List of dictators

The following is a list of national leaders (heads of state and/or heads of government) commonly regarded as modern dictators. This usage usually carries a pejorative sense and refers to a ruler who:

* Rules by decree, via an Enabling Act or similar laws passed by a legislature allowing him to do so;
* is an absolute ruler of a sovereign state, usually appointed, but without hereditary ascension;
* governs outside the otherwise accepted rule of law;
* commonly (but not necessarily) gaining power through fraud, a coup d'état, resorting to either again to continue in power;
* may develop a cult of personality;
* may be autocratic, oppressive, despotic or tyrannical.

Some so-called "benevolent dictators" may be viewed as beneficial and their leadership seen as a "necessary evil". The modern usage of the term 'dictator' developed largely in response to instances of autocratic rule in republics, so traditional monarchs are not usually described as dictators in historical commentary. Also excluded from this list are those who held absolute power during national emergencies, but restored the rule of law soon thereafter. Otherwise those included have been widely cited by historians or described by the media as dictators. Any controversy surrounding such characterisation is mentioned in the notes.

The list is sorted according to when each dictator began their years in power. This refers to any years in office as a head of state, government or the like before their dictatorship was established. Any years of elected and judicial rule may be indicated parenthetically.

## Contents

* 1 Africa
* 2 The Americas
* 2.1 North America
* 2.2 Central America
* 2.3 South America
* 2.4 Caribbean
* 3 Asia
* 3.1 Western Asia ("Middle East")
* 3.2 Central Asia
* 3.3 South Asia
* 3.4 Eastern Asia ("Far East")
* 4 Eurasia
* 4.1 Western Asia ("Middle East") and Southern/Eastern Europe
* 5 Europe
* 6 Oceania
* 7 Quotes
* 7.1 Quotes from Stalin
* 7.2 Quotes from Lenin
* 7.3 Quotes from Trudeau
* 8 See also
* 9 External links

## Africa[edit]

Name  |  Country  |  Years
in power  |  Notes

|
|
|

Gamal Abdel Nasser |  Egypt |  1954–1970  |  Prime Minister of Egypt 1954-1962; President of Egypt 1956-1970. Part of a group of officers in control of Egypt after the coup against British supported King Farouk in 1952; In February 1954, Nasser forced[Citation Needed] President Muhammad Naguib to appoint him prime minister and give up most practical power to him; later in that year Naguib resigned and Nasser became president by self-appointment; elected by popular vote (as only candidate) in 1956, and subsequently. Many personalistic elements to Nasser's rule, but nominal parliamentary system under Nasser's 1956-1970 presidency[Citation Needed], until his death in 1970.
Ahmed Sékou Touré |  Guinea |  1958–1984  |  President of Guinea. Widely described as a dictator (see [1], [2]) with estimates of up to 50,000 extrajudicial killings during his rule (see [3]) and 250,000 Guineans fleeing his rule ([4]).
David Dacko |  Central African Republic |  1960–1966
1979–1981  |  President of the Central African Republic. Banned opposition (see [5]); Gained power by coup in 1979, though subsequently stood for election (see [6]).
Kwame Nkrumah |  Ghana |  1960–1966  |  Created an single-party-system. Described himself as "African Lenin".
Modibo Keita |  Mali |  1960–1968  |  Schoolteacher and first President of Mali. Forced socialization and extensive protectionism severely harmed the economy and continued the country's dependence on aid donors. Discontent with these policies led Keita to implement his own "Cultural Revolution" and establish a network of people's militias to inform on and punish dissent. In the last few years of his presidency, full powers were vested in an extralegal "National Committee for Defense of the Revolution". He was deposed in a military coup.
François Tombalbaye |  Chad |  1960–1975  |  Head of State 1960-1962; President of Chad 1962-1975. Never fought a contested election; imprisoned opposition leaders. Launched a "Cultural Revolution" in the early 1970s encouraging authenticité.
Félix Houphouët-Boigny |  Côte d'Ivoire |  1960–1993  |  President of Côte d'Ivoire. Ruled until 1990 with all opposition banned, but not considered particularly repressive. Relocated the official capital to his home village of Yamoussoukro and constructed the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukro, the largest religious structure in Africa.
Milton Obote |  Uganda |  1962–1972
1980–1985  |  Prime Minister of Uganda 1962-1966; President of Uganda 1966-1971 and 1980-1985. Suspended the constitution and declared himself President and Prime Minister in 1966.
Hastings Kamuzu Banda |  Malawi |  1963–1994  |  Prime Minister of Malawi 1963-1966; President of Malawi 1966-1994. Banned all opposition in 1966; declared himself President for Life in 1971; exiled and killed opposition leaders. Ordered that a letter bomb be sent to exiled opposition leader Attati Mpakati; suspected of being involved in the car crash deaths of senior Congress Party leaders; violently crushed an attempted rebellion. Aged 98, he allowed and lost a free election in 1994.
Kenneth Kaunda |  Zambia |  1964–1991  |  President of the Republic of Zambia 1964-1991.Elected 1964, banned all political parties in Zambia, viewed himself as "WAMUYAYA" (eternal President).Accused of torturing political opponents.Defeated by Frederick Chiluba in 1991.
Houari Boumediene |  Algeria |  1965–1978  |

President of Algeria from June 19, 1965 to his death, (December 27, 1978; Chairman of the Revolutionary Council until December 12, 1976).
In June 1965, Boumédienne seized power in a bloodless coup. Initially lacking a personal power base, he was seen as a weak ruler. But after a botched coup attempt against him by military officers in 1967 he tightened his rule, and then remained Algeria's undisputed ruler until his death in 1978.

