Dictatorship

Dictatorship, in contemporary usage, refers to absolute rule by a leadership (usually one dictator) unrestricted by law, constitutions, or other social and political factors within the state.

The 20th century

Interwar era

In the twentieth century, dictatorship has been an essential pillar of single-party states, military regimes, and other forms of authoritarianism.

Related Topics:
Single-party state - Military regimes - Authoritarianism

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In the interwar era (between the First World War and the Second World War), fascist regimes, such as Mussolini's Italy and Hitler's Germany, incorporated principles of dictatorship with a single-party state, mass mobilization and regimentation of social and economic activity, and arbitrary exercise of police power. The prototype of the fascist dictatorship was fashioned in Italy after 1922, and later emulated by Nazi Germany (beginning in 1933), as well as by a number of other fascist or quasi-fascist European governments during the 1930s. Fascist dictatorships were dealt a fatal blow by the defeat of the Axis Powers in World War II.

Related Topics:
First World War - Second World War - Fascist - Mussolini - Hitler's - 1922 - Nazi Germany - 1933 - 1930s - Axis Powers

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Also during the interwar era, the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin fused dictatorship with single-party rule, mass mobilization, and arbitrary use of power. Stalin was the first modern dictator who created himself a cult of personality. The Soviet Union emerged victorious in the Second World War and entered a new phase after Stalin's death, by shifting from a personal dictatorship to a collective leadership.

Related Topics:
Soviet Union - Joseph Stalin - Cult of personality

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Postwar era

In the postwar era (that is, after the Second World War), dictatorships formed in many newly independent countries. In the case of most African or Asian former colonies, after achieving their independence in the postwar wave of decolonization, presidential regimes were gradually transformed into personal dictatorships. These regimes often proved unstable, with dictators being frequently overthrown and replaced in coups. Military dictatorships were very common, particularly in Latin America and Africa.

Related Topics:
Decolonization - Dictator - Coup - Military dictatorship - Latin America

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