Mussolini abolished democracy in Italy in 1922 and became a dictator. Italy's Mussolini. During the first half of the 20th century, dictatorships took control of a number of technologically advanced countries. On average, they last twice as long as military dictatorships, but not as long as one-party dictatorships. The required majority needed to remove the sitting government varies between countries but is termed a vote of no confidence. The classification depends on the rules outlining the relationship between a country's government, legislative assembly (often called the legislature), and head of state. The dictator of Italy from 1925 to 1945, Benito Mussolini founded the Fascist Party in 1919. He all but eradicated corruption. [104] A one-party communist dictatorship was formed in Cuba when a US-backed dictatorship was overthrown in the Cuban Revolution, creating the only Soviet-backed dictatorship in the western hemisphere. Olessia Kirtchik, Mariana Heredia, in International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences (Second Edition), 2015. Also, dictatorships . Members of the group will typically make up the elites in a dictator's inner circle at the beginning of a new dictatorship, though the dictator may remove them as a means to gain additional power. [126]This tactic involves policies on land reform, poverty alleviation, public health, housing, education, and employment programs that force citizens to be dependent on the state for relatively adequate living standards. [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. Some of the multi-party states with governing communist parties include Brazil, Nepal, India, and Russia. [119][120][121][122], Most dictatorships exist in countries with high levels of poverty. 1 Norway 2 Iceland 3 Sweden 4 New Zealand 5 Denmark =6 Canada =6 Ireland 8 Australia =9 Switzerland =9 Finland Just like a dictatorship, an autocracy is a government headed by a single ruler (the autocrat) whose decisions are not subject to legal restraints and who exercises unlimited and undisputed power. Secondly, while the term "dictatorship" is widely understood to include inherent abuse of powerthere is arguably no such thing as a benevolent dictatorhistory offers several examples of autocrats who tried to do what was best for their people. [126] For dictatorships, societal compliance is necessary for the ruling entity to maintain its desired order, laws, revenue, and policies. [97], The Middle East was decolonized during the Cold War, and many nationalist movements gained strength post-independence. [22], Military dictatorships are typically formed by a military coup in which senior officers use the military to overthrow the government. Infamous dictators of the world are often thought of as tyrants - leaders who rule with iron fists, cruelty, unflinching authority, and a lack of opposition. Given the degree of censorship and control China's government leverages over its citizens, most political experts would call it a dictatorship. The Soviet economy became unsustainable, and communist governments lost the support of intellectuals. Perhaps someday some of these modern dictatorships will cast off their dictators and embrace a more democratic and inclusive form of government. The leader may be supported by a party or military, but still retains the overwhelming majority of power, especially regarding whom to place in which governmental roles, and relies heavily upon their own charisma to maintain control. It is the seventh largest country in Africa, and is bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean and Luanda is its capital city. Some have been in power for decades, such as President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial New Guinea. ], Based on the regime binary classification idea proposed by Alvarez in 1996,[5] and the Democracy and Development (or DD measure, ACLP dataset) proposed by Przeworski et al. A dictatorship is a type of government in which a single personthe dictatoror party has absolute power. Since 1945 Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East have been common areas for all military dictatorships. [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. [1]:68 The figures at the left show the results in 1988 and 2008. Uganda - 1971 to 1979 - Idi Amin Dada. [79] Fascism developed in Europe as a rejection of liberalism, socialism, and modernism, and the first fascist political parties formed in the 1920s. 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. Current Dictators Kim Jong-un Kim Jong-un is North Korea's current dictator and the third generation Kim to rule the country, following the death of his father Kim Jong-il in 2011. A dictator may have a team of officials who advise him or her and help keep the government running, but these officials ultimately have very little control or influence. 