Jean-Bédel Bokassa |  Central African Republic |  1966–1979  |  President of the Central African Republic 1966-1976; Emperor Bokassa I of the Central African Empire 1976-1979. Bokassa overthrew the autocratic Dacko in a swift coup d'état and assumed power as president of the Republic and head of the sole political party, the Mouvement pour l'évolution sociale de l'Afrique Noire (MESAN). Bokassa abolished the constitution of 1959 on January 4 and began to rule by decree. He proclaimed himself emperor in 1976 (see [7]).
Gnassingbé Eyadéma |  Togo |  1967–2005  |  President of Togo. Gained power in a coup; never fought a contested election until 1998; banned, tortured and killed opposition. Fostered a cult of personality that was reinforced after he was the sole survivor of an airplane crash in 1974. In late 1991, troops loyal to Eyadéma closed a constitutional conference that had shifted most executive power to a new transitional government and banned Eyadéma's RPT party. January 1993 saw a mass exodus of residents to neighboring states after security forces fired on pro-democracy demonstrators. Further repression followed a purported 1994 coup attempt (see [8]).
Omar Bongo |  Gabon |  1967–2009  |  As vice president, he acceded to the presidency following the death of President Léon M'ba. In 1968, Bongo decreed a one-party state under his Gabonese Democratic Party and was thrice elected unopposed in the 1970s and 1980s. He became very wealthy during the country's oil boom. Open elections were held in 1990 and Bongo was re-elected in 1993, 1998 and 2005. Observers have criticized the elections as unfair and corruption watchdogs have accused the president of nepotism. Riots resulting from the mysterious death in 1990 of prominent dissident Joseph Rendjambe in a government hotel room were put down by French troops.
Moussa Traoré |  Mali |  1968–1991  |  Chairman of the Military National Liberation Committee 1968-1969; Head of State 1969-1979; President of Mali 1979-1991. Seized power in a coup; banned all opposition; installed a police state; established one-party state in 1979.
Francisco Macías Nguema |  Equatorial Guinea |  1968–1979  |  President of Equatorial Guinea 1968-1979. Elected in 1968 but declared himself President for Life in 1972; "extreme personality cult"; over a third of population fled his regime. Banned fishing and sanctioned the deaths of most of his pre-independence political rivals, including ex-prime minister Bonifacio Ondó Edu and foreign minister Atanasio Ndongo Miyone. Declared an atheist state by Spanish dictator Francisco Franco. As many as 50,000 civilians were killed, in particular those of the Bubi ethnic minority on Bioko associated with relative wealth and intellectualism.
Gaafar Nimeiry |  Sudan |  1969–1985  |  Chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council 1969-1971; President of Sudan 1971-1985. Gained power in a military coup, banned opposition, dissolved southern Sudanese government, imposed sharia law. Executed several leading communists (the most prominent being Abdel Khaliq Mahjub and Joseph Garang) after a botched 1971 coup attempt.
Mohamed Siad Barre |  Somalia |  1969–1991  |  Chairman of the Supreme Revolutionary Council 1969-1976; President of Somalia 1976-1991. In 1969, during the power vacuum following the assassination of President Abdirashid Ali Shermarke, the military staged a coup and took over. Barre was to rule for the next twenty-two years. He attempted to develop a personality cult; large posters of him were common in the capital Mogadishu during his reign, many of which can still be seen today. He dreamed of a "Greater Somalia" and tried unsuccessfully to annex the Ogaden—legally Ethiopian territory—in 1977 to realize this end (see Ogaden War).
Anwar Sadat | Egypt | 1970-1981  |  President of Egypt 1970-1981. Unelected, suppressed opposition in what was termed "The Corrective Revolution". Assassinated.
Idi Amin |  Uganda |  1971–1979  |  President of Uganda, later (1976) declared as for Life. Deposed in 1979 after declaring war on Tanzania.
Mengistu Haile Mariam |  Ethiopia |  1974–1991  |  Chairman of the Provisional Military Administrative Council (Derg) in 1974 and 1977-1987; President of Ethiopia 1987-1991. One-party state; repression of opposition; tens of thousands of extrajudicial killings.
Olusegun Obasanjo |  Nigeria |  1976-1979  |  Head of the Federal Military Government of Nigeria between 1976 and 1979. Elected President of Nigeria in 1999. Chairman of the African Union 2004-2006.
Jean-Baptiste Bagaza |  Burundi |  1976–1987  |  President of Burundi. Widely described as a military dictator (see [9], [10]).
Albert René |  Seychelles |  1977–2004  |  President of Seychelles. Deposed the elected president Sir James Mancham and promulgated a one-party constitution after a period of rule by decree. Created the National Youth Service (NYS), a compulsory educational institution that included traditional curricula interlaced with political indoctrination and paramilitary training.
Daniel arap Moi |  Kenya |  1978–2002  |  President of Kenya. Changed constitution to establish a de jure one-party state; resorted to repressive rule, including torture and imprisonment without trial.
Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo |  Equatorial Guinea |  1979–present |  Chairman of the Supreme Military Council 1979-1982; President of Equatorial Guinea 1982–present. Deposed his uncle in a violent coup; opposition is banned in all but name.
José Eduardo dos Santos |  Angola |  1979–2017  |  President of Angola. One-party state; did not stand for election until 1992 (see [11]).
João Bernardo Vieira |  Guinea-Bissau |  1980–1984 (dictator)
2005–2009 (democratically elected)  |  become president by a coup. killing and exiled opposition. faoumes for the Guinea-Bissau Civil War.
Samuel K. Doe |  Liberia |  1980–1990  |  Chairman of the People's Redemption Council 1980-1984; President of Liberia 1984-1990. Gained power in a military coup that killed President William R. Tolbert, Jr., a reformer. Promoted Krahn chauvinism and "died a multi-millionaire and proud owner of mansions and estates" (see [12]).
Robert Mugabe |  Zimbabwe |  1980–2017  |

Gained power through election, and repeatedly re-elected, but criticized for steps used to maintain power. From 1999 on, used police and militant groups like the War Veterans Association and Border Gezi Youth to enforce ZANU-PF policies and to prevent opponents from voting; called "king" by his aides.[13] Arrested and tortured opponents and human rights activists; gave amnesty to murderers of his political opponents in 2000; ignores court rulings.[14]

Jerry Rawlings |  Ghana |  1981–1992  |  Gained power in a military coup during 1979 but handed it over. Re-took power in another coup of 1981. Elected President in 1992 and again in 1996 before standing aside as per the constitution.
André Kolingba |  Central African Republic |  1981–1993  |  Chairman of the Military Committee of National Recovery 1981-1985; President of the Central African Republic 1985-1993. Gained power in a coup; persecuted opposition; allowed (and lost) free elections in 1993. Attempted second coup in 2001.
Hosni Mubarak | Egypt |  1981-2011  |  Former President of Egypt. Did not stand in a contested election until 2005, when a highly restricted democratic process was allowed. Was forced from power after a series of mass protests.
Paul Biya |  Cameroon |  1982–present |  He served under President Ahmadou Ahidjo and became Prime Minister in 1975. Ahidjo resigned on November 6, 1982 and Biya became president. After years of totalitarian rule, he allowed the creation of opposition parties in 1990 but his re-elections have been marked by widespread fraud and intimidation.
Hissène Habré |  Chad |  1982–1990  |  Chairman of the Council of State 1982; President of Chad 1982-1990. Gained power in a coup; abolished post of Prime Minister; executed opposition leaders.
Thomas Sankara |  Burkina Faso |  1983–1987  |  President of Upper Volta 1983-1984; President of Burkina Faso 1984-1987. Gained power in coup. Lead military regime. Overthrown and killed in coup.
Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya |  Mauritania |  1984–2005  |  Deposed the military head of state, Mohamed Khouna Ould Haidalla, on December 1984 and declared himself Chairman of the Military Committee for National Salvation. Deposed by Ely Ould Mohamed Vall in a bloodless coup d'état.
Ibrahim Babangida |  Nigeria |  1985–1993  |  Annulled the most free and fair presidential election in the history of Nigeria, leading to the death of the presidenstial candidate Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola.
Zine El Abidine Ben Ali |  Tunisia |  1987–2011  |  President of Tunisia. Although he announced political pluralism in 1992, his Democratic Constitutional Rally (formerly Neo-Destour party) continues to dominate the national politics and there is no genuine open political debate. In 1999, although two unknown alternative candidates were permitted for the first time to stand in the presidential elections, Ben Ali was re-elected with 99.66% of the vote. A controversial constitutional referendum in 2002 allowed him to seek re-election and contemplate the possibility of remaining in office until 2014. On October 24, 2004, he was again re-elected, officially taking 94.48% of the vote. Certain books, periodicals and internet sites are banned or blocked. The National Television frequently show his actions during a week, but often the President only appears in passing on television. In 2011 he was forced from power after mass protests.
Omar Hasan Ahmad al-Bashir |  Sudan |  1989–2019  |  President of the Revolutionary Command Council for National Salvation 1989-1993; President of Sudan 1993–2019. Took power in a military coup and increasingly centralized power into himself. Widely believed to be implicated in the Darfur Janjaweed pogroms.
Idriss Déby |  Chad |  1990–present |  Head of State 1990-1991; President of Chad 1991 to date. Gained power in a coup; continues to suppress opposition and press (see [15]).
Sani Abacha |  Nigeria |  1993–1998  |  Chairman of the Provisional Ruling Council 1993-1998. Seized power in a coup; persecuted opposition; never stood for election. Jailed Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, the presumed winner of the annulled 1993 presidential election; presided over execution of activist Ken Saro-Wiwa.
Paul Kagame | Rwanda | 1994–present |  Vice-President of Rwanda 1994-2000; President 2000-Present. Brouhgt to power by a guerilla movement which plunged the country into bloodshed and led to the Rwandan Genocide in 1994. Responsible of the killings of innocent civilians, women and children in Kibeho refugee camp. Responsible of the killings of 4 millions congolese. Responsible of the killings of Priests and Archbishops in Kabgayi.
Yahya Jammeh |  The Gambia |  1994–2017  |  President of The Gambia. Gained power in coup d'état. Right to the press and free speech suppressed. Stood for three elections (1996, 2001, and 2006); last election deemed unfair by opposition.
Laurent-Désiré Kabila |  Congo-Kinshasa |  1997–2001  |  President of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Overthrew Mobutu Sese Seko in coup. No elections held during ongoing, interstate First and Second Congo Wars.
Charles G. Taylor |  Liberia |  1997–2003  |  President of Liberia 1997-2003. Elected, but widely described as a dictator (see [16], [17], [18]). Linked to "blood diamonds" and illegal arms trading. Believed to have interfered frequently in the internal affairs of neighboring states while a warlord, before his election to the presidency.
François Bozizé |  Central African Republic |  2003–2013  |  President of the Central African Republic 2003 to date. Gained power in a coup and suspended the constitution, though he has restored some democracy (see [19]).
Ely Ould Mohamed Vall |  Mauritania |  2005–2007  |  Chairman of the Military Council for Justice and Democracy. Gained power via a military coup. Though he has said to relinquish power to an elected government in 2007.
Michael Sata |  Zambia |  2011–2014  |  Elected President of Zambia. Sata shut down the opposition and maintains relationships with Robert Mugabe.
Mohamed Morsi |  Egypt |  2012–2013  |  Supported by the Muslim Brotherhood. Described Jews as "apes and pigs". Massively expanded his presidential authority upon being elected, giving himself unlimited powers.
lsmaïl Omar Guelleh |  Djibouti |  1999-Present |  Has been elected with large majorities in 4 elections that have been found to have numerous inconsistencies. Also reported to have jailed numerous opposition candidates. (see [20])
lsais Afewerki |  Eritrea |  1993-Present |  Led the Eritrean People's Liberation Front to victory after a 30 year civil war with Ethiopia. Reigns as the head of the sole legal party in Eritrea. Cited for numerous human rights violations by the UN, possibly to the extent of crimes against humanity. Government ranked last in the world in press freedom for 8 years by Reporters without Borders (see [21], [22])

