Dictator 8409 225891437 2008-07-15T21:55:32Z Sesel 51623 this link is not a serious web site A '''dictator''' is an authoritarian ruler (e.g. [[absolutist]] or [[Autocracy|autocratic]]) who assumes sole power over his or her state, though the term is normally not applied to those who acquire such position by regular constitutional means, such as a hereditary [[absolute monarch]], except to denote personal abuse of power. A government that calls its [[head of state]] a dictator is called a [[dictatorship]]. The word originated as the title of a [[Roman dictator|magistrate]] in [[ancient Rome]] appointed by the [[Roman Senate|Senate]] to rule the republic in times of emergency (see [[Roman dictator]] and ''[[justitium]]''). Like the term [[tyrant]], originally a respectable Ancient Greek title, and to a lesser degree autocrat, it came to be used almost exclusively as a non-titular term for oppressive, even abusive rule, yet had rare modern titular uses. In modern usage, the term "dictator" is generally used to describe a leader who holds and/or abuses an extraordinary amount of personal power, especially the power to make [[law]]s without effective restraint by a [[legislative assembly]]. Dictatorships are often characterized by some of the following traits: suspension of [[election]]s and of [[civil liberties]]; proclamation of a [[state of emergency]]; [[rule by decree]]; [[political repression|repression of political opponents]] without abiding by [[rule of law]] procedures; [[single-party state]], [[cult of personality]], etc. The term "dictator" is comparable to (but not synonymous with) the ancient concept of a tyrant, although 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 junta]]s, [[single-party state]]s and civilian governments under personal rule, have been described as dictators. == Classical era == {{main|Roman dictator}} A [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] dictatora, in times of crisis, was elected by the [[Senate]] to be the sole chief instead of the regular two [[Consuls]]. Uniquely for the Roman Republic their office was not collegial, although they did have a deputy, the [[Master of the Horse]]. They were invested with sweeping authority over the citizens, but their term was usually limited to six months, or the duration of the crisis, and they lacked power over public finances. [[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]] and [[Julius Caesar]], however, exceeded these limitations and governed without these constraints. The Romans abandoned the political office after Caesar's murder, although his political heir [[Augustus]] developed the [[Principate]], constitutionally a lesser status of 'first citizen', into a ''de facto'' dictatorship using different constitutional powers, evolving into the [[Dominate]] with the trappings of a monarchy in all but name. The term "dictator" did not originally possess the odious connotations that it later acquired (compare the change of meaning of the [[Ancient Greece|ancient Greek]] concept of the [[tyrant]], or that of the Roman military title of [[Imperator]]). Furthermore, a nominal dictator was at certain times appointed to perform certain religious formalities, requiring the highest representation of the state, illustrating the high, positively appreciated prestige of the office. == Modern era == Modern dictators have usually come to power in times of emergency. Frequently dictators have seized power by [[coup d'état]] as [[Benito Mussolini]] did in [[Italy]] at the culmination of his [[March on Rome]]. But some dictators, most notably [[Adolf Hitler]] in [[Germany]], achieved office as [[head of government]] by legal means. However, once he was [[Election|elected in office]], Hitler gained additional extraordinary powers. Mainly [[Latin America]]n, [[Asia]]n, and [[Africa]]n nations, especially developing nations, have known many dictatorships, usually by military leaders at the head of a [[Military dictatorship|junta]], either claiming to constitute a [[revolution]] or to reestablish order and stability. 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, for example, [[Henry Clay|Henry Clay's]] dominance in [[United States Congress|Congress]]&mdash;first as [[Speaker of the United States House of Representatives|Speaker of the House]] and later as a member of the [[United States Senate|Senate]]&mdash;led to his nickname, "the Dictator."