List of modern dictators

For a list of Roman dictators, see Roman dictator.

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:

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.

Contents

Africa

Name Country Came to power Lost power References for the term 'dictator'
Kwame Nkrumah Ghana 1957 elected 1966 by military coup
Gamal Abdel Nasser Egypt 1954 1970
Ahmed Sékou Touré Guinea 1958 1984 [1][2][3][4]
Modibo Keïta Mali 1960 1968 by military coup
Albert Kalonji South Kasai 1960 1961
Moise Tshombe State of Katanga 1960 1963
Joseph Kasa-Vubu Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville) 1960 1965
David Dacko Central African Republic 1960, 1979 by military coup 1966, 1981 [5][6]
N'Garta Tombalbaye Chad 1960 1975
Moktar Ould Daddah Mauritania 1960 elected 1978 by military coup
Félix Houphouët-Boigny Côte d'Ivoire 1960 elected 1993
Milton Obote Uganda 1962 elected, 1980 1972, 1985
Hastings Kamuzu Banda Malawi 1963 1994 lost election
Kenneth Kaunda Zambia 1964 elected 1991 lost election
Houari Boumediene Algeria 1965 bloodless coup 1978 death
Ian Smith Rhodesia 1965 1979
Mobutu Sese Seko Zaire 1965 coup 1997 civil war [7]
Jean-Bédel Bokassa Central African Empire 1966 coup 1979 [6]
C. Odumegwu Ojukwu Biafra 1967 1970
Gnassingbé Eyadéma Togo 1967 coup 2005 death [8]
Omar Bongo Gabon 1967 from Vice-President 2009 death
Francisco Macías Nguema Equatorial Guinea 1968 elected 1979
Moussa Traoré Mali 1968 1991
Gaafar Nimeiry Sudan 1969 by military coup 1985
Siad Barre Somalia 1969 by military coup 1991
Muammar Gaddafi Libya 1969 by military coup 2011 killed in popular uprising"
Anwar Sadat Egypt 1970 1981 assassinated
Idi Amin Uganda 1971 1979 deposed
Mengistu Haile Mariam Ethiopia 1974 1991
Kenneth Mopeli QwaQwa 1974 1994
Mathieu Kérékou Benin 1975 1991
Olusegun Obasanjo Nigeria 1976 by military coup 1979
Jean-Baptiste Bagaza Burundi 1976 1987 [2], [3]
Lucas Mangope Bophuthatswana 1977 1994
France-Albert René Seychelles 1977 2004
Daniel arap Moi Kenya 1978 2002
Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo Equatorial Guinea 1979 by coup present
José Eduardo dos Santos Angola 1979 present [4]
João Bernardo Vieira Guinea-Bissau 1980 by coup, 2005 1984, 2009
Samuel K. Doe Liberia 1980 by military coup 1990 [5]
Robert Mugabe Zimbabwe 1980 elected present [6], [7], [8], [9].
Jerry Rawlings Ghana 1981 by military coup 1992 resigned
André Kolingba Central African Republic 1981 by military coup 1993 lost elections
Hosni Mubarak Egypt 1981 2011 popular uprising
Paul Biya Cameroon 1982 from Prime Minister present
Hissène Habré Chad 1982 by military coup 1990
Thomas Sankara Burkina Faso 1983 by military coup 1987 by military coup
Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya Mauritania 1984 by military coup 2005 by bloodless coup
Ibrahim Babangida Nigeria 1985 1993
Yoweri Museveni Uganda 1986 present
Mswati III Swaziland 1986 inherited present
Blaise Compaoré Burkina Faso 1987 by military coup present
Zine El Abidine Ben Ali Tunisia 1987 2011 popular uprising
Omar Hasan Ahmad al-Bashir Sudan 1989 by military coup present
Idriss Déby Chad 1990 by military coup present [10]
Isaias Afewerki Eritrea 1991 present
Meles Zenawi Ethiopia 1991 by military coup present
Sani Abacha Nigeria 1993 by military coup 1998
Yahya Jammeh The Gambia 1994 by military coup present
Laurent-Désiré Kabila Democratic Republic of the Congo 1997 by military coup 2001
Charles G. Taylor Liberia 1997 elected 2003
Denis Sassou Nguesso Republic of the Congo 1997 elected present
Ismaïl Omar Guelleh Djibouti 1999 elected present
François Bozizé Central African Republic 2003 by military coup present [11]
Ely Ould Mohamed Vall Mauritania 2005 by military coup 2007 relinquished power
Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz Mauritania 2008 by military coup present

