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For the ancient Roman title, see Roman dictator. For other uses, see dictator (disambiguation).
Benito Mussolini, dictator of Italy from 1922 to 1943.
Joseph Stalin, dictator of the Soviet Union from 1929 to 1953.
Adolf Hitler, dictator of Germany from 1933 to 1945
Mao Zedong, dictator of China from 1949 to 1976.
Augusto Pinochet, dictator of Chile from 1973 to 1990
Saddam Hussein, dictator of Iraq from 1979 to 2003

A dictator is a ruler who wields absolute authority. A state ruled by a dictator is called a dictatorship. The word originated as the title of a magistrate in ancient Rome appointed by the Senate to rule the republic in times of emergency (see Roman dictator and justitium).[1]

Like the term "tyrant" (which was originally a respectable Ancient Greek title), and to a lesser degree "autocrat", "dictator" came to be used almost exclusively as a non-titular term for oppressive, even abusive rule, yet had rare modern titular use.[citation needed]


The term "dictator" is comparable to – but not synonymous with – the ancient concept of a tyrant; initially "tyrant", like "dictator", did not carry negative connotations. A wide variety of leaders coming to power in a number of different kinds of regimes, such as military juntas, single-party states and civilian governments under personal rule, have been described as dictators. They may hold left or right-wing views, or can even be apolitical.

Roman origin[edit]

Main article: Roman dictator
Julius Caesar was a Roman general whose dictatorship was pivotal in Rome's transition from republic to empire.

In the Roman Republic the term "Dictator" did not have the negative meaning it has later assumed. Rather, a Dictator was a person given sole power (unlike the normal Roman republican practice, where rule was divided between two equal Consuls) for a specific limited period, in order to deal with an emergency. At the end of his term, the Dictator was supposed to hand power over to the normal Consular rule and give account of his actions – and Roman dictators usually did.

The term started to get its modern negative meaning with Cornelius Sulla's ascension to the dictatorship following Sulla's second civil war, making himself the first Dictator in more than a century (during which the office was ostensibly abolished) as well as de facto eliminating the time limit and need of senatorial acclamation, although he avoided a major constitutional crisis by resigning the office after about one year, dying a few years later. Julius Caesar followed the example in 49 BC and in February 44 BC was proclaimed Dictator perpetuo, "Dictator in perpetuity", officially doing away with any limitations on his power, which he kept until his assassination the following month.

Garibaldi as a positive dictator[edit]

Still, even in the 19th Century, the term "Dictator" did not always have negative connotations. For example, the Italian revolutionary Garibaldi, during his famous Expedition of the Thousand in 1860, proclaimed himself "Dictator of Sicily", which did not prevent him from being extremely popular in Italian and international public opinion. His usage of the term was clearly derived from the original Roman sense – i.e., a person taking power for a limited time in order to deal with an emergency (in this case, the need to unite Italy) and with the task done Garibaldi handed over power to the government of Victor Emmanuel II of Italy. A few years later, during the Polish January Uprising of 1863, General Romuald Traugutt also bore the title of "Dictator" as an official and positive designation - possibly directly influenced by the then fresh example of Garibaldi.

Garibaldi's case was, however, an exception. In general, the term "dictator" came to be a negative term, not a title used by rulers to call themselves but a term used by the foes of an oppressive ruler. Such was the case with Maximillien Robespierre, whose supporters knew him as "The Incorruptible", while his opponents called him "dictateur sanguinaire", French for "bloodthirsty dictator".

Modern era[edit]

Democracy Index by The Economist, 2012. Countries marked in dark colors are authoritarian, and most often dictatorships. Most current dictatorships are in Africa and Asia.[2]

In popular usage in western nations, "dictatorship" is often associated with brutality and oppression. As a result, it is often also used as a term of abuse for political opponents. The term has also come to be associated with megalomania. Many dictators create a cult of personality and have come to favor increasingly grandiloquent titles and honours for themselves. For instance, Idi Amin Dada, who had been a British army lieutenant prior to Uganda's independence from Britain in October 1962, subsequently styled himself as "His Excellency, President for Life, Field Marshal Al Hadji Doctor[A] Idi Amin Dada, VC,[B] DSO, MC, Conqueror of the British Empire in Africa in General and Uganda in Particular".[3] In the movie "The Great Dictator" (1940), Charlie Chaplin satirized not only Adolf Hitler but the institution of dictatorship itself.

The association between the dictator and the military is a common one; many dictators take great pains to emphasize their connections with the military and often wear military uniforms. In some cases, this is perfectly legitimate; Francisco Franco was a lieutenant general in the Spanish Army before he became Chief of State of Spain; Manuel Noriega was officially commander of the Panamanian Defense Forces. In other cases, the association is mere pretense.

