently from the dictator. In
personalist dictatorships, the elite corps are usually made up of close
friends or family members of the dictator, who typically handpicks these
individuals to serve their posts.These dictatorships often emerge either
from loosely organized seizures of power, giving the leader opportunity
to consolidate power, or from democratically-elected leaders in countries
with weak institutions, giving the leader opportunity to change the
constitution. Personalist dictatorships are more common in Sub-Saharan
Africa due to less established institutions in the region.
Personalist dictators typically favor loyalty over competence in their
governments and have a general distrust of intelligentsia. Elites in
personalist dictatorships often do not have a professional political career
and are unqualified for positions they are given. A personalist dictator
will manage these appointees by segmenting the government so that they
cannot collaborate. 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.Due to the lack of accountability and the smaller
group of elites, personalist dictatorships are more prone to corruption
than other forms of dictatorship.According to a 2019 study, personalist
dictatorships are more repressive than other forms of
dictatorship.Personalist dictatorships often collapse with the death of the
dictator. They are more likely to end in violence and less likely to
democratize than other forms of dictatorship.
The shift in the power relation between the dictator and its inner circle
has severe consequences for the behavior of such regimes as a whole.
Many scholars have identified ways in which personalist regimes diverge
from other regimes when it comes to their longevity, methods of
breakdown, levels of corruption, and proneness to conflicts. Personalist
dictatorships on average last twice as long as military dictatorships but
not as long as single-party dictatorships.Personalist dictatorships also
experience growth differently, as they often lack the institutions or
qualified leadership to sustain an economy. Without any checks and
balances to their rule, such dictators are domestically unopposed when it
comes to unleashing repression, or even starting wars.
Absolute monarchies
An absolute monarchy is a monarchy in which the monarch rules without
legal limitations. This makes it distinct from constitutional monarchy and
ceremonial monarchy.In an absolute monarchy, power is limited to the
royal family, and legitimacy is established by historical factors. In the
modern era, absolute monarchies are most common in the Middle
East.Montesquieu made a distinction between despots that ruled
unrestrained and monarchs that ruled within the laws of a kingdom.
Political parties are relatively rare in monarchic dictatorships compared to
military or civilian dictatorships.Monarchies may be dynastic, in which
the royal family serves as a ruling institution similar to a political party in
a one-party state, or they may be non-dynastic, in which the monarch
rules independently of the royal family as a personalist
dictator.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.
1.3 Dictatorial compared to democracy
In a democracy the leader of the party with the most votes is in control,
but they still have to answer to their political party, and the voters.In a
dictatorship there’s just one leader who has total control over the party
and the country. Often propaganda, as well as genuine support, will paint
them as the people’s hero. In a democracy political parties represent
different points of view and compete for the votes of the electorate. In a
democracy political power is secured by winning a fair election.In a
dictatorship the government tightly controls all aspects of the state and
will often ban or tightly control groups and meetings. In a democracy
newspapers are free to print the truth and can criticise the government
when mistakes are made or if there’s disagreement.A dictatorship
completely disregards the rights of individual citizens. The government
and state will try to control all citizens through laws, police, spying and
force. The government and state is the most important thing to a
dictatorship. In a democracy there’s usually less control over the films
and books people can enjoy. In a dictatorship there is only one party – all
opposition is destroyed and banned. Totalitarian states don’t allow
opposition or elections. In a democracy the government has less control
over how people spend their time and what they believe. People are free
to join clubs, political parties and other groups.The government in a
dictatorship controls every element of people’s lives, including radio,
cinema and newspapers.The head of the country in a democratic
government is the one who gets the most support in the form of votes in a
general election.One individual is the sole authority of the country with
no institution to keep its power in check.Political control in a country is
provided through free and fair elections, with two or more political
parties being involved.In a dictatorship no elections take place or they are
heavily regulated by restricting the number of political parties and
limiting gatherings and associations.The media in a democratic form of
government is known as the fourth pillar of democracy as they watch the
government’s every move and criticise it should any misstep be
taken.The media is the mouthpiece of a dictatorial government.
Regardless of what a dictator does, the media will only show what needs
to be shown to the masses so that a cult of personality is always
maintained.In a democracy, the fundamental rights of the citizen are
protected by the constitution. Citizens have the right to join political
parties and other organizations.In a dictatorship, little importance is given
to fundamental rights, with the populace being generally subjected to
constant policing, monitoring and brutality.The earliest forms of
democracy appeared in Ancient Greece. It is generally accepted that the
Athenians established what is held as the first democracy in 508–507 BC.
The democracy was rudimentary in the sense that only free-males of
Athens could cast their votes but not women and slaves.Lucius Cornelius
Sulla Felix and Gaius Julius Caesar of Ancient Rome can be considered
as the first dictators.

