Dictator

The word dictator or despot in modern times is used to describe an absolute ruler of a country (other than a king). A dictator uses force and fear to keep themself, their friends, and their allies in authority.

They can effectively make laws all by themself. A country that is ruled by a dictator is called a dictatorship.

 History 
The word "dictator" comes from the Roman Republic, where a man would be given absolute power for six to twelve months to handle an emergency. Julius Caesar was the last Roman Dictator.

Some dictators in history have gained political power through by violently taking over the existing government (for example, in a military coup, civil war or revolution). Others won an election, but once in power, they cancelled new elections or changed how they were run to make them unfair for opponents.

Mao Zedong, Muammar Gaddafi, Joseph Stalin and Adolf Hitler are four of the deadliest dictators in history. Pol Pot was perhaps the deadliest: his Cambodian genocide killed nearly a quarter of the people under his rule.

 A Comparison Of Monarchs and Dictators 
Monarchs, often called kings, queens, and emperors are similar to dictators in quite a few ways, including the usage of force and fear too rule over a country. Both dictators and monarchs often start wars and/or kill millions to expand or gain power.

Often times these groups overlap, with many dictatorships having a monarchy structure where the next of kin will become the next dictator upon death of the current dictator.

Many monarchs throughout history fall under dictatorships as they rule with absolute power and authority with no regard for laws. Though this does not mean all monarchs are automatically dictators.

Dictatorships often also have little to no acceptance throughout history, whereas monarchs often are seen as okay as long as they're not ruling with absolute authority and attempting to help their people.

 Related pages 
Despotism
Dictatorship
Junta


Category:Dictatorship
Category:Government occupations