What is a military dictatorship? Definition and examples (2023)

A military dictatorship is a form of government in which the military has most or all of the political power. Military dictatorships may be ruled by a single high-ranking military officer or by a group of such officers. Military dictatorships are notorious for human rights abuses and the denial of political and social freedoms.

Military Dictatorship Definition and Characteristics

In a military dictatorship, military leaders exercise substantial or complete control over the people and government functions. like oneautocraticform of government, a military dictatorship may be ruled by a single strongman whose authority is unlimited, or by a group of high-ranking military officials – a “military junta” – who may to some extent limit the authority of the military.of the dictatorauthority.

During the 19th century, for example, many Latin American countries struggling to reorganize after being freed from Spanish colonial rule allowed military dictators to seize power. These self-proclaimed charismatic leaders, known as "caudillos," used to leadguerrilla armiesit had gained control of territories formerly controlled by the Spanish before turning to vulnerable national governments.

In most cases, military dictatorships come to power after the previous civilian government was overthrown in aRebellion🇧🇷 Usually, the military dictator completely dissolves the civil government. Occasionally, components of the civilian government structure can be restored after a coup, but these are strictly controlled by the military. In Pakistan, for example, while various military dictators held sporadic elections, they did not meet the UN definition of "free and fair." The secrecy of the vote has been periodically compromised and the military authorities frequently deny 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 state of permanent war.national emergencyintended to distract people in constant fear of attack. Military regimes generally ignorehuman rightsand do everything possible to silence political opposition. Ironically, military dictators often justify their rule as a way to protect their people from "harmful" political ideologies. For example, the threat ofcommunism or socialismoften used to justify military regimes inLatin America.

Playing on the public assumption that the military is politically neutral, military dictatorships may attempt to present themselves as the people's “savior” from corrupt and exploitative civilian politicians. For example, many military juntas have adopted titles such as Poland's "National Liberation Committee" in the early 1980s, or Thailand's current "Council for the Maintenance of Peace and Order."

Because their oppressive style of rule often breeds public dissent, military dictatorships often leave the same way they came in: through an actual or impending coup or popular uprising.

Military Boards

A military junta is a coordinated group of high-ranking military personnel running an authoritarian regime ortotalitarianto rule a country after seizing power by force. Meaning "meeting" or "committee," the term junta was first used for Spanish military leaders who resistedof Napoleoninvasion of Spain in 1808 and later the groups that helped to conquer Latin AmericaSpain's independencebetween 1810 and 1825. Like military dictatorships, military juntas often seized power through a coup.

Unlike pure military dictatorships, where 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, military junta leaders can end martial law, wear civilian clothes, and appoint ex-military officers to maintain de facto control over local governments and political parties. Instead of all functions of the national government, the military junta may choose to control a more limited range of areas, such asforeign policyoNational security.

Military dictatorship vs civilian

Unlike a military dictatorship, a civil dictatorship is an autocratic form of government that does not derive its power directly from the military.

Unlike military dictatorships, civilian dictatorships do not have built-in access to an organized support base like an army. Instead, civilian dictators assume and maintain power by controlling a dominant political party and the electoral process or by winning fanatical levels of popular support. Instead of the threat of military force, charismatic civilian dictators use techniques like mass bombing.propagandamipsychological warfarecreate feelings of support andnationalismBetween people. Civil dictatorships that depend on political domination tend to be more durable than cult-supported personalist dictatorships.

Without automatic backing from the military, civilian dictators are less likely to embroil the country in foreign wars and be overthrown in an insurrection or rebellion than are military dictators. Civil dictatorships are also more likely to be replaced bydemocraciesoconstitutional monarchiesthan military dictatorships.

Examples of 20th century military dictatorships

Once common in Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East, the prevalence of military dictatorships has been declining since the early 1990s.collapse of the soviet unionand the end of the Cold War, it became more difficult for military regimes to seize power by using the threat of communism to win the support of powerful Western democracies like the United States.

While Thailand remains the only country currently ruled by a military dictatorship, dozens of other countries were under military rule at some point in the 20th century.

thailand

On May 22, 2014, Thailand's interim government was overthrown in a bloodless coup led by General Prayuth Chan-ocha, commander of the Royal Thai Army. Prayuth established a military junta, the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), to govern the country. The junta repealed the constitution, declared martial law, and banned all forms of political expression. In 2017, the NCPO issued an interim constitution granting itself near-total power and establishing a puppet legislature, which unanimously elected Prayuth as prime minister.

Brazil

From 1964 to 1985, Brazil was controlled by an authoritarian military dictatorship. After seizing power in a coup, Brazilian army commanders, backed by anti-communist interests including the United States, enacted a new constitution that restricted freedom of expression and prohibited political opposition. The military regime won popular support by promoting nationalism, promising economic growth, and rejecting communism. Brazil officially restored democracy in 1988.

Chile

On September 11, 1973, the socialist government of ChileSalvador Allendehe was overthrown by a US-backed coup. For the next 17 years, a military junta headed bygeneral augusto pinochetorchestrated the most brutal period of human rights abuses in Chilean history. During what it called “national reconstruction,” the Pinochet regime banned political participation, executed more than 3,000 suspected dissidents, tortured tens of thousands of political prisoners, and forced an estimated 200,000 Chileans into exile. Although Chile returned to democracy in 1990, the people continue to suffer the effects of Pinochet's military dictatorship in political and economic life.

Argentina

After overthrowing President Isabel Perón in a coup on March 24, 1976, a right-wing military junta ruled Argentina until democracy was restored in December 1983. Operating under the official name of the National Reorganization Process, the The junta persecuted minorities, imposed censorship, and placed all levels of government under military control. During the so-called military dictatorship period of the so-called “Dirty War” in Argentina, around 30,000 citizens were killed or “disappeared”. In 1985, five leaders of the former ruling military junta were convicted of crimes against humanity.

Greece

From 1967 to 1974, Greece was ruled by a far-right military dictatorship known as the Regime of the Colonels. On April 21, 1976, a group of four Greek army colonels overthrew the provisional government in a coup. In the first week of his reign alone, the junta arrested, tortured and exiled more than 6,000 suspected political opponents in the name of protecting Greece from communism. His actions were so swift and brutal that, in September 1967, the European Commission of Human Rights accused Colonel Regime of multiple and serious violations of human rights.

Sources and Reference

• GEDDES, Barbara. "Military Rules."Political Science Annual Review, Volume 17, 2014, https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/full/10.1146/annurev-polisci-032211-213418.
• Merieau, Eugénie. "How Thailand Became the World's Last Military Dictatorship".the atlantic, March 2019, https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2019/03/thailand-military-junta-election-king/585274/.
• SkidmoreThomas E.“The policy of the military regime in Brazil, 1964-1985”.Oxford University Press, 8 March 1990, ISBN-10: 0195063163.
• Agent, Pamela."A Nation of Enemies: Chile under Pinochet".WW Norton & Company, 1993, ISBN 0393309851.
• Lewis, Paulo H."Guerrillas and Generals: The Dirty War in Argentina".Praeger, October 30, 2001, ISBN-10:0275973603.
• Athenian, Richard."Inside the Greece of the colonels".WW Norton, January 1, 1972, ISBN-10: