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A military dictatorship is a dictatorship wherein the military exerts complete or substantial control over political authority.

A military dictatorship is different from civilian dictatorship 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. For example, many juntas adopt titles such as "Committee of National Restoration", or "National Liberation Committee". Military leaders often rule as a junta, selecting one of themselves as a head.^[1]

Occasionally military dictatorship is called khakistocracy.^[2][3][4] The term is a portmanteau word combining kakistocracy with khaki, the tan-green camouflage colour used in most modern army uniforms.

Creation and evolution[edit]

Most military dictatorships are formed after a coup d'état has overthrown the previous government.

Military dictatorships may gradually restore significant components of civilian government while the senior military commander still maintains executive political power. In Pakistan, ruling Generals Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq (1977–1988) and Pervez Musharraf (1999–2008) have held referendums to elect themselves President of Pakistan for additional terms forbidden by the constitution.

Justification[edit]

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, socialism, 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 or a permanent state of emergency.

Past cases[edit]

Africa[edit]

Mengistu Haile Mariam, Aman Mikael Andom and Atnafu Abate, leaders of the Ethiopian military junta

1. 
    Algeria (1965–1976; 1992–1994)


2. 
    Benin (1963–1964; 1965–1968; 1969–1970; 1972–1975)


3. 
    Burkina Faso (1966–2015)


4. 
    Burundi (1966–1974; 1976–1979; 1987–1992)


5. 
    Central African Republic (1966–1979; 1981–1986; 2003–2005; 2013–2014)


6. 
    Chad (1975–1979; 1982–1990)


7. 
    Ciskei (1990–1994)


8. 
    Comoros (1999–2002)


9. 
    Democratic Republic of the Congo (1965–1997)


10. 
     Republic of the Congo (1968–1969; 1977–1979)


11. 
     Côte d'Ivoire (1999–2000)


12. 
     Egypt (1953–1956; 2011–2012; 2013-2014)


13. 
     Equatorial Guinea (1979–1987)


14. 
     Ethiopia (1974–1987)
    
    

    
    

    
    Zairean President Mobutu Sese Seko
    

    
    
    
    


15. 
     The Gambia (1994–1996)


16. 
     Ghana (1966–1969; 1972–1975; 1975–1979; 1981–1993)


17. 
     Guinea (1984–1990; 2008–2010)


18. 
     Guinea-Bissau (1980–1984; 1999; 2003; April 12, 2012 – May 11, 2012)


19. 
     Lesotho (1986–1993, 2014)


20. 
     Liberia (1980–1986, 1990–1997, 2003–2006)


21. 
     Libya (1969–1977; 1977–2011)


22. 
     Madagascar (1972–1976)


23. 
     Mali (1968–1992; March 21, 2012 – April 12, 2012)


24. 
     Mauritania (1978–1979; 1979–1992; 2005–2007; 2008–2009)


25. 
     Niger (1974–1989; 1996; 1999; 2010–2011)


26. 
     Nigeria (1966–1975; 1975–1979; 1983–1985; 1985–1993; 1993–1998; 1998–1999)


27. 
     Rwanda (1973–1975)


28. 
     São Tomé and Príncipe (1995; 2003)


29. 
     Sierra Leone (1967–1968; 1992–1996; 1997–1998)


30. 
     Somalia (1969–1976; 1980–1991)


31. 
     Sudan (1958–1964; 1969–1971; 1985–1986; 1989–1993)


32. 
     Togo (1967–1979)


33. 
     Transkei (1987–1994)


34. 
     Uganda (1971–1979; 1985–1986)


35. 
     Venda (1990–1994)


36. 
     Zimbabwe (2017–2018)

North and Central America[edit]

Manuel Noriega of Panama

1. 
    Costa Rica (1868–1870; 1876–1882; 1917–1919)


2. 
    Cuba (1933; 1952–1959)


3. 
    Dominican Republic (1899; 1930–1961; 1963–1966)


4. 
    El Salvador (1885–1911; 1931–1982)


5. 
    Guatemala (1944–1945; 1954–1957; 1957–1966; 1970–1986)


6. 
    Haiti (1950–1956; 1956–1957; 1986–1990; 1991–1994)


7. 
    Honduras (1956–1957; 1963–1971; 1972–1982; 2009–2010)


8. 
    Mexico (1835–1846 ; 1876; 1877–1880; 1884–1911; 1913–1914; 1929–2000)


9. 
    Nicaragua (1937–1956; 1967–1979)


10. 
     Panama (1903–1904; 1968–1989)

South America[edit]