## The Americas[edit]

### North America[edit]

Name  |  Country  |  Years
in power  |  Notes

|
|
|

Agustín de Iturbide | Mexico | 1822–1823  |  Shortly after the Mexican War of Independence, he was declared Emperor of Mexico in 1822. Repressive, cracked down on free speech and any opposition. Desposed when popular opposition forced him to abdicate.
Antonio López de Santa Anna | Mexico | 1833–1855
(intermittent)  |  President or Provisional President of Mexico 1833-1837, then 1841 to February 1844, June to December 1844, March to September 1847 and finally 1853-1855. When Anastasio Bustamante led a coup overthrowing and killing President Vicente Guerrero, Santa Anna seized power and then was elected President in 1833. At first he gave a free hand to his vice-president Valentín Gómez Farías, a liberal reformer. Later he dismissed Gómez Farías, declared the Constitution suspended, disbanded the Congress and worked to concentrate power in the central government. He was overthrown and restored to power several times before his final overthrow in 1855.
Porfirio Díaz | Mexico | 1879–1910  |  Interim president 1876-1877; President of Mexico 1877-1880, 1884-1911. De facto ruler 1880-1884. Gained power in a coup, after his Revolution of Tuxtepac overthrew his predecessor, Lerdo. He did not run for reelection after his first term in order to keep his one-term promises that he made during his revolution. However, he retook the presidency a few years later and did not leave from power until the Revolution of 1910 kicked him from the Presidency. His rule saw the rapid modernization of Mexico, progress mainly caused by Diaz's encouragement of foreign investment in the country's infrastructure. However, the poor became quite miserable during this time. Political opposition was squelched and rebellions were put down by the rurals, Diaz's personal guard. He was eventually overthrown by the Revolution which lasted 10 years.
Barack Hussein Obama | United States | 2009-2017 |  Used NATO to wage an aggressive war against Libya. Attacked the rights of Conservatives to organize politically, attempted to undermine religious rights, and unsuccessfully tried to rig the election to install his hand-picked successor and end free elections. He largely ruled by decree. Obama created a cult of personality which took hold among his supporters and the communist controlled media.
Victoriano Huerta | Mexico | 1913–1914  |  Appointed president, established a military dictatorship for about a year, and then was forced to resign.
Joseph Biden | United States | 2021-present |  Cheated his way to the presidency through fraud, ballot tampering, and a summer of violent insurrection. He plans to eliminate most of the God-given freedoms Americans enjoy. He is hell bent on taking away the right to own guns, destroying the fossil fuel industry and private motor vehicle transportation, curtailing the right of an individual to make their own medical decisions, suppressing the Christian faith, and ending the principle of one person one vote. Unlikely to leave office voluntarily despite mental incapacity.
Justin Trudeau | Canada | 2015-present |  Declared Martial Law and suspended civil liberties on February 14, 2022 to enforce CCP virus vaccine mandates. He is hellbent on stripping Canadians of gun ownership, a noted dictatorial trait. He has cultivated a cult of personality among many Canadians. Unlikely to leave office peacefully if the next communist politburo-selected premier is not installed through sham elections.

### Central America[edit]

Name  |  Country  |  Years
in power  |  Notes

|
|
|

Rafael Carrera | Guatemala | 1844–1848
1851–1865  |  President of Guatemala. Gained power in a coup; styled himself President for Life.
William Walker |  Nicaragua |  1856–1857  |  An American fillibuster takes over and proclaims himself President of Nicaragua. Tried to conquer several Central American countries. Eventually executed.
Justo Rufino Barrios | Guatemala | 1873–1885  |  President of Guatemala. Gained power in a bloody coup, but introduced reforms.
Manuel Estrada Cabrera | Guatemala | 1898–1920  |  President of Guatemala. Never elected; subverted constitution; widely described as a dictator (see [23], [24]). Constructed numerous large Hellenic-style temples as monuments to his rule.
Maximiliano Hernández Martínez | El Salvador | 1931–1934
1935–1944  |  Acting President 1931-1934; President of El Salvador 1935-1944. Gained power in a coup; suppressed opposition; oversaw massacre of between ten and forty thousand suspected opponents. Presided over La Matanza in 1932, a massacre (genocide) of communists, suspected communists, campesinos and Pipil Indians (see [25]).
Jorge Ubico | Guatemala | 1931–1944  |  President of Guatemala. Elected, but suppressed opposition and "assumed dictatorial powers".
Tiburcio Carías Andino | Honduras | 1933–1949  |  President of Honduras. Banned opposition and set up a rubber-stamp congress; suppressed unions (see [26]).
Anastasio Somoza García | Nicaragua | 1937–1956  |  Somoza used his position as head of the National Guard to overthrow President Juan Bautista Sacasa; centralized constitutional authority under his control; alternately rigged elections for himself or installed relatives in his place; kleptocrat.[27][28].
Carlos Castillo Armas | Guatemala | 1954–1957  |  Junta Chairman, 1954; President of Guatemala 1954-1957. Gained power in a coup; banned the popular Communist party; purged trade unions of leftist influence; declared himself president in 1956. Assassinated.
Oswaldo López Arellano | Honduras | 1963–1971
1972–1975  |  Head of Military Government 1963-1965; President of Honduras 1965-1971; Head of State 1972-1975. Military officer who allowed elections in 1971 before re-seizing power the next year. According to Clara Nieto in Masters of War: Latin America and United States Aggression from the Cuban Revolution through the Clinton years, p. 114 (ISBN 1-58322-545-5): "During this second term (1972-1975) López governed without a congress and by decree."
Anastasio Somoza Debayle | Nicaragua | 1967-1979  |  Succeeded his somewhat more liberal brother Luis; stepped down briefly in 1972, then resumed the presidency after an earthquake; outlawed several opposition parties; declared martial law in response to guerilla opposition; oversaw brutal repression by the National Guard.
Omar Torrijos | Panama | 1968–1981  |  Commander of the National Guard. Gained power in a coup; banned opposition, unions and free press.
Efraín Ríos Montt | Guatemala | 1982–1983  |  Chairman of military junta 1982; President of Guatemala 1982-1983. Dictator during a military coup. Known for scorched earth counter-insurgency strategies. Since then was Head of Congress for many years and made several failed attempts to be elected democratically. Used his declared conservative evangelical Christian beliefs to portray dissent as an attack against God.
Daniel Ortega | Nicaragua | 1979–1990
2006–present |  Came in power by a coup, with his Leftist Sandinistas. Hold false elections.
Manuel Noriega | Panama | 1983–1989  |  Commander of the National Guard and de facto military leader, widely described as a dictator (see [29], [30], [31]).