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. [19], Military dictatorships are regimes in which military officers hold power, determine who will lead the country, and exercise influence over policy. Teodoro Obiang Nguesma Mbasogo overthrew his uncle Macias in 1979 in a bloody coup. Cinhil Aymeric Nygel Haldane, 22nd king of Gwynedd who shortly reigned in 1025. [1]:68. [90] These new African governments were marked by severe instability, which provided opportunities for regime change and made fair elections a rare occurrence on the continent. Through the ages, Algeria, officially People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in North Africa on the Mediterranean coast. Democracies can be either parliamentary, semi-presidential, or presidential and dictatorships can be civilian, military, or royal. This may be ensured through incentives, such as distribution of financial resources or promises of security, or it may be through repression, in which failing to support the regime is punished. Nigeria - 1966 to 1975 - Yakubu Gowon. [8], Totalitarianism is a variation of dictatorship characterized by the presence of a single political party and more specifically, by a powerful leader who imposes personal and political prominence. Power is enforced through a steadfast collaboration between the government and a highly developed ideology. Dictatorships seem much more extreme and unethical to people who enjoy the privilege of an outside perspective. In 1989, the Soviet Union was dissolved, and communism was abandoned by the countries of Central and Eastern Europe through a series of revolutions. Adolf Hitler - WORST DICTATOR. Factions or divisions among the elites will mitigate their ability to bargain with the dictator, resulting in the dictator having more unrestrained power. Political control is any tactic through which the state seeks to gain compliance from society. Democracy is broadly understood to mean 'rule by the people'. The 2010 version of Polity data series covers 189 countries from 1800 to 2009. The phrase "fixed term" indicates the once the head of state is chosen, they serve a known and a limited number of years before another election is held, and they cannot be removed from the office in the meantime via a vote of no confidence. The number of countries ruled by military dictatorships began to fall sharply after the end of the Cold War in the early 1990s. Those against dictatorship say personal rights are severely restricted, the system is generally based on force and violence, and it demands complete obedience. Venezuela has a presidential government. Synonyms for DICTATORSHIP: tyranny, autocracy, fascism, authoritarianism, totalitarianism, despotism, absolutism, autarchy; Antonyms of DICTATORSHIP: democracy . Types. Negative effects include the unraveling of social organizations and democratic institutions and the prohibition of other political parties. [29][30] The use of ruling parties also provides more legitimacy to its leadership and elites than other forms of dictatorship[31] and facilitates a peaceful transfer of power at the end of a dictator's rule. [64][65][66], Dictatorship developed as a major form of government in the 19th century, though the concept was not universally seen pejoratively at the time, with both a tyrannical concept and a quasi-constitutional concept of dictatorship understood to exist. They are often unstable, and the average duration of a military dictatorship is only five years, but they are often followed by additional military coups and military dictatorships. Single-party dictatorships were most common during the Cold War, with dominant-party dictatorships becoming more common after the fall of the Soviet Union. [144] Since the end of the Cold War, more dictatorships have established "semi-competitive" elections in which opposition is allowed to participate in elections but is not allowed to win, with approximately two-thirds of dictatorships permitting opposition candidates in 2018. [148], Institutions that coerce the opposition through the use of violence may serve different roles or they may be used to counterbalance one another in order to prevent one institution from becoming too powerful. The . [85] After being defeated in World War II, the far-right dictatorships of Europe collapsed, with the exceptions of Spain and Portugal. The expected result is to coerce citizens into complying with the dictatorships demands in order to benefit from the state-controlled resources. One of its most notable examples was Holodomor, where Joseph Stalin blamed the shortages of grain on "enemies of the state" who hoarded it. [127], Indoctrination is the inculcation of citizens on specific values and ideas beneficial to the dictatorships needs and desires. What countries are currently ruled by dictatorships? Here are fifteen of the worst dictators from the 20 th century and what makes them stand out for censure. Fidel Castro was one of the most iconic latin american dictators, who lived in the 20th century. [31], Personalist dictatorships are regimes in which all power lies in the hands of a single individual. [1] Popularly elected means that the head of state is directly elected by the citizens or elected by an assembly which then elects them (an example being the electoral college in the United States). Its capital and most populous city is Algiers. This is often done via questionable means, including intimidation, imprisonment (lawful or not), physical violence, or even assassination. Deadliest Dictator Regimes in History Maoist Catastrophe Between 1946 and 1976, China suffered under the rule of Mao Zedong, a communist revolutionary who founded the People's Republic of China. Democracies are classified by the rules in which executives can be appointed or removed and can be either presidential, mixed or semi-presidential, or parliamentary. Nazi and fascist regimes in Europe, Communist single-party states, military juntas in Latin America and . Many others developed following a period of warlordism. 5. Most caudillos came from a military background, and their rule was typically associated with pageantry and glamor. Perhaps someday some of these modern dictatorships will cast off their dictators and embrace a more democratic and inclusive form of government. This is a list of famous examples of fascism across history. An alternation in power under electoral rules identical to the ones that brought the incumbent to office must have taken place. Skyline of Downtown Dubai with Burj Khalifa from a Helicopter. [131] A military coup is often carried out when a regime is threatening the country's stability or during periods of societal unrest. But for today, these are the world's dictatorships. In Germany, the head of state is elected by regional legislatures and not popularly elected. The type of dictatorship a country is ruled by typically comes down to the methods the dictator used to obtain power and how they go about maintaining it. Dictatorships have shallow levels of freedom. [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. Democracy-Dictatorship (DD),[1] index of democracy and dictatorship[2] or simply the DD index[3] or the DD datasets was the binary measure of democracy and dictatorship first proposed by Adam Przeworski et al. Semi-competitive elections also have the effect of incentivizing members of the ruling party to provide better treatment of citizens so they will be chosen as party nominees due to their popularity. Brion Donal Cinhil Urien Haldane, 25th king of Gwynedd, reigned 1095 to 1120. They are in civil war, but the dictator is. Hybrid dictatorships blend elements of the other four types. Despite repeated promises to leave office in 2024 (when his term limit is reached), Putin spearheaded a 2020 constitutional amendment enabling him to remain in power until 2036. Hybrid dictatorships are regimes that have a combination of these classifications. This is thanks to an oil boom that enriched his family at the expense of the Equatorial Guinea citizens. [33] A ruling party in a one-party dictatorship may rule under any ideology or it may have no guiding ideology. [26] Ruling parties in one-party dictatorships are distinct from political parties that were created to serve a dictator in that the ruling party in a one-party dictatorship permeates every level of society. Some of the principal drivers of indoctrination are mass education policies, propaganda, and censorship. [8]:465 Some countries, such as Greece and Bulgaria, stipulate who the head of state chooses as head of government. However, many people in long-running dictatorships such as North Korea and Cameroon have never experienced anything else, so living in a dictatorship is much less jarring and shocking to them. [67] In Europe it was often thought of in terms of Bonapartism and Caesarism, with the former describing the military rule of Napoleon and the latter describing the imperial rule of Napoleon III in the vein of Julius Caesar. [11], A dictatorship is formed when a specific group seizes power, with the composition of this group affecting how power is seized and how the eventual dictatorship will rule. Adolf Hitler known for his Nazi party and the barbarities and fierceness during his autocracy rule. Chad. 10. Power is obtained and passed on through family connections. Due to it, the countries went towards dictatorship. Under this system, there are three types of dictatorships. There are currently 22 dictators in Africa, some worse than others. Far-left and far-right dictatorships used similar methods to maintain power, including cult of personality, concentration camps, forced labour, mass murder, and genocide. This article focuses on the five communist countries that are still adherent to Marxism-Leninism. [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. Africa has several long-standing dictators despite the fact that the continent as a whole is quite volatile politically. The dictatorship of Francisco Franco in Spain , from 1939 to 1975. The DD index first classifies the regimes into two types: democracies and dictatorships. The deadliest dictatorships are discussed below. Current dictatorships include Russia, Equatorial New Guinea, and North Korea. This means that the ruler or party has complete control. A dictatorship is an authoritarian structure of government. [8]:457 Elected heads of state are usually referred to as "president." [54], Asia saw several military dictatorships during the post-classical era. The Countries with Dictatorships in the Modern World As of 2020, there are 52 nations with a dictator or authoritarian regime ruling the country: Three in Latin America and South America, 27 in Asia and the Middle East, and 22 in Africa. 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. List of Cons of Dictatorships. Today, they are "elected," as true democracies helplessly look on . 