Woman Dictators

[Internationalist Bastard]

I’m sure I’m not the only one with a fascination of dictators. Even as a staunch defender of democracy, the concept of them is interesting to me. The idealogy, the cult of personality, the idea that one strong force could try to use raw strength to rule a nation, the uniforms, the fancy titles. It’s all great
But one thing I’ve noticed is that many dictators happen to be of the male persuasion. So many, in fact, that on the top of my head I couldn’t name one woman dictator
And so I went and scoured the internet for any examples, and what I turned up was....Margaret Thatcher and Indira Ghandi. Now not being either British or Indian I frankly don’t really know much about their careers, so Im not sure I can really weigh in on that, except a quick Wikipedia read has me thinking Indira probably was. But well, let’s here what mighty NSG thinks.
First a definition
Dictator
a : a person granted absolute emergency power; especially, history : one appointed by the senate (see senate 1a) of ancient Rome
b : one holding complete autocratic control : a person with unlimited governmental power
c : one ruling in an absolute (see absolute 2) and often oppressive way

And with that I’d say we’re set, so NSG, we’re there any female dictators? Who? What about them makes them a dictator?

[Tinhampton]

Well, for starters, both Maggie and Ghandi held onto power through democratic means... and, of course, both were frowned upon by their political opponents (Labour or the modern-day BJP, respectively). Remember, this is the internet we're talking about - everybody has an opinion and a few manage to find their way onto the first page of your Google results.

On actual female dictators, I would argue that the only ones that existed were the ones that significantly influenced their actual dictator husbands.

[Internationalist Bastard]

Well, for starters, both Maggie and Ghandi held onto power through democratic means... and, of course, both were frowned upon by their political opponents (Labour or the modern-day BJP, respectively). Remember, this is the internet we're talking about - everybody has an opinion and a few manage to find their way onto the first page of your Google results.

On actual female dictators, I would argue that the only ones that existed were the ones that significantly influenced their actual dictator husbands.

Again, as I said but quick Wikipedia read says Indira established a state of emergency where she stopped elections, censored the media and disbanded all local governments of opposition parties Which sounds pretty dictatory

[Angleter]

Most female monarchs in history would count as 'dictators' in some sense of the word, and certainly plenty of them were tyrants - for one example, see either Mary I or Elizabeth I of England, depending on whether you're Protestant or Catholic.

The first ever non-royal female head of state was a Communist dictator in Tannu Tuva, Khertek Anchimaa.

Sheikh Hasina in Bangladesh doesn't exactly have the greatest human rights record.

Overall, the issue is that most dictatorships aren't exactly the most feminist of societies, and therefore don't have many women in positions from which they could become a dictator. Also, many dictatorships originate in military coups, and almost all armed forces around the world are overwhelmingly male.

[Old Tyrannia]

Depending on how you chose to define "dictator," there have been plenty of women who could fit the title in history; there haven't been many modern dictators who have been female, however, probably because historically most societies have been fairly patriarchal and so women who have risen to power have normally done so either hereditarily- and women typically only assumed the throne in hereditary monarchies when there were no convenient male heirs- or by court intrigue. Modern dictators are typically appointed by their predecessors or seize autocratic power after being elected to office, or are military officers who take power by using the military to topple the civilian government. None of these routes were generally as available to women as they were to men, again due to the patriarchal nature of most societies well into the latter part of the 20th century.

I'm not terribly familiar with Indira Gandhi, but it's plainly ridiculous to call Margaret Thatcher a dictator. She came to power by legitimate democratic means and lost power by legitimate democratic means.

[Shackley]

Most female monarchs in history would count as 'dictators' in some sense of the word, and certainly plenty of them were tyrants - for one example, see either Mary I or Elizabeth I of England, depending on whether you're Protestant or Catholic.

The first ever non-royal female head of state was a Communist dictator in Tannu Tuva, Khertek Anchimaa.

Sheikh Hasina in Bangladesh doesn't exactly have the greatest human rights record.

Overall, the issue is that most dictatorships aren't exactly the most feminist of societies, and therefore don't have many women in positions from which they could become a dictator. Also, many dictatorships originate in military coups, and almost all armed forces around the world are overwhelmingly male.

Liz I established the British Empire, I'd hardly call her a tyrant. She's had an aircraft carrier named after her so she must be worthy of respect to some degree.
As far as Tudors go she could've been much worse.

[Ostroeuropa]

Your closest bet for a modern-style female dictator was probably anglo-fascism with its prominent figures being women members of the universal suffrage movement, and things like combat training for women being offered and so on. I think if that had spread, women dictators would be more of a norm. Most fascisms and militarisms don't have that trait, and so when they prop eachother up and spread their ideas and so on, that's left out. The anglo-fascist movement was short lived and small and doesn't leave much of an impression on the overall history of fascism, but had it been more successful, people looking to dictators of the past for legitimacy, inspiration and so on, would probably take a kinder view to women in things like death squads, militaries, and so on, which naturally leads to more women dictators as the succession of various brutes and bullies plays out.

Iran, funnily enough, with its women morality police, might begin to go down this route more, though there it's doubtful as the subjugation of women is more explicit in the ideology. But the crucial point is, recognizing women as part of the overall apparatus of a dictatorial state is fundamental to recognizing their capability of leading one.

If women can be death squads, morality police, soldiers, and so on, then they can be dictators. A system that allows or encourages them to do those things is more likely to accept a woman dictator. If a system doesn't view women as capable (or worthy) of being members of the apparatus of totalitarian/authoritarian rule, it is not likely to view them as capable or worthy of leading it.

The onset of modern warfare technology makes it more likely we'll see something like this play out eventually.