### South America[edit]

Name  |  Country  |  Years
in power  |  Notes

|
|
|

José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia | Paraguay | 1813–1814 and 1814–1840  | gained power in election. Outlawed all opposition. Installed a police state. Cult of personality; citizens forced to raise their hats or a brim when he passed by; styled himself with the position name "El Supremo".
Simón Bolívar |  Gran Columbia |  1821–1830  |  Though an admirer of classical liberal democracy, the founder and president of Gran Colombia proclaimed himself dictator in 1828 after an unsuccessful constitutional convention. Resigned eighteen months later.
Juan Manuel de Rosas | Argentina | 1835–1852  |  Governor of Buenos Aires 1829-1832, 1835-1852; Supreme Chief of the Argentine Confederation 1851-1852. Assumed dictatorial powers; exiled opponents.
Carlos Antonio López | Paraguay | 1841–1862  |  First Consul 1841-1844; President of Paraguay 1844-1862.
Manuel Belzu | Bolivia | 1848–1855  |  Provisional President of Bolivia 1848-1850; President of Bolivia 1850-1855. Unelected military ruler; caudillo. A populist and nationalist who voluntarily relinquished power after 1855 elections, described in (ISBN 0-13-524356-4), p. 131, as the "cleanest ever held" in (early) Bolivian history.
Francisco Solano López | Paraguay | 1862–1869  |  President of Paraguay. Inherited power from his father; had himself awarded immense powers by a congress he had packed with supporters. Killed in the War of the Triple Alliance (which Lopez had caused by invading Brazil), along with 90 per cent of the Paraguayan adult (age 14+) male population.
Mariano Melgarejo | Bolivia | 1864–1871  |  Provisional President 1864-1870; President of Bolivia 1870-1871. Gained power in a coup and ruthlessly suppressed opposition. In 1869 he sent the army to suppress an uprising by Huaichu Indians attempting to regain land privileges they enjoyed under President Belzu (see ISBN 1-55753-324-5).
Antonio Guzmán Blanco | Venezuela | 1870–1888  |  Acting President of Venezuela 1863, 1865; General-in-chief April–July 1870; Provisional President of Venezuela 1870-1873; President of Venezuela 1873 - 1877; Supreme Director 1879; Provisional President of Venezuela 1879 - 1880; President of Venezuela 1880 -1884, 1886 -1888. Described, perhaps inaccurately, as a "benevolent despot"; other sources mention his "long dictatorship" (see [32]).
Cipriano Castro | Venezuela | 1899–1909  |  Supreme Chief 1899-1901; Provisional President 1901 - 1902, 1904 - 1905; President of Venezuela 1902 - 1904, 1905 - 1909. Took over in a military coup (see [33]).
Rafael Reyes | Colombia | 1904–1909  |  President 1904 - 1909, as a military ruler representing the Conservatives. "In the course of his regime, Reyes improved the country’s finances, expanded roads and railroads, and encouraged increased coffee production. Large U.S. investments and purchases of coffee and minerals contributed to Colombia’s economic growth. However, Reyes ruled as a dictator. He dissolved the congress and replaced it with a handpicked legislature, jailed and exiled political opponents, and declared martial law." (Colombia, Microsoft Encarta 2003)
Juan Vicente Gómez | Venezuela | 1909–1914
1922–1929
1931–1935  |  Provisional President 1909-1910; President of Venezuela 1910-1914, 1922-1929, 1931-1935. Gained power in a coup; never elected; kleptocrat; widely described as a dictator (see [34], [35], [36]).
Óscar Benavides | Peru | 1914–1915
1933–1939  |  Junta Chairman 1914; President of Peru 1914-1915, 1933-1939. Twice gained power by coup.
Augusto Leguía | Peru | 1919–1930  |  President of Peru. Gained power in a coup; ignored constitution; suppressed and exiled opposition.
Carlos Ibáñez del Campo | Chile | 1927–1931  |  Acting President 1927, President 1927 - 1931. Democratically elected to a six-year term in 1952.
Getúlio Vargas | Brazil | 1930–1934
1937–1945  |  Head of provisional government 1930-1934 after revolution; indirectly elected as Constitutional President 1934-1937; launched a coup in 1937 and became dictator 1937-1945; democratically-elected President of Brazil 1950-1954.
Gabriel Terra | Uruguay | 1931–1938  |  President of Uruguay. Suspended congress and dissolved constitution in 1933.
Higinio Morínigo | Paraguay | 1940–1948  |  Provisional president 1940-1943; President of Paraguay 1943-1948. Seized absolute power; ruled by diktat until 1946.
Manuel Odría | Peru | 1948–1956  |  Chairman of military junta 1948 - 1950; President of Peru 1950 - 1956. Gained power in a coup; restricted civil rights; allowed election in 1956.
Marcos Pérez Jiménez | Venezuela | 1948–1958  |  Member of military junta 1948 - 1952; Provisional president 1952 -1953; President of Venezuela 1953 - 1958. Never elected; pursued opposition violently; credited with improvements to the country's infrastructure.
Gustavo Rojas Pinilla | Colombia | 1953–1957  |  President of Colombia. Gained power in a coup.
Alfredo Stroessner | Paraguay | 1954–1989  |  President of Paraguay. He took over in a military coup (see [37], [38],[39]).
Humberto Castelo Branco | Brazil | 1964–1967  |  President of Brazil. Gained power in a coup; abolished most opposition; subsequently appointed by congress.
René Barrientos | Bolivia | 1964–1969  |  Chairman of the military junta, 1964-January 1966 (jointly with Alfredo Ovando 1965-1966); President of Bolivia, August 1966 - 1969. Gained power in military coup; kleptocrat; responsible for Catavi massacre and execution of Che Guevara (ISBN 0-85345-991-6), p. 136.
Forbes Burnham | Guyana | 1966–1985  |  Prime Minister 1966 - 1980; President 1980 - 1985. Elected, but became increasingly dictatorial; held dubious elections and encouraged leftist religious cults (such as the Peoples Temple) to settle in the Guyanese interior (see [40], [41]).
Artur da Costa e Silva | Brazil | 1967–1969  |  President of Brazil 1967-1969. Elected in 1966, but centralised power; closed the Congress; banned opposition; suspended free press. Decreed Institutional Act No. 5, described as "the most unconstitutional, anti-democratic, arbitrary, and repressive decree in Brazil's history." (ISBN 1-58322-545-5), p. 167.
Emílio Garrastazu Médici | Brazil | 1969–1974  |  President of Brazil. Appointed by congress, but instituted a military government; suppressed press and opposition (see [42]).
Hugo Banzer | Bolivia | 1971–1978  |  President of Bolivia. Gained power in a coup; suppressed opposition; closed universities; 3,000 opponents arrested, 200 killed.
Juan María Bordaberry | Uruguay | 1972–1976  |  President of Uruguay 1972 - 1976. Elected, but installed a military government, dissolved Congress, suspended civil liberties and banned unions.
Augusto Pinochet | Chile | 1973–1990  |  Chairman of military junta 1973-1974; Supreme Head of the Nation 1974; President of Chile 1974-1990. Gained power in a coup; suppressed and exiled opposition; over 3000 "disappearances" and 28,000 tortured.
Ernesto Geisel | Brazil | 1974–1979  |  Congress-appointed President of Brazil. The fourth of the military dictators; party and union freedom were still inexistent during his term; had oppositionists like journalist Wladimir Herzog and factory worker Manoel Fiel Filho tortured and murdered.
Jorge Rafael Videla | Argentina | 1976–1981  |  President of Argentina. Gained power in a coup; never elected; between ten and thirty thousand opponents killed.
João Baptista de Oliveira Figueiredo | Brazil | 1979–1985  |  Congress-appointed President of Brazil. Society won some democratic measures these years, but there was still a major fraud during 1982 State government elections. His government was responsible for the 1983 bomb in the Riocentro.
Dési Bouterse | Suriname | 1980–1988  |  Chairman of the National Military Council 1980-1988. Gained power in a coup; never elected; widespread misrule. Most infamous atrocity is the Decembermoorden.
Luis García Meza Tejada | Bolivia | 1980–1981  |  President of Bolivia. Gained power in the "Cocaine Coup" aided by Klaus Barbie; highly repressive; over 1,000 killed.
Gregorio Conrado Álvarez | Uruguay | 1981–1985  |  President of Uruguay. Ignored constitution; extensive human rights abuses (see [43]).
Leopoldo Galtieri | Argentina | 1981–1982  |  President of Argentina 1981-1982. Gained power in a coup (see [44], [45]). Deposed after failed invasion of the Falkland Islands in 1982.
Alberto Fujimori | Peru  | 1992–1993  |  President of Peru 1990-2000, widely critizised for his political authoritarism. [46][47] [48]. After enjoying a certain degree of popular support, Fujimori was forced from office following controversial third term re-election [49]. In 2000 political opponent Mario Vargas Llosa called Fujimori a "dictator" [50]. His government was also marked by the influence of the director of the SIN, Vladimiro Montesinos [51][52]. Currently in Peru, Fujimori is in trial for presumed charges ranging from corruption to participation in crimes against humanity. [53].
Hugo Chávez |  Venezuela | 1999–2013  |  Appointed special powers, nationalized the media and oil companies,Shut down opposition media and banned "The Simpsons."
Nicolás Maduro |  Venezuela | 2013–present |  Continues the corrupt ideology of Hugo Chávez, which destroys the economy of Venezuela.