1.4 The good and bad side of dictatorship

1.4.1 List of the good side of a Dictatorship

1. It can have a deterrent effect on crime.

Under the self-described Duterte dictatorship administration in the
Philippines, between FY 2016 and FY 2017, the number of violent crimes
decreased dramatically. The total number of focused crimes dropped from
over 158,000 to just under 80,000. This resulted in a reduction of theft,
robbery, and carnapping incidents. Even if 7,000 killings from the
government’s drug war are added into the figures, the crime levels are
still much lower than in previous administrations.

2. Political corruption is taken out of the shadows.

Within the auspices of a dictatorship, the ruler or ruling party has no need
to cover up any form of political corruption. That is because they answer
to no one but themselves. Because of this, corruption within government
systems is often reduced under this form of government because there is
no need for it. A dictator can be forthright because little can be done to
stop them. Workers within the party or government avoid breaking the
rules because of the fear of repercussions.

3. It can provide effective responses during emergency situations.

Within a dictatorship, there is very little red tape. If the dictator decrees
that an action should be taken, then it is done. That format can be very
useful should a natural disaster or some other form of emergency occur in
that society. Resources can be allocated with one simple command
instead of multiple layers of approval, allowing help to be received faster.
That is, of course, based on the assumption that the dictator decides to
provide emergency relief in the first place.

4. Dictatorships can take the lead on innovation.

A dictatorship doesn’t need to worry about pleasing the population. It
needs to worry about making sure it can stay in power. Because of that,
many dictatorships have numerous resources dedicated to research and
development. Not only are there fewer obstacles in the way, but people
can be ordered to perform the research as part of the regular duties. That
can lead to fast advancements in a number of fields if the resources are
properly allocated.
5. It can provide ruling stability.
Governments that are based on a dictatorship often see a single ruler or
ruling group in charge for several decades. Even violent dictators that
have no concern for the lives of their people can remain in charge for a
lengthy period. As of November 2017, there were 12 world dictators that
had been in charge for 25 years or more. There are another 16 world
leaders that have held their position for 15 years or more.

6. International diplomacy can flourish.

A dictator of sound mind and body, along with a benevolent and patriotic
streak, can form beneficial alliances with other world governments with
relative ease. Foreign policy runs straight through the ruler or ruling
party, which makes it easier to advance a negotiating position for both
sides. Checks and balances will always be part of international diplomacy
and a dictator that recognizes this can create incredible opportunities for
their people.

7. Many dictators come to power through experience.

It takes experience to run a country of any size. For that reason, the
structure of a monarchy keeps the training for governing within the
family. In a dictatorship, the experience comes from first-hand incidents
that generate expertise. Think of it like this. You have one person who
trained for 4 years in school to be a welder. You have another person who
has worked the last 4 years, 8 hours every day, as a welder. Which person
would you hire for your next welding job?

That is why the power of a dictatorship can seem so inviting, especially to

a nation that has been struggling economically. The real-life experiences
of the ruler feel relatable to the general public, which allows them to
accept the idea that sacrificing their rights for the better good of everyone
is an idea worth pursuing.

1.4.2 List of the bad side of a Dictatorship

1. It is never a long-term solution to governing.

In any given period of history, dictatorships tend to happen on the
African continent more often than anywhere else. In 2015, about 50% of
the governments run by dictatorship existed on the continent. Idriss Deby
Itno, for example, has managed to rule Chad since 1990, but has had to
survive several attempts to overthrow his rule. Even when his role was
switch to “President” and elections were held, he has still retained power.
The problem with a dictator is that once that person dies, a different
dictator or another form of government takes over.Another example if
Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe. On November 15, 2017, the government of
his country was taken over by the military after 30 years of his sole
possession of national leadership.

2. Opposition is rarely permitted.

Under most dictatorships, opposition to the ruler or ruling party is rarely
permitted. Any public displays of opposition are often met with force, up
to and including death warrants being issued for the individuals involved.
Many dictators even crack down on private displays of opposition.That
means the dictator remains isolated, the society suffers, and people die
because there are no checks and balances allowed in this form of
government – unless the dictator allows it, that is.

3. Laws can be changed at any time.

The speed of implementation that a dictatorship can provide to its society
can be beneficial, but it is often used for harm instead. No process is
required for laws, procedures, or policies to change under this form of
government. The dictator can impose their will on the people at any time
and for any reason.History has shown us, from the Nazis to modern
dictators like Saddam Hussein, that dictators create laws which benefit
them and their friends or allies more than they benefit the average person.
If a person can get themselves into that top socioeconomic tier, then a
dictatorship can seem beneficial. For many, however, the rich get richer
in a dictatorship and the poor eventually wind up dead.