The Americas

North America

Name Country Came to power Lost power References for the term 'dictator'
Agustín de Iturbide Mexico 1822 1823
Antonio López de Santa Anna Mexico 1833 1855
Porfirio Díaz Mexico 1879 1910 [12]
Victoriano Huerta Mexico 1913 1914 [13]

Central America

Name Country Came to power Lost power References for the term 'dictator'
José Santos Zelaya Nicaragua 1893 1909 resigned [14]
Manuel Estrada Cabrera Guatemala 1898 1920 [9][10]
Maximiliano Hernández Martínez El Salvador 1931, 1935 1934, 1944 [15]
Jorge Ubico Guatemala 1931 1944
Tiburcio Carías Andino Honduras 1933 1949 [16]
Anastasio Somoza García Nicaragua 1937 by military coup 1956 [17][18]
Carlos Castillo Armas Guatemala 1954 by coup 1957
Oswaldo López Arellano Honduras 1963, 1972 1971, 1975 [11]
Anastasio Somoza Debayle Nicaragua 1967 succession 1979
Omar Torrijos Panama 1968 by coup 1981
Kjell Laugerud García Guatemala 1974 by coup 1978
Efraín Ríos Montt Guatemala 1982 by military coup 1983
Manuel Noriega Panama 1983 1989 [12][13][14]

South America

Name Country Came to power Lost power References for the term 'dictator'
Cipriano Castro Venezuela 1899 1909 [19]
Rafael Reyes Colombia 1904 1909 [15]
Juan Vicente Gómez Venezuela 1909, 1922, 1931 1914, 1929, 1935 [16][17][18]
Óscar Benavides Peru 1914 by coup, 1933 1915, 1939
Augusto B. Leguía y Salcedo Peru 1919 by coup 1930
Carlos Ibáñez del Campo Chile 1927 1931
Getúlio Vargas Brazil 1930 1945
Gabriel Terra Uruguay 1931 1938
Higinio Morínigo Paraguay 1940 1948
Manuel A. Odría Peru 1948 by coup 1956
Marcos Pérez Jiménez Venezuela 1948 1958
Gustavo Rojas Pinilla Colombia 1953 by coup 1957
Alfredo Stroessner Paraguay 1954 by military coup 1989 [20] [21][22]
René Barrientos Bolivia 1964 by military coup 1969
Forbes Burnham Guyana 1966 1985 [23][24]
Hugo Banzer Bolivia 1971 by coup 1978
Juan María Bordaberry Uruguay 1972 1976
Augusto Pinochet Chile 1973 by military coup 1990
Luis García Meza Tejada Bolivia 1980 by coup 1981
Dési Bouterse Suriname 1980 by military coup 1988
Gregorio Conrado Álvarez Uruguay 1981 1985 [25]
Leopoldo Galtieri Argentina 1981 1982
Hugo Chavez Venezuela 1999 present

Caribbean

Name Country Came to power Lost power References for the term 'dictator'
Gerardo Machado Cuba 1925 1933 [26][27]
Rafael Trujillo Dominican Republic 1930 1961
Paul Magloire Haiti 1950 by coup 1956
Fulgencio Batista Cuba 1952 by coup 1959
François Duvalier Haiti 1957 elected 1971
Fidel Castro Cuba 1959 2008 retired
Jean-Claude Duvalier Haiti 1971 succeeded father 1986
Eric Gairy Grenada 1974 1979 [28] [29]
Raoul Cédras Haiti 1991 by coup (de facto) 1994 [30]
Raul Castro Cuba 2006 present

Asia

Western Asia ("Middle East")