{{Fact|date=July 2008}} 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|Idi Amin Dada]], who had been a [[United Kingdom|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 Dr. Idi Amin, [[Victoria Cross| VC]], [[Distinguished Service Order|DSO]], [[Military Cross| MC]], Lord of All the Beasts of the Earth and Fishes of the Sea and Conqueror of the [[British Empire]] in Africa in General and Uganda in Particular".{{Fact|date=July 2008}} In "[[The Great Dictator]]" (1940), [[Charlie Chaplin]] satirized not only 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 [[Legitimacy|legitimate]]; [[Francisco Franco]] was a lieutenant general in the [[Spain|Spanish]] Army before he became [[Head of state|Chief of State]] of Spain; [[Manuel Noriega]] was officially commander of the [[Panama]]nian Defense Forces. In other cases, the association is mere pretense. In [[Marxism|Marxist]] ideology the [[dictatorship of the proletariat]] refers to an intermediate stage between [[capitalism]] and pure [[communism]], where the [[proletariat]] as a class must exercise dictatorial power over the bourgeoisie. The term does not refer to power vested in a single individual, but this false interpretation has led to it's use as justifying true dictatorships, such as that by individuals or a political party. == Modern use in formal titles == 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. === Dictator (plain) === <!-- Please note, this is a list of people who USED the term dictator for themselves, not a list of people who are dictators --> * [[Italy]] **In the former doge-state [[Republic of Venice|Venice]], while a republic resisting annexation by either the kingdom of [[Piedmont-Sardinia]] or the Austrian empire, a former Chief Executive (president, [[23 March]] - [[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.{{Fact|date=July 2008}} *[[Peru]] **General [[Simón Bolívar]], the [[17 February]] [[1824]] - [[28 January]] [[1827]] Head of state, was acting Dictator until [[10 February]] [[1825]] when his title changed to ''Libertador'' ('Liberator'), and on [[9 December]] [[1826]] again to President-for-Life.{{Fact|date=July 2008}} *[[Chile]] **[[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]].<ref>Philippine Legislature:100 Years, Cesar Pobre</ref> *[[Poland]] **[[Józef Chlopicki]] 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 Mieroslawski]] 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 **Nazarov was Dictator of the [[Don Cossack Republics]] (which before, since its founding on [[2 December]] [[1917]] at Novocherkassk, had been governed by a [[Triumvirate]] including the last pre-Soviet [[Ataman]], Aleksei Maksimovich Kaledin) from [[11 February]] [[1918]] till [[25 February]] [[1918]] when [[Bolshevik]] troops ended their existence{{Fact|date=July 2008}} **Prince N. Tarkovsky was Dictator of the [[Mountainous Republic of the Northern Caucasus]], from its founding in Western Dagestan on [[11 May]] [[1918]] till the end of the Turkish occupation (September-November 1918).{{Fact|date=July 2008}} === Compound and derived titles === *'''Dictator President''', twice in modern [[Colombia]]: **In [[Antioquia Department|Antioquia]], [[30 July]] [[1813]] to 1 or [[5 March]] [[1814]]: Juan Bautista Antonio María del Corral y Alonso Carriazo; continued to [[7 April]] [[1814]] as one of the Presidents of the State ([[27 July]] [[1811]] - July 1815) **In [[Cartagena de Indias]] (after Presidents of the Supreme Junta of Government since [[13 August]] [[1810]], even before the [[11 November]] [[1811]] declaration of Independence as Province of Cartagena de Indias, [[21 January]] [[1812]] restyled State of Cartagena de Indias; and since [[21 January]] [[1812]] one of them, José María del Real e Hidalgo (d. 1835)), as Governor President of the State), [[1 April]] [[1812]] - [[4 October]] [[1812]]: [[Manuel Rodríguez Torices]] (b. 1788 - d. 1816) *cf. supra (Poland) [[19 March]] [[1863]] - [[20 March]] [[1863]] ''Executive Dictatorial Commission'' of three members * *In [[Paraguay]], in a procession of generally short-lived juntas, the last of the [[Consul]]s of the Republic in power, two Consuls alternating in power every 4 months, [[12 June]] [[1814]] - [[3 October]] [[1814]] José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia y Velasco (2nd time), succeeded himself as the only ever '''Supreme Dictator''' [[3 October]] [[1814]] - [[20 September]] [[1840]] - from [[6 June]] [[1816]] he was styled '''Perpetual Supreme Dictator''' *'''[[Prodittatore]]''' (''plural:'' '''[[Prodittatori]]''') was the title of the [[governor]]s appointed in [[Sicily]] after Garibaldi's conquest of the island (11 May 1860) till shortly before the 12 December 1860 annexation to the Savoy dynasty's [[Kingdom of Sardinia]]: **23 July - September 17, 1860 [[Agostino Depretis]] (b. 1813 - d. 1887) **17 - end September 1860 Antonio Mordini (b. 1819 - d. 1902) == "The benevolent dictator" == {{Unreferencedsection|date=December 2007}} The [[benevolent dictator]] is a more modern version of the classical “[[enlightened]] [[Despotism|despot]]”, being an absolute ruler who exercises his or her political power for the benefit of the people rather than exclusively for his or her own benefit. Like many political classifications, this term suffers from its inherent subjectivity. Such leaders as [[Napoleon Bonaparte]], [[Anwar Sadat]], [[Kaunda|Kenneth Kaunda]], [[Józef Piłsudski]], [[Miklós Horthy]], [[Mustafa Kemal Atatürk]], and [[Omar Torrijos]] have been characterized by their supporters as benevolent dictators.For example some of these people have been democratically elected e.g. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} In Spanish, the word ''[[dictablanda]]'' is sometimes used for a dictatorship conserving some of the liberties and mechanisms of democracy. (The pun is that, in Spanish, ''dictadura'' is “dictatorship”, ''dura'' is “hard” and ''blanda'' is “soft”). Some examples includes [[Yugoslavia]] under [[Josip Broz Tito|Tito]] or [[Spain]] under [[Francisco Franco]]. This contrasts with ''[[democradura]]'' (literally “hard democracy”), characterized by full formal democracy alongside limitations on constitutional freedoms and human rights abuses, frequently within the context of a civil conflict or the existence of an insurgency. Governments in [[Bolivia]], [[Chile]], [[Colombia]], [[Ecuador]], [[El Salvador]], [[Guatemala]], [[Haiti]], [[Mexico]], [[Peru]] and [[Venezuela]] have at various times been considered régimes by different critics and opposition groups, not necessarily with an academic or political consensus about the application of the term emerging. == Dictators in game theory == In [[social choice theory]], the notion of a dictator is formally defined as a person that can achieve any feasible social outcome he/she wishes. The formal definition yields an interesting distinction between two different types of dictators. * ''The strong dictator'' has, for any social goal he/she has in mind (e.g. raise taxes, having someone killed, etc.), a definite way of achieving that goal. This can be seen as having explicit absolute power, like [[Pinochet]]{{Fact|date=October 2007}} in [[Chile]]. * ''The weak dictator'' has, for any social goal he/she has in mind, and for any political scenario, a course of action that would bring about the desired goal. For the ''weak'' dictator, it is usually not enough to "give their orders", rather he/she has to manipulate the political scene appropriately. This means that the ''weak'' dictator might actually be lurking in the shadows, working within a political setup that seems to be non-dictatorial. An example of such a figure is [[Lorenzo de' Medici|Lorenzo the Magnificent]], who controlled Renaissance [[Florence]]. Note that these definitions disregard some alleged dictators, e.g. [[Benito Mussolini]], who are not interested in the actual achieving of social goals, as much as in [[propaganda]] and controlling public opinion. [[Monarch]]s and [[military rule|military dictators]] are also excluded from these definitions, because their rule relies on the consent of other political powers (the [[barons]] or the [[army]]). ==Notes== {{Refimprove|date=July 2008}} {{reflist}} == See also == * [[Dictatorship]] * [[Dictator novel]] * [[Governor-General]] * [[Heads of state timeline]] * [[List of political leaders who suspended the constitution]] * [[List of political leaders who held active military ranks in office]] * [[List of successful coups d'état]] * [[Military rule]] * [[President for life]] * [[Roman dictator]] * [[Rule by decree]] * [[Single party state]] * [[Totalitarianism]] ==External links== * [http://www.worldstatesmen.org/ WorldStatesmen] {{Heads of state}} [[Category:Heads of government]] [[Category:Heads of state]] [[Category:Positions of authority]] [[Category:Titles]] [[Category:Titles of national or ethnic leadership]] [[Category:Dictatorship]] [[Category:Abuse]] [[bs:Diktator]] [[br:Diktatour]] [[bg:Диктатор]] [[cs:Diktátor]] [[da:Diktator]] [[el:Δικτάτορας]] [[eo:Diktatoro]] [[et:Diktaator]] [[fa:دیکتاتور]] [[hr:Diktator]] [[id:Diktator]] [[it:Dittatore]] [[he:דיקטטור]] [[ka:დიქტატორი]] [[lv:Diktators]] [[hu:Diktátor]] [[ja:独裁者]] [[pl:Dyktator]] [[pt:Ditador]] [[ru:Диктатор]] [[simple:Dictator]] [[sk:Diktátor]] [[sl:Diktator]] [[fi:Diktaattori]] [[sv:Diktator]] [[uk:Диктатор]] [[vec:Ditador]] [[zh:獨裁者]]