4. The nation becomes isolated, just like the leadership.

Cuba is an excellent example of the isolationism a culture faces when
being ruled by a dictatorship. When Fidel Castro took over the
government, it led to a slow decline of international relationships over the
decades. Some countries implemented complete economic restrictions in
response to Castro’s actions. Some of those economic restrictions have
been eased or eliminated, but the toll on the society has left permanent
scars.At the same time, Castro was hardly bothered by the sanctions. He
could get what he wanted. It was the general population that suffered
because of the actions and decisions of the government.

5. Ruling by fear is a common action within a dictatorship.

Adolf Hitler is believed to have killed a total of 18 million people in a
quest to achieve his vision of perfection. Joseph Stalin is credited with
killing around 40 million people during his reign of power. Mao Zedong
ruled China in the years after World War II and is credited with killing at
least 65 million people.Three dictators responsible for over 100 million
deaths. That is the equivalent to the number of people who died in both
world wars.

6. Personal rights are often restricted, if not completely eliminated.

Within a dictatorship, the goal is to create population control. One
method of accomplishing this is through the creation of a police state.
Another is to restrict or eliminate personal rights of individuals within
that society. Common restrictions involve free speech, access to certain
religions, or even access to the internet. This oppression may work in the
short-term for control, but often creates long-term problems that often
end in violence.

7. It creates a disinterest within the society.

Because there is such oppression of the general population within a
dictatorship, the end result is often a lack of personal initiative.
Individuals become focused on providing the complete obedience that is
required of them so they can maintain a semblance of a life with their
family.Most become indifferent to the government because they lose their
long-term vision in an effort to survive to see another day. Over time, this
creates a government that is one-sided and will eventually fall.

8. Power vacuums can be created instantly.

When a dictator decides to step aside, is killed, or dies of natural causes, a
power vacuum is immediately created within that government. Even if
there is a clear line of succession, such as has been seen in North Korea,
the perception of a power vacuum can create an impression of political
unrest. To reinforce their ruling position, a dictator may decide to take
unilateral actions to eliminate any real or perceived threat to their
leadership.One of the latest examples of this was the murder of Kim
Jong-un’s half-brother in the Kuala Lumpur airport in Malaysia.

9. Innocent people get caught in power struggles.

Mass killings are common in a dictatorship because of the need to
consolidate power. If there is a political rival, any real or perceived
followers of that rival will be eliminated with them. The strict laws can be
changed at a moment’s notice, even in response to a specific individual’s
behavior, to eliminate the idea of innocence through retroactive
application of the law. For that reason, people often flee from a
dictatorship, even if there is a great risk to their life in doing so, because
the risk in fleeing is seen as being less than the risk of staying.The pros
and cons of a dictatorship often focus on the negative for one primary
reason: most dictators have unlimited power and they use it for their own
benefit. In many ways, this form of government is like a laser. If you
point the beam in the correct direction, you can achieve fast and amazing
results. If you hold onto the laser for too long, however, the equipment
can overheat and you can get burned.For a society to see the benefits that
a dictatorship can bring, the ruler or ruling party must be benevolent,
have expertise, be intelligent, and also be selfless. Without these
qualities, oppression is the usual result.

1.5 Some of the world’s famous dictators

1.Adolf Hitler 17. Kim Jong-il

2.Benito Mussolini 18. Enver Hoxha

3.Nicolae Ceausescu 19. Muammar Gaddafi

4.Kim Jong-un 20. Juvénal Habyarimana

5. Saddam Hussein 21. Alexander Lukashenko

6. Jean-Bedel Bokassa  22. Kim Il-sung

7. Fulgencio Batista  23. Idi Amin

8. Francisco Franco 24. António de Oliveira Salazar

9. Pol Pot 25. Yahya Jammeh

10. Ferdinand Marcos 26. Hissène Habré

11. Augusto Pinochet 27. Jorge Rafael Videla

12. Getulio Vargas 28. Jean-Claude Duvalier

13.  Manuel Noriega  29. Efraín Ríos Montt

14. Alfredo Stroessner 31. François Duvalier 

15. Gregorio Álvarez 32. Leopoldo Galtieri 

16. François Tombalbaye

 
1.6 Summary
 Dictatorship is a government system that allows one particular
individual or group with out any limitations.

 There are three types of dictatorship Military dictatorship,One part

dictatorship and Personalist dictatorship.
 Dictatorship and Democracy are two different ideas but with some
common ones too.
 Dictatorship have both good and bad sides but it is more of a bad
system of government.
 Dictators are people who run dictatorship.Not all are bad and not all
are good but they all left a mark.