Modern use in formal titles[edit]

Because of the negative associations, modern leaders very rarely (if ever) use the term in their formal titles. In the 19th century, however, official use was more common:

Alexander Lukashenko is commonly referred to as "Europe's Last Dictator"[4]
Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea is Africa's longest serving dictator.[5]
  • Italy
    • In the former city-state Venice, and while it was a republic resisting annexation by either the kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia or the Austrian empire, a former Chief Executive (president, 23 March 1848 – 5 July 1848), Daniele Manin (b. 1804 – d. 1857), was styled Dictator 11–13 August 1848 before joining the 13 August 1848 – 7 March 1849 Triumvirate.[citation needed]
  • Philippines
    • Emilio Aguinaldo, the last President of the Supreme Government Council 23 March 1897 – 16 December 1897 and chairman of the Revolutionary Government from 23 June to 1 November 1897, was dictator from 12 June 1898 – 23 January 1899.[6]
    • Ferdinand Marcos, (September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was a Filipino soldier, lawyer and politician who served as President of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He ruled under martial law from 1972 until 1981 and his regime as dictator was known for corruption, extravagance, and brutality. Public outrage led to the snap elections of 1986 and to the People Power Revolution in February 1986, which removed him from power.
  • Poland
    • Józef Chłopicki was styled Dictator from 5 December 1830 – December 1830 and again in December 1830 – 25 January 1831
    • Jan Tyssowski was Dictator from 24 February 1846 – 2 March 1846.
    • Ludwik Mierosławski was Dictator from 22 January 1863 – 10 March 1863
    • Marian Langiewicz was Dictator from 10 March 1863 – 19 March 1863
    • An Executive Dictatorial Commission of three members existed from 19 March 1863 – 20 March 1863
    • Romuald Traugutt was Dictator from 17 October 1863 – 10 April 1864
  • Russia during the Civil War
  • Pakistan
    • Gen. Ayub Khan - (14 May 1907 –19 April 1974), was the first military dictator and second President of Pakistan. He assumed power in the 1958 Pakistani coup d'état, serving in office until his forced resignation amid a popular uprising in 1969
    • Gen. Pervez Musharraf - (born 11 August 1943), his dictatorial rule started when he seized the control of Nawaz Sharif's 2/3rd popularity government through a military coup d'état in 1999
  • Bangladesh
    • Ziaur Rahman was Bangladesh's first military dictator who after power after the assassination of Bangabandhu and was instrumental in bringing religious fundamentalism into the country.[7]

Human rights abuses[edit]

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, wanted by the ICC for war crimes and crimes against humanity.[8]

Under the dictatorship of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, tens of millions of people were executed, starved to death or imprisoned in Gulag forced-labour camps.[9]

Pol Pot became leader of Cambodia in 1975. In all, an estimated 1.7 million people (out of a population of 7 million) died due to the policies of his three-year dictatorship.[10] As a result, Pol Pot is sometimes described as "the Hitler of Cambodia" and "a genocidal tyrant".[11] Hun Sen is widely viewed as a dictator that has assumed authoritarian power in Cambodia using violence and intimation and corruption to maintain his power base.[12][13][14]


Dictators in game theory[edit]




See also[edit]



  1. ^ n "dictator – Definition from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 2008-08-01. 
  2. ^ Liberty and justice for some at Economist.com
  3. ^ Keatley, Patrick (18 August 2003). "Obituary: Idi Amin". The Guardian (London). Retrieved 2008-03-18. 
  4. ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-20030346
  5. ^ "The Five Worst Leaders In Africa". Forbes. February 9, 2012.
  6. ^ Philippine Legislature:100 Years, Cesar Pobre
  7. ^ Ghosh, Partha S. (1989). Cooperation and conflict in South Asia (1. publ. ed.). New Delhi: Manohar Publications. ISBN 8185054681. 
  10. ^ "Top 15 Toppled Dictators". Time. October 20, 2011.
  12. ^ http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/11/18/speak-truth-cambodias-dictator Retrieved September-29-2013
  13. ^ http://www.economist.com/news/asia/21566658-few-days-centre-stage-hun-sen-cambodias-dictator-may-not-be-entirely-welcome-tenth-out Retrieved September-29-2013
  14. ^ http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/18/us-cambodia-hunsen-analysis-idUSBRE98H04K20130918 Retrieved September-29-2013
  15. ^ "Sudanese dictator Omar al-Bashir faces war crimes charges". The Daily Telegraph. July 14, 2008.
  16. ^ "Idi Amin: a byword for brutality". News24. 2003-07-21. Retrieved 2007-12-02. 
  17. ^ Lloyd, Lorna (2007) p.239


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