### Caribbean[edit]

Name  |  Country  |  Years
in power  |  Notes

|
|
|

Jean-Jacques Dessalines | Haiti | 1804–1806  |  Governor-General of Haiti 1804; Emperor of Haiti (as Jacques I) 1804 - 1806. Ruled autocratically.
Henry Christophe | Haiti
(northern) | 1806–1820  |  Provisional Chief of the Haitian Government 1806-1807; President of Haiti 1807-1811; King of Haiti (as Henry I) 1811-1820. Ruled autocratically.
Pedro Santana | Dominican Republic | 1844–1848, 1853–1856, 1858–1861  |  Never elected; suppressed opposition; widely considered a dictator.
Buenaventura Báez | Dominican Republic | 1849–1878 (intermittent)  |  President of the Dominican Republic five times. Gained power following coups; never elected.
Ulises Heureaux | Dominican Republic | 1882–1899 (intermittent)  |  President of the Dominican Republic three times. Never elected; widely described as a dictator (see [54], [55], [56]).
Gerardo Machado | Cuba | 1925–1933  |  President of Cuba. A follower of Benito Mussolini, he is widely described as a dictator (see [57], [58]).
Rafael Trujillo | Dominican Republic | 1930–1961  |  President of the Dominican Republic 1930 - 1938, 1942 - 1952; de facto ruler 1930-1961. Gained power in a coup; cult of personality (renamed the capital Ciudad Trujillo); promoted racism against Haitians and ordered the massacre of 20,000 blacks.
Paul Magloire | Haiti | 1950–1956  |  President of Haiti. Gained power in a coup; never elected.
Fulgencio Batista |  Cuba |  1952-1959  |  President of Cuba 1940-1944; 1952-1959. Gained power the second time in a coup; suppressed opposition violently. Use of torture and collective punishment. Mafia ties.
François Duvalier | Haiti | 1957–1971  |  President of Haiti. Elected in 1957, but banned opposition; declared himself President for Life in 1964; highly repressive.
Fidel Castro | Cuba | 1959–2006  |  Prime Minister of Cuba 1959-1976; President of the Council of State and the Council of Ministers from 1976. Gained power after revolution. Castro was elected President after 1976, but within a one-party Communist state. Retired due to his poor health.
Jean-Claude Duvalier | Haiti | 1971–1986  |  President of Haiti. Inherited presidency aged 19 from his father; never elected.
Eric Gairy | Grenada | 1974–1979  |  Prime Minister of Grenada 1967-1979. Widely described as a dictator (see [59], [60], [61]).
Raoul Cédras | Haiti | 1991–1994  |  De facto ruler for a relatively short period of time. Gained power in a coup (see [62]).
Raul Castro |  Cuba | 2006–present |  Appointed successor by his brother of the Communist Party of Cuba. Resigned as President in 2018 but maintains power as party secretary.
Miguel Díaz-Canel |  Cuba | 2018–present |  Appointed successor by Raul Castro.

## Asia[edit]

### Western Asia ("Middle East")[edit]

Name  |  Country  |  Years
in power  |  Notes

|
|
|

Abdul Karim Qassem | Iraq | 1958–1963  |  Gained power by coup; viewed by some as benevolent (see [63]).
Abdul Salam Arif | Iraq | 1963–1966  |  Gained power in a coup; military ruler.
Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr | Iraq | 1968–1979  |  Gained power in a coup; never elected.
Hafez al-Assad | Syria | 1970–2000  | Gained power in a coup; totalitarian;[Citation Needed] cult of personality; oversaw Hama massacre yielding twenty to forty thousand dead (see [64]).
Ruhollah Khomeini | Iran | 1979–1989  |  As Supreme Leader, held ultimate and uncontested authority over all government matters under the principle of Guardianship. Created the extra-constitutional Special Clerical Court system in 1987, accountable only to the Supreme Leader and used principally for suppression of political dissent. Instituted routine torture, beheadings for children.
Saddam Hussein | Iraq | 1979–2003  |  Pressured Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr to resign in 1979 and formally became president. Repressive; developed extensive personality cult; deposed by United States and coalition forces in an invasion.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Iran | 1989–present |  Continues Khomeini's Islamist path & uses religion as a tool, cracks down on all authentic dissent, tortures, and has given orders that permit killings like that of Akbar Mohammadi and Zahra Kazemi. Only permitts government-organized demonstrations. Allows a multi-party government but disallows the candidacy of true moderates.[65][66][67][68][69][70] ISBN 0-16-074590-X
Bashar al-Assad | Syria | 2000–present |  No opposition permitted in election following death of his father; widely described as a dictator (see [71], [72], [73]).
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan | Turkey |  2014–present |  Prime Minister of Turkey 2003-2014; President of Turkey since 2014. His crackdowns on protests, restrictions on the media, banning of public websites, purging of prosecutors looking to investigate him, and general curbing of civil liberties follow the path of a typical autocrat. He changed the constitution to enhance his autocratic powers and enshrine authoritarianism into law.

### Central Asia[edit]

Name  |  Country  |  Years
in power  |  Notes

|
|
|

Askar Akayev | Kyrgyzstan | 1990–2005  |  Appointed but became increasingly authoritarian; widely described as a dictator (see [74], [75], [76]).
Islam Karimov | Uzbekistan | 1991–2016  |  Described as authoritarian who is increasingly centralizing power (see [77], [78]). Elections essentially uncontested and unmonitored. Opposition repressed.
Saparmurat Niyazov | Turkmenistan | 1991–2006  |  Declared President for Life in 1999; cult of personality; his book Ruhnama is to be treated with reverence (see [79], [80]).
Muhammed Omar | Afghanistan | 1996–2001  |  Considered a Theocratic Dictator who excercized strict sharia laws; allowed the persecution of Hazaras; gave Al Qaeda refuge in Afghanistan. (see [81][82]).
Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedow | Turkmenistan | 2006–present | Unelected, appointed as successor upon Niyazov's death. Turkmenistan still continues to be oppressive and a single-party state.

### South Asia[edit]

Name  |  Country  |  Years
in power  |  Notes

|
|
|

Indira Gandhi | India | 1975–1977  | State of emergency, rule by decree.
Ayub Khan | Pakistan | 1958–1969  |  Gained power in a coup. Subsequent elections considered dubious (see [83], [84]).
Yahya Khan | Pakistan | 1969–1971  |  Military ruler, gaining power from coup (see [85],[86], [87]).
Maumoon Abdul Gayoom | Maldives | 1978–2008  |  Autocrat; widely considered to be a dictator; no opposition or free press allowed.
Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq | Pakistan | 1978–1988  |  Took over following coup. Claimed government to be legitimate because it was Islamic (see [88]).
Rahimuddin Khan | Balochistan (Pakistan) | 1978–1984  |  Appointed supreme Martial Law Governor of Balochistan by central Pakistani military government following coup. (see [89]).
Hossain Mohammad Ershad | Bangladesh | 1982–1990  | Gained power in a coup; declared martial law; never elected.
Pervez Musharraf |  Pakistan |  1999-2008  |  Deposed Nawaz Sharif in a military coup, calling it a necessity during a state of emergency. Governed directly as commander in chief until Parliament reconvened in November 2002. Assumed the title of President upon Rafiq Tarar's resignation and stood in a referendum in 2002. Opposition parties state that the rule of law in his custody has deteriorated further.