Name Country Came to power Lost power References for the term 'dictator'
Abdul Karim Qassem Iraq 1958 by coup 1963 [31]
Abdullah as-Sallal North Yemen 1962 by civil war 1967
Abdul Salam Arif Iraq 1963 by coup 1966
Qahtan Muhammad al-Shaabi South Yemen 1967 1969 by coup
Abdul Rahman al-Iryani North Yemen 1967 1974 by coup
Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr Iraq 1968 by coup 1979
Salim Rubai Ali South Yemen 1969 by coup 1978
Yasser Arafat Palestinian National Authority 1990 2004 his death Only had limited control over some areas claimed by P.N.A..
Hafez al-Assad Syria 1970 2000
Ibrahim al-Hamdi North Yemen 1974 by coup 1977 assassinated
Ahmad al-Ghashmi North Yemen 1977 1978 assassinated
Ali Nasir Muhammad South Yemen 1978, 1980 1978 by coup
Abdul Fattah Ismail South Yemen 1978 by coup 1980
Ali Abdullah Saleh North Yemen, Yemen 1978 2011 popular uprising
Saddam Hussein Iraq 1979 2003
Ali Salim al-Beidh South Yemen, Democratic Republic of Yemen 1986, 1994 1990, 1994
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Iran 1989 present
Bashar al-Assad Syria 2000 inherited present

Central Asia

Name Country Came to power Lost power References for the term 'dictator'
Mohammed Daoud Khan Afghanistan 1973 by coup 1978 by coup
Nur Muhammad Taraki Afghanistan 1978 by coup 1979 murdered
Hafizullah Amin Afghanistan 1979 president murdered 1979 country invaded
Askar Akayev Kyrgyzstan 1990 2005 by popular uprising
Islam Karimov Uzbekistan 1990 present [32] [33]
Nursultan Nazarbayev Kazakhstan 1990 present [34]
Saparmurat Niyazov Turkmenistan 1991 2006 death [35] [36]
Burhanuddin Rabbani Afghanistan 1992 1996
Emomali Rahmon Tajikistan 1992 present
Heydar Aliyev Azerbaijan 1993 by coup 2003
Mohammed Omar Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan 1996 2001 [37][38]
Ilham Aliyev Azerbaijan 2003 present [39]
Kurmanbek Bakiyev Kyrgyzstan 2005 2010 by popular uprising
Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedow Turkmenistan 2006 present

South Asia

Name Country Came to power Lost power References for the term 'dictator'
Ayub Khan Pakistan 1958 by coup 1969 [40][41]
Yahya Khan Pakistan 1969 1971 [42][43][44]
Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq Pakistan 1978 1988 [45]
Maumoon Abdul Gayoom Maldives 1978 2008
Hossain Mohammad Ershad Bangladesh 1982 by coup 1990
Pervez Musharraf Pakistan 1999 by coup 2008

Eastern Asia ("Far East")

Name Country Came to power Lost power References for the term 'dictator
Yuan Shikai China 1912 1916
Chiang Kai-shek Republic of China 1927 1975
Khorloogiyn Choybalsan Mongolia 1936 1952
Ho Chi Minh North Vietnam 1954 1969
Kim Il-sung North Korea 1948 1994 death [46]
Syngman Rhee South Korea 1948 1960 revolution
Sukarno Indonesia 1949 1968 overthrown
Mao Zedong China 1949 1976 death
Yumjaagiin Tsedenbal Mongolia 1952 1984
Ngô Ðình Diệm South Vietnam 1955 1963 [47] rigged State of Vietnam referendum, 1955.
Le Duan North Vietnam, Vietnam 1960 1986
Park Chung Hee South Korea 1961 by coup 1979
Ne Win Burma 1962 by coup 1988 [48][49]
Thanom Kittikachorn Thailand 1963 1973
Duong Van Minh South Vietnam 1963 by coup 1975 by invasion
Leonid Brezhnev USSR 1964 1982
Ferdinand Marcos Philippines 1965 1986 by revolution
Suharto Indonesia 1967 1998 [50][51][52]
Lon Nol Cambodia 1970 by coup 1975
Pol Pot Cambodia 1975 1979
Chun Doo Hwan South Korea 1980 by coup 1988
Than Shwe Myanmar 1992 by coup 2011 [53][54]
Kim Jong-il North Korea 1994 inherited 2011 death
Sonthi Boonyaratglin Thailand 2006 2007
Kim Jong-un North Korea 2011 inherited present

