A military junta is a government led by a committee of military leaders. The term junta means "meeting" or "committee" and originated in the national and local junta organized by the Spanish resistance to Napoleon's invasion of Spain in 1808.[1] The term is now used to refer to an authoritarian form of government characterized by oligarchic military dictatorship, as distinguished from other categories of authoritarian rule, specifically strongman (autocratic military dictatorships); machine (oligarchic party dictatorships); and bossism (autocratic party dictatorships).[2]
A junta often comes to power as a result of a coup d'état.[1] The junta may either formally take power as the nation's governing body, with the power to rule by decree, or may wield power by exercising binding (but informal) control over a nominally civilian government.[3] These two forms of junta rule are sometimes called open rule and disguised rule.[4] Disguised rule may take the form of either civilianization or indirect rule.[4] Civilianization occurs when a junta publicly ends its obviously military features, but continues its dominance.[4] For example, the junta may terminate the martial law, forgo military uniforms in favor of civilian attire, "colonize" government with former military officers, and make use of political parties or mass organizations.[5] "Indirect rule" involves the junta's exertion of concealed, behind-the-scenes control over a civilian puppet.[4] Indirect rule by the military can include either broad control over the government or control over a narrower set of policy areas, such as military or national security matters.[4]
Throughout the 20th century, military juntas were frequently seen in Latin America, typically in the form of an "institutionalized, highly corporate/professional junta" headed by the commanding officers of the different military branches (army, navy, and air force), and sometimes joined by the head of the national police or other key bodies.[3] Political scientist Samuel Finer, writing in 1988, noted that juntas in Latin America tended to be smaller than juntas elsewhere; the median junta had 11 members, while Latin American juntas typically had three or four.[3] "Corporate" military coups have been distinguished from "factional" military coups. The former are carried out by the armed forces as an institution, led by senior commanders at the top of the military hierarchy, while the latter are carried out by a segment of the armed forces and are often led by mid-ranking officers.[3] [6]
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. Military regime is ruled by a group of high ranking officers, whereas military strongman is ruled by a single dictator.[7] 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.[7]
Burkina Faso – Patriotic Movement for Safeguard and Restoration (2022–)
Gabon – Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions (2023–)
Guinea – National Committee of Reconciliation and Development (2021–)
Mali – Transitional Administration (2021–)[8]
Niger – National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (2023–)
Sudan – Transitional Sovereignty Council (2021–)[9] [10]
Myanmar – State Administration Council (2021–) Burkina Faso – National Council for Democracy (2015)
Chad – Transitional Military Council (2021–2022), Transitional Administration (2022–2024)[11]
Egypt – Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (2011–2012)
Ethiopia – Derg (1974–1987)
Liberia – People's Redemption Council (1980–1984)
Libya – Revolutionary Command Council (1969–1977) Mali – Military Committee for National Liberation (1968–1979), Military Committee for National Salvation (1979–1992), National Committee for the Salvation of the People (2020–2021)[12] Niger – Supreme Council for the Restoration of Democracy (2010–2011)
Nigeria – Military juntas (1966–1979 and 1983–1999) Sudan – National Revolutionary Command Council (1969–1971), Revolutionary Command Council for National Salvation (1989–1993), Transitional Military Council (1985–1986), Transitional Military Council (2019)
Argentina – Argentine Revolution (1966–1973), National Reorganization Process (1976–1983)
Brazil – Brazilian military juntas of 1930 and 1969 (part of the wider 1964–1985 military dictatorship)
Chile – Government Junta (1973–1990)
Colombia – Military Junta (1957–1958)
Ecuador – Military Junta (1963), Supreme Council of Government (1976–1979)
El Salvador – Civic Directory (1931), Junta of Government (1960–1961), Civic-Military Directory (1961–1962), Revolutionary Government Junta (1979–1982)
Guatemala – Junta of the 1954 Guatemalan coup d'état
Haiti – Junta of the 1991 Haitian coup d'état (1991–1994)
Nicaragua – Junta of National Reconstruction (1979–1985)
Peru – Military junta (1962–1963), Revolutionary Government of the Armed Forces of Peru (1968–1980)
Uruguay – Military junta (1973–1985)
Bangladesh – Military-backed post-coup regime of Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad (1975), military interim government led by Chief Justice Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayem (1975-1976) and Ziaur Rahman (1976-1978), military governments of Ziaur Rahman (1978-1979) and Hussain Muhammad Ershad (1982–1986) and military-backed caretaker government led by Fakhruddin Ahmed (2007-2009)
Indonesia – Military government of Suharto, also known as the New Order (1966–1998)
Japan – Shogunate period (1185–1868) Myanmar – Union Revolutionary Council (1962–1974), State Peace and Development Council (1988–2011)
Pakistan – Military governments of Ayub Khan (1958–1969), Yahya Khan (1969–1971), Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq (1977–1988) and Pervez Musharraf (1999–2008)
Thailand – National Peace Keeping Council (1991–1992), Council for National Security (2006–2008), National Council for Peace and Order (2014–2019)
Georgia – Military Council of the Republic of Georgia (1992)
Greece – Regime of the Colonels, officially the "Revolutionary Committee" (1967–1974)
Portugal – National Salvation Junta (1974–1975)
Turkey – National Unity Committee (1960–1961), Council for National Security (1980–1983)
Fiji – Military government of Frank Bainimarama (2006–2014)[13]