Dictatorship: GCSE History Definition

What is a Dictatorship?

In GCSE History, a dictatorship is when a country is governed by a dictator. A dictator is a leader who has complete power and control over a country. 

In history, there have been many different types of dictatorships, from different ends of the political spectrum. For example: 

• Nazi Germany and Adolf Hitler

• Soviet Russia and Joseph Stalin 

• Fascist Italy and Bennetino Mussolini 

• North Korea and Kim Jong-un

• China and Mao Zedong 

A dictatorship can be created and enforced by removing political opposition, creating a police state and full control of legal systems. Dictatorships also tend to control every part of people’s lives. This includes:

• Education 

• Politics

• Culture and entertainment 

• Employment 

• Religion 

Dictatorship Revision Resources to Ace Your Exams

Explore our revision notes for Edexcel GCSE, AQA GCSE and CIE IGCSE to see where dictatorship fits into the revision notes for those specifications

Why not use the Save My Exams flashcards and exam questions to revise dictatorship and related topics? 

GCSE History Revision Resources