In the case of Iran, it's possible a form of internal coup could see a de-facto woman dictator, dependent on how much power the morality police end up getting. While they wouldn't take the title of Ayatollah, it's conceivable they could reduce the Ayatollah to secondary status in a manner akin to the Shoguns.
The key is that Women need to be able to participate in the authoritarian aspects of dictatorial rule in order to seize power through force or succession, as is customary in dictatorships.

[Hammer Britannia]

Does my mom count? (Just kidding, love ya mom.)

[United Muscovite Nations]

There are certainly female monarchs and absolutists throughout history, but very few or even no dictators in the modern sense, in large part due to most dictators ruling through military position.

[The Opossum]

And with that I’d say we’re set, so NSG, we’re there any female dictators?

There are no female Hitlers and Mussolinis for the same reason that there aren't any female Jeff Dahmers.

[A m e n r i a]

Do Wu Zetian and Elizabeth Bathory count as female "dictators"? The whole point of dictatorship is benevolence, and these people are certainly not benevolent, but I wanna know what you guys think.

[Hammer Britannia]

Do Wu Zetian and Elizabeth Bathory count as female "dictators"? The whole point of dictatorship is benevolence, and these people are certainly not benevolent, but I wanna know what you guys think.

What bizarro world do you live in where dictators are supposed to be benevolent?

[Badassistanian]

Mary I Of England would count as a dictator in my book

[Bears Armed]

Empress Dowager Cixi?

[Avidius Legion]

Most female monarchs in history would count as 'dictators' in some sense of the word, and certainly plenty of them were tyrants - for one example, see either Mary I or Elizabeth I of England, depending on whether you're Protestant or Catholic.

The first ever non-royal female head of state was a Communist dictator in Tannu Tuva, Khertek Anchimaa.

Sheikh Hasina in Bangladesh doesn't exactly have the greatest human rights record.

Overall, the issue is that most dictatorships aren't exactly the most feminist of societies, and therefore don't have many women in positions from which they could become a dictator. Also, many dictatorships originate in military coups, and almost all armed forces around the world are overwhelmingly male.

Liz I established the British Empire, I'd hardly call her a tyrant. She's had an aircraft carrier named after her so she must be worthy of respect to some degree.
As far as Tudors go she could've been much worse.

Well respect does not really equally means "not stomping opposition with her iron fist"

[Internationalist Bastard]

There are certainly female monarchs and absolutists throughout history, but very few or even no dictators in the modern sense, in large part due to most dictators ruling through military position.

I agree this is the primary reason
So many dictators come from being generals, which means it’s statistically unlikely

[Kavagrad]

Liz I established the British Empire, I'd hardly call her a tyrant. She's had an aircraft carrier named after her so she must be worthy of respect to some degree.
As far as Tudors go she could've been much worse.

Well respect does not really equally means "not stomping opposition with her iron fist"

Ask the Oxfordshire "rebels" if Liz was a tyrant, that's all I'm saying.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxfordshire_rising_of_1596

[Constitutional Technocracy of Minecraft]

Do Wu Zetian and Elizabeth Bathory count as female "dictators"? The whole point of dictatorship is benevolence, and these people are certainly not benevolent, but I wanna know what you guys think.

The point of dictatorship is not by any means benevolent. In fact, typically the worse a dictator oppresses their people, the less likely they are to overthrow them (starving slum dwellers are far less effective revolutionaries than middle-class citizens). Please may you list one benevolent dictator in power today?

[New Wrepland]

Well weren’t people saying that Robert Mugabe’s wife was pulling a lot of strings in Zimbabwe until recently?

[Xiaodong]

Liz I established the British Empire, I'd hardly call her a tyrant. She's had an aircraft carrier named after her so she must be worthy of respect to some degree.
As far as Tudors go she could've been much worse.

Given the criteria put forward by the OP Liz it can be said to be a dictator (especially given her treatment of Catholics and the aforementioned creation of the British Empire, which wasn't the nicest place for many of the colonial subjects). Just because stuff is named after her, or that in your opinion she was pretty good, or she is worthy of respect doesn't mean she wasn't a dictator (that can be said of a lot of celebrated historical figures after all - most absolute monarchs, Genghis Khan, Ataturk, Lee Kuan Yew to name a few)

[Democratic Empire of Romania]

In Romania, until 1952, Ana Pauker was nearly a de facto leader of Romania.

[Hammer Britannia]

Do Wu Zetian and Elizabeth Bathory count as female "dictators"? The whole point of dictatorship is benevolence, and these people are certainly not benevolent, but I wanna know what you guys think.

The point of dictatorship is not by any means benevolent. In fact, typically the worse a dictator oppresses their people, the less likely they are to overthrow them (starving slum dwellers are far less effective revolutionaries than middle-class citizens). Please may you list one benevolent dictator in power today?

Or ever really.

[Avidius Legion]

Well respect does not really equally means "not stomping opposition with her iron fist"

Ask the Oxfordshire "rebels" if Liz was a tyrant, that's all I'm saying.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxfordshire_rising_of_1596

1596 is the old 1984!

[Avidius Legion]

Do Wu Zetian and Elizabeth Bathory count as female "dictators"? The whole point of dictatorship is benevolence, and these people are certainly not benevolent, but I wanna know what you guys think.

The point of dictatorship is not by any means benevolent. In fact, typically the worse a dictator oppresses their people, the less likely they are to overthrow them (starving slum dwellers are far less effective revolutionaries than middle-class citizens). Please may you list one benevolent dictator in power today?

Depend on your definition of Benevolent, really.

[Constitutional Technocracy of Minecraft]

Historically, there have been many female absolute monarchs (aka dictators) around the world