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. The People's Republic of China is currently ruled by President Xi Jinping, who also serves as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, Chairman of the Central Military Commission, the country's Vice President, the President of the Central Party School, and the 1st ranked member of the CPC Politburo Standing Committee. The Democracy-Dictatorship Index is seen as an example of the minimalist approach, whereas the Polity data series is more substantive. A totalitarian government has "total control of mass communications and social and economic organizations". Like right-wing, it is not a copyrighted term. The premise of the "people's democratic dictatorship" is that the Chinese Party of China and the state represent and act on behalf of the people, but possess and may use powers against reactionary forces. Syria - Well, it depends. China's constitution calls its government a "people's democratic dictatorship." (Dictator of Italy and Principal Founder of Fascism Who Was Prime Minister of Italy from 1922 to 1943.) Terrible things have been done in the name of socialism and here are some of the most rigorous dictators. The fascist dictatorship of Benito Mussolini in Italy , from 1943 to 1945. Source by babeltravel. [148], Terrorism is less common in dictatorships. [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". Other countries with dictatorships and authoritarian rule, such as Cuba, Syria, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Belarus, could also be considered totalitarian governments. [101] Albania was established as a communist dictatorship under Enver Hoxha in 1944. Personalist regimes diverge from other regimes when it comes to their longevity, methods of breakdown, levels of corruption, and proneness to conflicts. Democracy and Dictatorship: Conceptualization and Measurement", "Democracy and Dictatorship: Conceptualization and Measurement", Divergent Incentives for Dictators: Domestic Institutions and (International Promises Not to) Torture, "Cooperation, Cooptation, and Rebellion Under Dictatorships", "How Foreign Aid Can Foster Democratization in Authoritarian Regimes", "Tyrants and Terrorism: Why Some Autocrats are Terrorized While Others are Not", "Dictatorship: Modern Tyranny Between Leviathan and Behemoth (Version 2.0) (english version)", 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198716204.001.0001, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dictatorship&oldid=1142733963, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using sidebar with the child parameter, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. 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. Elections allow a dictatorship to exercise some control over the opposition by setting the terms under which the opposition challenges the regime. While Latin America, Asia, and Africa were already dictatorship countries, they differed from the dictatorships formed in what became known as the Eastern Bloc. REUTERS/Myo Kyaw Soe. For example, DD could classify a country which has a legislative assembly whose official name is "the parliament" but still classify it in any of the three categories. [145] 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. United Arab Emirates 2.69/10. [107] Dictatorships are often recipients of foreign aid on the condition that they make advances toward democratization. [40] Personalist dictatorships often collapse with the death of the dictator. The Freedom in the World report evaluates the state of freedom in 195 countries and 14 territories, assigning a score between 0 and 4 in a series of 25 indicators to give a final score of 100. Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi C Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Central African Republic Chad Chile China Colombia Comoros Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Costa Rica Cte d'Ivoire Croatia Cuba Cyprus As of early 2022, the countries of Afghanistan, Eritrea, North Korea, and Turkmenistan are the only nations in the world whose governments are generally considered to be totalitarian dictatorships. Totalitarianism is a form of autocracy in which the state has total control over its citizens. Though the most recent data set is only updated for 2008, there is planning by Cheibub to update it to the . Dictatorships are authoritarian or totalitarian and can be classified as military dictatorships, one-party dictatorships, personalist dictatorships, or absolute monarchies. Argentina and Mexico are the countries with Dictatorship as a government form. Therefore, it is impossible to know if the regime is a democracy or a dictatorship, so DD Index considers them dictatorships until an alternation in power occurs. [98], One of the tasks in political science is to measure and classify regimes as either democracies or dictatorship (authoritarian) countries. Unfortunately, democracy is still shaky in many countries, a number of which are fighting violent religious insurrections, and the likelihood of any fallen dictator being quickly replaced by another dictator is high. With a total area of 2,381,741 square kilometres, 90% of which is desert, Algeria is the tenth-largest country in the world, and the largest in Arab world and Africa and on the Mediterranean.