Paraguay's President Alfredo Stroessner

1. 
    Argentina (1930–1932; 1943–1946; 1955–1958; 1966–1973; 1976–1983)


2. 
    Bolivia (1839–1843; 1848; 1857–1861; 1861; 1864–1872; 1876–1879; 1899; 1920–1921; 1930–1931; 1936–1940; 1946–1947; 1951–1952; 1964–1966; 1970–1979; 1980–1982)


3. 
    Brazil (1889–1894; 1930; 1964–1985)


4. 
    Chile (1924–1925; 1925; 1932; 1973–1990)


5. 
    Colombia (1854; 1953–1958)


6. 
    Ecuador (1876–1883; 1935–1938; 1947; 1963–1966; 1972–1979; 2000)


7. 
    Paraguay (1940–1948; 1954–1989; 1989–1993)


8. 
    Peru (1842–1844; 1865–1867; 1872; 1879–1881; 1914–1915; 1930–1939; 1948–1956; 1962–1963; 1968–1980; 1992–2000)


9. 
    Suriname (1980–1988)


10. 
     Uruguay (1865–1868; 1876–1879; 1933–1938; 1973–1985)


11. 
     Venezuela (1858–1859; 1859–1861; 1861–1863; 1908–1913; 1922–1929; 1931–1935; 1948–1958)

Asia[edit]

Thailand's Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha in 2014

Chinese Nationalist Leader Chiang Kai Shek in 1940

1. 
    Afghanistan (1978–1986)


2. 
    Bangladesh (1975–1981; 1982–1990; 2007-2008)


3. 
    Brunei (1962)


4. 
    Burma (Myanmar) (1962–1974; 1988–2011)


5. 
    Khmer Republic (1970–1975)


6. 
    Indonesia (1967–1998)


7. 
   Iran (1953–1957; 1978–1979)


8. 
    Iraq (1933–1935; 1937–1938; 1949–1950; 1952–1953; 1958–1963; 1963–1979)


9. 
   Empire of Japan (1940–1945)


10. 
     South Korea (1961–1963, 1980)


11. 
    Kingdom of Laos (1959–1960; 1964)


12. 
    Maldives (1988–1989)


13. 
     Pakistan (1958–1969; 1969–1971; 1977–1988; 1999–2008)


14. 
     Philippines (1898, 1972–1981)


15. 
     Syria (1949; 1951–1954; 1961–1972)


16. 
    Republic of China (1927–1949)/Republic of China (Taiwan) (1949–1987)


17. 
     Thailand (1933; 1947–1948; 1951; 1957; 1958–1969; 1971–1973; 1976–1979; 1991–1992; 2006–2008; 2014–2019)


18. 
     South Vietnam (1963–1967)


19. 
     North Yemen (1962–1967; 1974–1977; 1977–1978; 1978; 1978–1982)

Europe[edit]

Spanish leader Francisco Franco in 1975

1. 
   Kingdom of Bulgaria (1923–1926; 1934–1944; 1944–1946)


2. 
   Cyprus (1974)


3. 
   Kingdom of England (1653–1658)


4. 
    France (1852-1870; 1870–1871)


5. 
   German Empire (1916–1918)


6. 
    Greece (1925–1926; 1967–1974)


7. 
    Poland (1926–1935, and after his death to 1939; socialism in Poland 1944–1947; and social-communism in Poland 1948–1989; especially 1981–1983)


8. 
    Portugal (1926–1933; 1933–1974)


9. 
   Kingdom of Romania (1936–1940, 1940–1944)


10. 
    Russian Empire (1918–1920)


11. 
    San Marino (1957)


12. 
     Spain (1923–1930; 1936–1975)


13. 
     Turkey (Young Turkish government 1909–1918; 1919–1923; 1938–1945; 1960–1961; 1971–1973; 1980–1983)


14. 
    Ukraine (1918)

Oceania[edit]

1. 
    Fiji (1987–1999; 2006–2014)

See also[edit]

• Military rule (disambiguation)


• Stratocracy


• Films depicting Latin American military dictatorships


• Military junta


• List of political leaders who held active military ranks in office

References[edit]