### Eastern Asia ("Far East")[edit]

Name  |  Country  |  Years
in  power  |  Notes

|
|
|

Mao Zedong | People's Republic of China | 1949–1976  |  Chairman of the Far East Soviet Chairman of the PRC (1949–1959), Executive Committee of the Comintern (1935-1943), Chairman of the Communist Party of China (1945–1976), Chairman of the Central Military Commission (1936–1976). Immense cult of personality; purged members of government; silenced opposition. Circumvented Communist Party hierarchy after the 1966 Cultural Revolution; imprisoned head of state Liu Shaoqi. Millions of Chinese citizens killed or murdered as a result of his policies and repression. Militant atheist.
Kim Il-sung | North Korea | 1948–1994  |  Appointed prime minister in 1948; purged rivals in the Workers' Party of Korea to consolidate power in 1956 (see [90]); introduced "Juche" ideology demanding absolute loyalty to him and the party; created most pervavise cult of personality in recent history. Declared "Eternal President" on his death.
Kim Jong-il | North Korea | 1994–2011  |  Became General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and Chairman of the National Defense Commission (the highest state offices) on his father's death. Continues his father's "Juche" ideology.
Pol Pot | Democratic Kampuchea | 1975–1979  |  Unelected; led a Khmer Rouge dictatorship; responsible for deaths of at least 1 million Cambodian citizens during his rule. Atheist.
Ho Chi Minh |  North Vietnam | 1945–1969  |  Unelected; killed thousands of political rivals in the 1940s; killed tens of thousands more during the land reforms of the 1950s; presided over a one-party state.
Tokugawa Ieyasu | Japan | 1600–1616  |  Shogun of Japan and founder of the long reigning Tokugawa shogunate. Gained power by unifying the warring clans during Japan's long period of civil unrest. He also created an "alternate attendance" system to pacify the daimyo warlords, as well as closing and isolating trade and the economy, in order to retain his power. His rule was also marked by persecution of European missionaries and Japanese Christians.
Yuan Shikai | Republic of China | 1912–1916  |  President of the Republic of China, self-proclaimed Emperor of China, 1916. Ignored legislative consent as defined by the Constitution; dissolved the National Assembly; assassinated Song Jiaoren; disbanded the Kuomintang.
Chiang Kai-Shek |  Republic of China |  1927-1975  |  Known as the "Generalissimo". Gained power by military force. Leader of anti-communist one-party state under the Kuomintang. Rule on mainland China repeatedly undermined by powerful regional factions, civil wars, and the war against Japan. Ruled with an iron-fist following his retreat to Taiwan in 1949.
Horloogiyn Choybalsan | Mongolia | 1936–1952  |  Unelected; opponents purged; cult of personality.
Sukarno | Indonesia | 1949–1966  | First President of Indonesia. Consolidated his powers, and got proclaimed President for LIfe. Was overthrown by the then Dictator of Indonesia, Suharto.
Ngô Ðình Diệm | South Vietnam | 1955–1963  |  Unelected; autocratic; oppressed Buddhists (see [91]).
Park Chung Hee | South Korea | 1961–1979  |  Took power in 1961 coup. Although initially welcomed by much of the population, he suspended the constitution in 1971 and introduced a new constitution that greatly increased his power.
Ne Win | Burma | 1962–1988  |  Seized power in a coup; instituted extreme repression (see [92], [93]).
Thanom Kittikachorn | Thailand | 1963–1973  |  Military dictator, known as one of Thailand's so-called "Three Tyrants". Oppressed student-led uprisings in October 1973 and 1976.
Suharto | Indonesia | 1966–1998  |  His New Order imprisoned Communists and alleged Communists; repressed Chinese inhabitants; made existing parties subordinate. Also a cleptocrat (with personal and family's assets at least worth US$15 billion, based on Time Magazine investigation in 1998). Described as a dictator in many sources (see [94], [95], [96]).
Lon Nol | Cambodia | 1972–1975  |  Gained power by coup; not elected.
Chun Doo Hwan | South Korea | 1980–1988  |  Gained power in a coup; declared martial law; oversaw Gwangju Massacre.
Mahathir bin Mohamad |  Malaysia | 1981–2003  |  Authoritarian; suppressed opposition, media.
Khamtai Siphandon | Laos | 1992–2006  |  Unelected; one-party state (see [97]).
Than Shwe | Myanmar | 1992–2011  |  Unelected; persecution of minorities (especially Karenni and Rohingya groups [98]) leading 250,000 to flee, either becoming IDPs or moving across the border to Thailand; consolidated power into himself from the SPDC \- he moved to a new capital in Kyat Pyay in 2006, &renamed it as Nay Pyi Daw, i.e. the Royal Palace City"; gained power via a military coup and announced that he would not hand over the power to Aung San Suu Kyi's Elected Party (the NLD); no free press (see [99]). Released Aung San Suu Kyi in 2010.
Sonthi Boonyaratglin | Thailand | 2006–2008  |  Army chief seized power while Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was out of the country. A state of martial law was declared, parliament was dissolved and the constitution abrogated. Instituted press censorship and restrictions on protests. The first Muslim in charge of the mostly Buddhist army.
Kim Jong-un | North Korea | 2011–present |  Became General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and Chairman of the National Defense Commission (the highest state offices) on his father's death. Continues his grandfather's "Juche" ideology.
Xi Jinping | People's Republic of China | 2013-present | Elected party secretary under the principles of Democratic Socialism. Xi Jinping was CCP general secretary during the CCP global pandemic and authorized the CCP pandemic coverup resulting in the loss of tens of thousands of lives globally. Imprisoned over 1 million Muslims due to their religious faith. Conducted illegal bioweapon research. Organ harvesting among prisoners was common under Xi Jinping.

## Eurasia[edit]

### Western Asia ("Middle East") and Southern/Eastern Europe[edit]

Name  |  Country  |  Years
in power  |  Notes

|
|
|

Selim I |  Ottoman Empire | 1512–1520  |  9th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, known as Selim the Grim or Selim the Resolute. He became ruler by dropping his father Bayezid II from the throne. In 1517, he usurped the caliphate from the Mamluk Sultanate.
Abdul Hamid II |  Ottoman Empire | 1876–1909  |  34th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire who exert effective despotic control over the fracturing state. He abolished the constitutional regime in 1878, and established an oppressive regime. The dissidents were imprisoned or exiled through agents. Newspapers, magazines and books were censored.
"Three Pashas"  |  Ottoman Empire | 1913–1918  |  Enver Pasha (Enver Paşa), Talaat Pasha (Talat Paşa), and Djemal Pasha (Cemal Paşa). They made a coup on the worsening of the First Balkan War and took over the administration.

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk |  Turkey | 1923–1938  |  Marshal and first President of Turkey. Led the Turkish national movement. Transformed Turkey into a secular republic through broad authoritarian reforms.
Ilham Aliyev | Azerbaijan | 2003–present |  Dubious election; opposition suppressed (see [100]).

