[David Kuehn, "Democratic Control of the Military" in Handbook of the Sociology of the Military (eds. Giuseppe Caforio & Marina Nuciari: Springer, 2nd ed.), p. 164.]
A 2014 study published in the Annual Review of Political Science journal found that military regimes behaved differently from both civilian dictatorships and autocratic military strongmen. A military regime is ruled by a group of high-ranking officers, whereas a military strongman is ruled by a single dictator. The study found that (1) "strongmen and military regimes are more likely to commit human rights abuses and become embroiled in civil wars than are civilian dictatorships"; (2) "military strongmen start more international wars than either military regimes or civilian dictators, perhaps because they have more reason to fear postouster exile, prison, or assassination" and (3) military regimes and civilian dictatorships are more likely to end in democratization, in contrast to the rule of military strongmen, which more often ends by insurgency, popular uprising, or invasion.[
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Current examples
Africa
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– Patriotic Movement for Safeguard and Restoration (2022–present)
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– High Military Command for the Restoration of Order (2025–present)
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– Council of the Presidency for the Re-Foundation of the Republic of Madagascar (2025–present)
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– Transitional Administration (2021–present)
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– National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (2023–present)
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– Transitional Sovereignty Council (2021–present)
Asia
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since 2021 as the State Administration Council (2021–2025) and the National Defence and Security Council (2025–present)
Former examples
Africa
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– Revolutionary Council (1965–1976), High Council of State (1992–1994)
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– National Council for Democracy (2015)
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– Transitional Military Council (2021–2022), Transitional Administration (2022–2024)
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– Free Officers movement (Egypt) (1949–1953), the National Union (United Arab Republic) (1957–1962), the Arab Socialist Union (Egypt) 1962–rebranded in 1978 to National Democratic Party (Egypt), Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (2011–2012).
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– Supreme Military Council (1979–1982)
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– Derg (1974–1987)
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– Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions (2023–2025)
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– Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council (1994–1996)
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– National Liberation Council (1966–1969), Supreme Military Council (1975–1979), Provisional National Defence Council (1981–1993)
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– Military Committee of National Restoration (1984–1991), National Council for Democracy and Development (2008–2010), National Committee of Reconciliation and Development (2021–2025)
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– People's Redemption Council (1980–1984)
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– Revolutionary Command Council (1969–1977), Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (1977–2011)
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– Military Directorate (2009)
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– Military Committee for National Liberation (1968–1979), National Committee for the Salvation of the People (2020–2021)
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– Military Committee for National Recovery (1978–1979), Military Committee for National Salvation (1979–1992), Military Council for Justice and Democracy (2005–2007), High Council of State (2008–2009)
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– Supreme Council for the Restoration of Democracy (2010–2011)
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– Military juntas (1966–1979 and 1983–1999)
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– National Reformation Council (1967–1968)
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– Supreme Revolutionary Council (1969–1976)
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– National Revolutionary Command Council (1969–1971), Revolutionary Command Council for National Salvation (1989–1993), Transitional Military Council (1985–1986), Transitional Military Council (2019)
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– Dictatorship of Mobutu Sese Seko (1965–1997)
Americas
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– Argentine Revolution (1966–1973), National Reorganization Process (1976–1983)
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– Bolivian military juntas (1861, 1879–1880, 1899, 1920–1921, 1930–1931, 1936–1938, 1943–1944, 1946–1947, 1951–1952, 1964–1966, 1970–1971 and 1980–1982)
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– Brazilian military juntas of 1930 and 1969 (part of the wider 1964–1985 military dictatorship)
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– Government Junta (1973–1990)
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– Military Junta (1957–1958)
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– Dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista
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– El Trujillato (1930–1961)
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– Military Junta (1963), Supreme Council of Government (1976–1979), National Salvation Junta (2000)
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– Civic Directory (1931), Junta of Government (1960–1961), Civic-Military Directory (1961–1962), Revolutionary Government Junta (1979–1982)
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– Military juntas (1954), Military junta (1957)
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– Military rule of Hudson Austin (1983)
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– Junta of the 1991 Haitian coup d'état (1991–1994)
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– Military junta (1956–1957)
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– Porfiriato (1876–1911)
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– Junta of National Reconstruction (1979–1985)
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– Dictatorship of Alfredo Stroessner (1954–1989)
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– Military junta (1962–1963), Revolutionary Government of the Armed Forces of Peru (1968–1980)
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– National Military Council (1980–1987)
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– Military junta (1973–1985)
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– Dictatorship of Cipriano Castro (1899–1908), Dictatorship of Juan Vicente Gómez (1908–1913), Military junta of Marcos Pérez Jiménez (1948–1958)
Asia
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– Military-backed regime of Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad (1975), military interim government led by Chief Justice Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayem (1975–1976) and later Ziaur Rahman (1976–1978), military government of Hussain Muhammad Ershad (1982–1986) and military-backed caretaker government led by Fakhruddin Ahmed (2007–2009)
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– Khmer Republic (1970–1975), Democratic Kampuchea (1975–1979)
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– Temporary Provisions against the Communist Rebellion (1948–1991) used by the Kuomintang after the fall of mainland China to the Communists
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– Military government of Suharto, also known as the New Order (1966–1998)
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– Government of Fazlollah Zahedi (1953–1955) and Gholam Reza Azhari (1978–1979)
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– Sovereignty Council (1958–1963) and Revolutionary Command Council (1968–2003)
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– Shogun (1185–1868)
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– Union Revolutionary Council (1962–1974), State Peace and Development Council (1988–2011)
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– Military governments of Ayub Khan (1958–1969), Yahya Khan (1969–1971), Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq (1977–1988) and Pervez Musharraf (1999–2008)
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– Government of Emilio Aguinaldo (1899)
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– Military governments of Park Chung Hee (1962–1979, initially as the Supreme Council for National Reconstruction) and Chun Doo-hwan (1980–1988)
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– Supreme Arab Revolutionary Command of the Armed Forces (1961–1961/1962/1963, exact date of rule end is unknown) and National Council for the Revolutionary Command (with Military Committee of the Ba'ath Party) (1963–1966)
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– National Peace Keeping Council (1991–1992), Council for National Security (2006–2008), National Council for Peace and Order (2014–2019)
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—Provisional Government of South Vietnam (1963–1967)
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– Revolutionary Command Council (1962–1967) and Military Command Council (1974–1978)
Europe
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– Dashnak government of the First Republic of Armenia (1918–1920)
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– Premiership of Surat Huseynov (1993–1994)
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– Junta of the 1934 Bulgarian coup d'état (1934–1935)
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– The Protectorate (1653–1660)
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– Military Council of the Republic of Georgia (1992)
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– Greek junta (1967–1974)
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– Military Council of National Salvation (1981–1983)
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– National Salvation Junta (1974–1975)
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- White movement (1918–1920)
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– Military directorate of Miguel Primo de Rivera (1923–1925), National Defense Junta (1936), Junta Técnica del Estado (1936–38, largely powerless)
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– National Unity Committee (1960–1961), National Security Council (1980–1983)
Oceania
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– Military government of Frank Bainimarama (2006–2014)
See also
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Civilian control of the military
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Civil–military relations
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Stratocracy