Europe

Name Country Came to power Lost power References for the term 'dictator'
Benito Mussolini Italy 1922 1943 [19][20]
Vladimir Lenin USSR 1922 1924 death from a stroke
Aleksandar Tsankov Bulgaria 1923 by coup 1926 [55]
Miguel Primo de Rivera Spain 1923 1930 [21][22][23]
Joseph Stalin USSR 1924 1953 death from a stroke [24][25][26]
Ahmet Bej Zogu Albania 1925 elected 1939 country occupied [27][28][29]
António Óscar Carmona Portugal 1926 1928
Józef Piłsudski Poland 1926 by coup 1935
Antanas Smetona Lithuania 1926 military coup 1940 [30][31]
António de Oliveira Salazar Portugal 1928 1968
Engelbert Dollfuss Austria 1933 1934 [56]
Konstantin Päts Estonia 1933 by coup 1940
Adolf Hitler Germany 1933 elected 1945 Death suicide
Kimon Georgiev Bulgaria 1934 by coup 1934 overthrown
Kurt Schuschnigg Austria 1934 1938 German Coup and Occupation
Kārlis Ulmanis Latvia 1934 by coup 1940 [57][58] [59]
Ioannis Metaxas Greece 1936 1941 [60][61][62]
İsmet İnönü Turkey 1938 1950 [32][33]
Francisco Franco Francoist Spain 1936 1975 [63], [64],[65], [66])
Jozef Tiso Slovakia 1939 1945 [67][68]
Ion Antonescu Romania 1940 1944
Vidkun Quisling Norway 1940 1945
Ante Pavelić Croatia 1941 installed 1945
Josip Broz Tito Yugoslavia 1944 1980 [34][35]
Ferenc Szálasi Hungary 1944 installed 1945
Enver Hoxha Albania 1944 1985
Bolesław Bierut Poland 1945 1952
Mátyás Rákosi Hungary 1949 1953
Walter Ulbricht East Germany 1950 1971
Nikita Khrushchev USSR 1953 1964
Todor Zhivkov Bulgaria 1956 1989
Leonid Brezhnev USSR 1964 1982
Nicolae Ceauşescu Romania 1965 1989
George Papadopoulos Greece 1967 1973 [69] [70][71]).
Marcelo Caetano Portugal 1968 1974 by popular uprising
Erich Honecker East Germany 1971 1989
Phaedon Gizikis Greece 1973 by coup 1974
Wojciech Jaruzelski Poland 1981 1990
Kenan Evren Turkey 1982 1989 [36][37]
Slobodan Milošević Serbia and Montenegro 1992 2000
Igor Smirnov Transnistria 1990 2011 "lost election"
Alexander Lukashenko Belarus 1994 present [38][39]

See also

References

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  33. ^ "Inönü was a statesman, and not a dictator; he did not try to promote his personal interests and/or pursue his own Utopian or fanciful projects...", Metin Heper, İsmet İnönü: The Making of a Turkish Statesman, BRILL, 1998, ISBN 9789004099197, p. 98., "As noted, unlike Atatürk, Inonü never became a taboo in the eyes of the people...", Heper, İsmet İnönü, p. 6.
  34. ^ Kriza Titova režima i Titove Jugoslavije - Ilija Jukić - Google Knjige
  35. ^ Payne, Stanley G. (11 January 2011). Spain: A Unique History. Univ of Wisconsin Press. pp. 227. ISBN 9780299250249. http://books.google.com/books?id=Lv0AQzbnRlUC. Retrieved 4 August 2011. 
  36. ^ Natasha M. Ezrow, Erica Frantz, Dictators and Dictatorships: Understanding Authoritarian Regimes and Their Leaders, Continuum International Publishing Group, 2011, p. 183.
  37. ^ Peter W. Galbraith, Unintended Consequences: How War in Iraq Strengthened America's Enemies, Simon and Schuster, 2008, p. 106.
  38. ^ Rice: Russia's future linked to democracy, CNN, 20 April 2005
  39. ^ Profile: Europe's last dictator?. BBC. Accessed 10 June 2011.