## Europe[edit]

Name  |  Country  |  Years
in power  |  Notes

|
|
|

Oliver Cromwell |  Commonwealth of England | 1649–1658  |  A Puritan general in the English Civil War who quickly rose through the ranks to become de facto head of the Parliamentary forces. After the Royalist defeat and the execution of Charles I the newly constituted Rump Parliament was overthrown by Cromwell who refused the Crown, choosing instead the title of Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland. After his death the monarchy was reinstated. [101].
Maximilien Robespierre |  France | 1793–1794  |  Head of the Committee of Public Safety during the French Revolution. To purge French society of "Counter Revolutionaries", he instituted the heavily repressive Reign of Terror, a period which killed thousands of French citizens, many of those killed were simply killed under mere suspicion, with little or no proof. Desposed when the National Convention declared him an outlaw.
Napoleon Bonaparte |  France | 1799–1804, then became Emperor  |  First Consul, 1799-1804. Emperor of the French 1804-1814 and once again from 1814-1815. Declared himself "First Consul for Life" in 1802 and then Emperor in 1804.
Józef Grzegorz Chłopicki |  Poland | 1830–1831  |  Held official title of dictator for one year only.
Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte |  France |  1848–1852, then became Emperor  |  Grandson of Napoleon Bonaparte. President of France from 1848 to 1852. In 1851 he launched a coup against the legislature, making himself absolute ruler. From 1852 to 1870 he styled himself Emperor of the French under the name Napoléon III from 1852 to 1870. Later during his reign constitutional liberties were gradually restored. In 1870 he was captured during the abortive Franco-Prussian War and deposed in his absence by the Third Republic of France.
Romuald Traugutt |  Poland | 1863–1864  |  Held official title of dictator for one year. Succeeded Marian Langiewicz who had declared himself dictator previously, but only lasted less than a year in 1863.
Vladimir Lenin |  Soviet Union | 1917–1924  |  Head of Bolshevik Revolution took power in 1917. Secured victory in the Russian civil war. Headed effort to transform the Russian economy to a socialist model.[102]
Benito Mussolini |  Italy | 1922–1943, and in part of the country 1943–1945  |  Prime Minister of Italy 1922-1943; head of the so-called Italian Social Republic until 1945. "He introduced strict censorship and altered the methods of election so that in 1925–1926 he was able to assume dictatorial powers and dissolve all other political parties" (see [103],[104]).
Miguel Primo de Rivera |  Spain | 1923–1930  |  Prime Minister of Spain. Gained power in a coup; suspended the constitution; established martial law; imposed strict censorship; banned all political parties. Widely described as a dictator (see [105], [106], [107]).
Aleksandar Tsankov |  Bulgaria | 1923–1926  |  Established right-wing nationalist, anti-communist coup against Stamboliyski’s democratic elected Agrarians. Forced out of power by Tsar Boris III. [108].
Joseph Stalin |  Soviet Union | 1924–1953  |  General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, 1922-1953; Premier of the Soviet Union 1941-1953. Never elected; cult of personality; militant atheist, heavily repressive; responsible for deaths of millions of Soviet citizens (see [109], [110],[111]).
Ahmet Bej Zogu |  Albania | 1925–1939  |  Originally elected Prime Minister of Albania 1922-1924 and 1925; President of Albania 1925-1928; crowned himself King of the Albanians (as Zog I) 1928-1939. Described as a dictator (see [112], [113], [114]). Forced to flee with his wife, Queen Geraldine, the imminent takeover of the country by Italy under Benito Mussolini.
José Mendes Cabeçadas |  Portugal | 1926  |  Leader of Ditadura Nacional during the first part of June immediately after the 28th May 1926 coup d'état
Gomes da Costa |  Portugal | 1926  |  Succeeded Cabeçadas as head of the Ditadura Nacional for less than a month
António Óscar Carmona |  Portugal | 1926–1928  |  Head of Ditadura Nacional
Józef Piłsudski |  Poland | 1926–1935  |  Polish Head of State 1918-1922, but regained power in 1926 via coup. Prime Minister of Poland 1926-1928 and 1930; Commander in Chief of the Army 1926-1935. Initiated authoritarian Sanacja government; often described as a "benevolent dictator".
Antanas Smetona |  Lithuania | 1926–1940  |  President of Lithuania. Seized power in a 1925 military coup (see [115]); authoritarian rule. His description as a dictator is common (see [116]), but not universal.
António de Oliveira Salazar |  Portugal | 1928–1968  |  Prime Minister of Portugal. Established an anti-democratic, anti-parliamentarian, ultra-clericalist, corporatist, extremely conservative, repressive and authoritarian dictatorship, connoted with the Italian fascism, highly supported by the Roman Catholic Church. Longest right-wing dictatorship ever (four complete decades).
Alexander I |  Yugoslavia | 1929–1934  |  King of Yugoslavia from 1921. On January 6, 1929 he abolished the constitution, prorogued parliament and established the so-called "January 6 Dictatorship." A new constitution in 1931 left all significant political power in the hands of the King.
Engelbert Dollfuss |  Austria | 1933–1934  |  Chancellor of Austria 1932-1934. Suspended parliament indefinitely in March 1933, governing thereafter by decree. Rule sometimes compared to Mussolini or Franco (see [117]).
Konstantin Päts |  Estonia | 1933–1940  |  State Elder 1933 - 1937; State Protector 1937 - 1938; President of Estonia 1938-1940. Established authoritarian rule following a coup. Allowed (and won) election in 1938.
Adolf Hitler |  Germany | 1933–1945  |  Chancellor of Germany 1933-1945; Führer (Leader) 1934-1945. The 1933 Enabling Act suspended most of the constitution and allowed Hitler to rule by decree. Heavily repressive; ordered imprisonment of millions of political opponents and members of ethnic minorities in concentration camps, where they were abused and killed.
Kimon Georgiev |  Bulgaria | 1934  |  Took power in coup. Overthrown by Tsar Boris III.
Boris III |  Bulgaria | 1934–1943  |  Overthrew Kimon Geogiev. Took power him self ruled through puppet Prime Ministers Georgi Kyoseivanov. His Regime banned all opposition parties. Took Bulgaria into alliance with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy.
Kurt Schuschnigg |  Austria | 1934–1938  |  Chancellor of Austria. Maintained his predecessor Dollfuss' oppressive rule.
Kārlis Ulmanis |  Latvia | 1934–1940  |  Prime Minister of Latvia 1934-1940; President of Latvia 1936 - 1940. Gained power in a coup and dissolved parliament; generally viewed as a "benevolent dictator" (see [118], [119], [120]).
Ioannis Metaxas |  Greece | 1936–1941  |  Prime Minister of Greece. Never elected; banned political parties; arrested opponents; criminalized unions; censored media. Widely described as a dictator (see [121], [122], [123]).
Francisco Franco |  Spain | 1936–1975  |  Prime Minister of Spain 1938-1975 and Head of State 1939 - 1975 (in the Nationalist Zone, both only to 1939). Purged opposition; often referred to as a dictator or caudillo (see [124], [125],[126], [127]). Strongly supported by the Roman Catholic Church worldwide.
Jozef Tiso |  Slovakia | 1939–1945  |  President of WWII Slovak Republic. Led a partly Roman Catholic clerical, partly pro-Nazi, one-party state. Described by some as a dictator (see [128], [129], [130]).
Ion Antonescu |  Romania | 1940–1944  |  Prime Minister of Romania. Two days after his appointment, forced King Carol II (see above) to abdicate in favor of his son, Mihai. Named himself Conducător (Leader), assumed dictatorial powers and relegated monarchy to decorative role.
Philippe Pétain |  Vichy France | 1940–1944  |  Prime Minister of France 1940 - 1942; Head of State 1940 - 1944. The Assemblée Nationale of Vichy France suspended the Third Republic and granted Pétain dictatorial power, although ultimately he was answerable to the German Nazi hierarchy.
Ante Pavelić |  Croatia | 1941–1945  | Poglavnik ("Leader") of Croatia. Not elected; ordered massacres of Serbs, Jews, Gypsies and dissidents; hundreds of thousands slaughtered; led the genocial, devoutly Roman Catholic Ustase (see [131], [132], [133]). Supported by most, if not all, of the Roman Catholic church in Croatia.
Vidkun Quisling |  Norway | 1942–1945  |  Minister President of Norway between 1942-1945, and founder of the fascist "National Unity" party . Traitor to his country. Executed by firing squad. Described as being the Hitler of Norway.
Ferenc Szálasi
(Szálasi Ferenc)  |  Hungary | 1944–1945  |  Leader of the fascist Arrow Cross party, Szálasi was installed as a fascist ruler by the Nazis following their overthrow of regent Miklós Horthy.
Josip Broz Tito |  Yugoslavia | 1944–1980  |  Secretary-General of the Yugoslav Communist Party 1937 - 1963; Prime Minister of Yugoslavia 1945–1953; Premier of Yugoslavia 1953 - 1963; President of Yugoslavia 1953 - 1980; President of the Presidium of the League of Communists from 1963 until 1980. Declared himself President for Life in 1963. Viewed favorably in Yugoslavia despite authoritarian rule.
Enver Hoxha |  Albania | 1944–1985  |  General Secretary of the Albanian Party of Labour. Leader of single-party Communist state; extensive personality cult; Declared his nation to be the world's only officially atheist state and banned all practice of religion in 1967.
Mátyás Rákosi |  Hungary | 1949–1953  |  General Secretary of the Hungarian Workers Party and Prime Minister of the Hungarian People's Republic. Leader of single-party Communist state; nicknamed "Stalin's best Hungarian disciple"; Invented the phrase "salami tactics" to describe piecemeal assumption of power.
Nikita Khrushchev |  Soviet Union | 1953–1964  |  First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union between 1953-1964. Allowed limited liberalisation in the arts and media later on.
Todor Zhivkov |  Bulgaria | 1956–1989  |  Head of pro soviet communist regimen in Bulgaria. Became party secretary in 1956 and prime minister in 1962. Forced out of power in 1989 by communist party to comply with demands of protesters.
Antonín Novotný |  Czechoslovakia | 1957–1968  |  Antonín Novotný, the First Secretary of the Communist Party and President of the Republic, was leader of Czechoslovakia during the Stalinisation of the country, resulting in the replacement of the Czechoslovakian democracy by a one-party communist state. His dictatorship centralized power and used force to protect his regime which lasted fifteen years.
Walter Ulbricht |  German Democratic Republic | 1950/1960–1971  |  General Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany 1950-1971 and Head of State 1960-1973.
Leonid Brezhnev |  Soviet Union | 1964–1982  |  First/General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union between 1964-1982. Formed a cult of Personality later on.
Nicolae Ceauşescu |  Romania | 1965–1989  |  General Secretary of the Romanian Communist Party, 1965-1989; President of Romania, 1974-1989. Leader of single-party Communist state; extensive personality cult developed during the 1970s. Lived lavish lifestyle while country was still using donkey carts.
Georgios Papadopoulos |  Greece | 1967–1973  |  Prime Minister of Greece 1967 - 1973; Regent 1972 - 1973; President of Greece 1973. Gained power in a coup; lead military regime. Widely described as a dictator (see [134], [135], [136]).
Marcelo Caetano |  Portugal | 1968–1974  |  Prime Minister of Portugal 1968 - 1974; Upon the death of António de Oliveira Salazar he continued the dictatorial regime. Some liberties were improved but the situation of the country and the colonial wars lead to the Carnation Revolution.
Gustáv Husák |  Czechoslovakia | 1969-1987  |  Came into power through soviets, Crushed the Prague spring. Headed brutal secret police stepped down from power in 1987 two years before communism fell.
Erich Honecker |  German Democratic Republic | 1971–1989  |  General Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany 1971-1989 and Head of State 1976-1989.
Phaedon Gizikis |  Greece | 1973–1974  |  President of Greece 1973-1974. Gained power in coup. Lead military regime installed by previous head of state.
Wojciech Jaruzelski |  Poland | 1981–1990  |  Imposed martial law in Poland in 1981 in response to Solidarity party led strikes. Made himself head of the "Commission for National Salvation." Stated his actions were taken in order to prevent a Soviet invasion of Poland. Was President of Poland until his resignation in 1990.
Yuri Andropov |  Soviet Union | 1982–1984  |  General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union between 1982-1984. Early signs of Perestroika and Glasnost.
Konstantin Chernenko |  Soviet Union | 1984–1985  |  General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union between 1984-1985. Ailing stop-gap leader.
Mikhail Gorbachev |  Soviet Union | 1985–1991  |  General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991 when the Soviet Union collapsed and the CPSU was banned. Oversaw democratisation in the Soviet Union, but was never directly elected as leader.
Slobodan Milošević |  Serbia, Yugoslavia | 1989–2000  |  In 1984 he became the head of the local Communist party in Belgrade and adopted a populist style, the party's leader. He successfully took over as head of the Serbian Communist party in 1987. He challenged the federal government, championed Serbian control of the autonomous provinces of Kosovo and Vojvodina, and advocated stridently socialist economic policy. By 1988, he had replaced party leaders in Kosovo and Vojvodina, and in 1989 he became president of Serbia. However, in September 1990, a new democratic constitution was passed allowing direct, multi-party presidential and parliamentary elections. Milosevic was elected president of Serbia for the first time in December 1990, although allegations persist of electoral fraud during the Milosevic years.
Alexander Lukashenko |  Belarus |  1994–present |  President of Belarus. Said to have an "authoritarian ruling style". Lack of democratic standards. Human rights violations.
Petro Poroshenko |  Ukraine |  2014-2019.  |  Financed the neo-Nazi Right Sector out of his own pocket, bombed the civilians of Donbas, banned the Russian language for employees of executive bodies, members of parliament, judges, prosecutors, lawyers, medical workers, teachers.
Nicola Sturgeon |  Scotland |  2014-2023  |  Human rights violations.
Volodymyr Zelensky |  Ukraine |  2019–present |  An unrepentant Nazi who is responsible for ethnic cleansing of Russians in the Donbas region, declared martial law, distributed military grade weapons to criminals, outlawed political opposition parties, arrested and took hostage opposition members of parliament, disappeared critics and journalists, censored media, imposed anti-Russian language laws, and committed atrocities and crimes against humanity on Ukrainian citizens and non-citizens in a campaign of murder, assassination, sabotage, and terrorism. He has also cultivated a cult of personality which has spread to Nazi-sympathizers in other countries, notably the Biden regime.
Ursula von der Leyen |  European Union |  2019-present |  Anti-democratic globalist warmonger.

## Oceania[edit]

Name  |  Country  |  Years
in power  |  Notes

|
|
|

Sitiveni Rabuka | Fiji | 1987–1992  |  Twice gained power through coup, allowed elections in 1992, which he won.
Frank Bainimarama | Fiji | 2006–present | Launched a coup d'état in December 2006 after weeks of threats against the elected government.
Jacinda Ardern |  New Zealand | 2017-2023  | Imposed nationwide lockdowns, vaccine mandates, gun control and other repressive measures.

## Quotes[edit]

### Quotes from Stalin[edit]

The Darwin-Stalin connection describes the brutal Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin who murdered millions of people, giving credit to Darwin's book for his outlook in life:

* "The death of one man is a tragedy, the death of millions is a statistic." ~ to Churchill, 1945.

* "Death is the solution to all problems. No man - no problem"

* "Ideas are more powerful than guns. We would not let our enemies have guns, why should we let them have ideas?"

* "It is enough that the people know there was an election. The people who cast the votes decide nothing. The people who count the votes decide everything."

* "The only real power comes out of a long rifle."

* "When we hang the capitalists they will sell us the rope we use."

### Quotes from Lenin[edit]

* "The best revolutionary is a youth devoid of morals."

* "A lie told often enough becomes the truth."

* "The goal of socialism is communism."

* "There are no morals in politics there is only expedience. A scoundrel may be of use to us just because he is a scoundrel."

* "Give us the child for 8 years and it will be a Bolshevik forever." (see Public school values and Professor values)

### Quotes from Trudeau[edit]

* “There is a level of admiration I actually have for China because their basic dictatorship is allowing them to actually turn their economy around on a dime and say we need to go green, we need to start."

## See also[edit]

* Dictatorship
* Dictator
* Friendly dictator
* Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Chairman Mao, Kim Jong-Il, Pol Pot
* Dictatorship of the proletariat
* List of Communist States
* List of Socialist States
* Death toll of communism
* Coup d'état
* Cult of personality
* Single-party state
* Mobocracy, Social Effects of the Theory of Evolution, Anti-Semitism, Communist Racism, Genocide, Holocaust
* National Socialist German Workers' Party (Nazi Party)
* National Socialism \- the Nazis were elitist Police state liberals not conservatives
* Big government Welfare state leads to Nanny state, leads to Police state: Globalist-Statist-Socialist-Communist
* Liberal totalitarianism
* Constitutional crisis
* Bernie Sanders

## External links[edit]

* Current Dictators of the World
* The Dictatorship
* Modern dictators and Human Rights Violations