| Part of thePolitics series | ||||||||
| Basic forms ofgovernment | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| List of forms ·List of countries | ||||||||
Source of power | ||||||||
Power ideology
| ||||||||
 Politics portal | ||||||||
Amilitary junta (/ˈhʊntə,ˈdʒʌntə/ ⓘ) is asystem of government led by a committee ofmilitary leaders. The termjunta means "meeting" or "committee" and originated in thenational and local junta organized by the Spanish resistance toNapoleon's invasion of Spain in 1808.[1] The term is now used to refer to anauthoritarianform of government characterized byoligarchicmilitary dictatorship, as distinguished from other categories of authoritarian rule, specificallystrongman (autocratic military dictatorships); machine (oligarchic party dictatorships); and bossism (autocratic party dictatorships).[2]
A junta often comes to power as a result of acoup d'état.[1] The junta may either formally take power as the nation's governing body, with the power torule 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 calledopen rule anddisguised rule.[4] Disguised rule may take the form of eithercivilianization orindirect rule.[4] Civilianization occurs when a junta publicly ends its obviously military features but continues its dominance.[4] For example, the junta may terminate themartial law, forgo military uniforms in favor of civilian attire, "colonize" government with former military officers, and make use ofpolitical parties or mass organizations.[5] "Indirect rule" involves the junta's exertion of concealed, behind-the-scenes control over a civilianpuppet.[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 ornational security matters.[4]
Throughout the 20th century, military juntas were frequently seen inLatin America, typically in the form of an "institutionalized, highly corporate/professional junta" headed by the commanding officers of the differentmilitary branches (army,navy, andair force), and sometimes joined by the head of the nationalpolice or other key bodies.[3] Political scientistSamuel 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 theAnnual 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.[7] The study found that (1) "strongmen and military regimes are more likely to commithuman 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 indemocratization, 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–present)
Guinea –National Committee of Reconciliation and Development (2021–present)
Madagascar –Council of the Presidency for the Re-Foundation of the Republic of Madagascar (2025–present)[8]
Mali –Transitional Administration (2021–present)[9]
Niger –National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (2023–present)
Sudan –Transitional Sovereignty Council (2021–present)[10][11]
Myanmar since 2021 as theState Administration Council (2021–2025) and theNational Defence and Security Council (2025–present)[12]Burkina Faso –National Council for Democracy (2015)
Chad –Transitional Military Council (2021–2022),Transitional Administration (2022–2024)[13]
Egypt –Free Officers movement (Egypt) (1949–1953), theNational Union (United Arab Republic) (1957–1962), theArab Socialist Union (Egypt) 1962–rebranded in 1978 toNational Democratic Party (Egypt),Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (2011–2012).
Equatorial Guinea –Supreme Military Council (1979–1982)
Ethiopia –Derg (1974–1987)
Gabon –Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions (2023–2025)
The Gambia –Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council (1994–1996)
Ghana –National Liberation Council (1966–1969),Supreme Military Council (1975–1979),Provisional National Defence Council (1981–1993)Guinea –Military Committee of National Restoration (1984–1991),National Council for Democracy and Development (2008–2010)
Liberia –People's Redemption Council (1980–1984)
Libya –Revolutionary Command Council (1969–1977),Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (1977–2011)Madagascar –Military Directorate (2009)Mali –Military Committee for National Liberation (1968–1979),National Committee for the Salvation of the People (2020–2021)[14]
Mauritania –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)Niger –Supreme Council for the Restoration of Democracy (2010–2011)
Nigeria –Military juntas (1966–1979 and 1983–1999)
Sierra Leone –National Reformation Council (1967–1968)
Somalia –Supreme Revolutionary Council (1969–1976)Sudan –National Revolutionary Command Council (1969–1971),Revolutionary Command Council for National Salvation (1989–1993),Transitional Military Council (1985–1986),Transitional Military Council (2019)
Zaire – Dictatorship ofMobutu Sese Seko (1965–1997)
Argentina –Argentine Revolution (1966–1973),National Reorganization Process (1976–1983)
Bolivia –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)
Brazil – Brazilian military juntas of1930 and1969 (part of the wider1964–1985 military dictatorship)
Chile –Government Junta (1973–1990)
Colombia –Military Junta (1957–1958)
Cuba – Dictatorship ofFulgencio Batista
Ecuador –Military Junta (1963),Supreme Council of Government (1976–1979),National Salvation Junta (2000)
El Salvador –Civic Directory (1931),Junta of Government (1960–1961),Civic-Military Directory (1961–1962),Revolutionary Government Junta (1979–1982)
Guatemala –Military juntas (1954),Military junta (1957)
Haiti – Junta of the1991 Haitian coup d'état (1991–1994)
Honduras –Military junta (1956–1957)
Nicaragua –Junta of National Reconstruction (1979–1985)
Peru –Military junta (1962–1963),Revolutionary Government of the Armed Forces of Peru (1968–1980)
Suriname –National Military Council (1980–1987)
Uruguay –Military junta (1973–1985)
Venezuela –Military junta (1948–1958)
Bangladesh – Military-backed regime ofKhondaker Mostaq Ahmad (1975), military interim government led by Chief JusticeAbu Sadat Mohammad Sayem (1975–1976) and laterZiaur Rahman (1976–1978), military government ofHussain Muhammad Ershad (1982–1986) and military-backedcaretaker government led byFakhruddin Ahmed (2007–2009)
Cambodia –Khmer Republic (1970–1975),Democratic Kampuchea (1975–1979)
China (Republic of) –Temporary Provisions against the Communist Rebellion (1948–1991) used by theKuomintang after thefall ofmainland China to theCommunists[citation needed]
Indonesia – Military government ofSuharto, also known as theNew Order (1966–1998)
Iraq –Sovereignty Council (1958–1963) andRevolutionary Command Council (1968–2003)
Japan –Shogunate period (1185–1868)
Myanmar –Union Revolutionary Council (1962–1974),State Peace and Development Council (1988–2011)
Pakistan – Military governments ofAyub Khan (1958–1969),Yahya Khan (1969–1971),Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq (1977–1988) andPervez Musharraf (1999–2008)
South Korea – Military governments ofPark Chung Hee (1962–1979, initially as theSupreme Council for National Reconstruction) andChun Doo-hwan(1980–1988)
Syria –Supreme Arab Revolutionary Command of the Armed Forces (1961-1961/1962/1963, exact date of rule end is unknown) andNational Council for the Revolutionary Command (withMilitary Committee of the Ba'ath Party) (1963–1966)
Yemen Arab Republic –Revolutionary Command Council (1962-1967) andMilitary Command Council (1974–1978)
Thailand –National Peace Keeping Council (1991–1992),Council for National Security (2006–2008),National Council for Peace and Order (2014–2019)
Armenia –Dashnak government of theFirst Republic of Armenia (1918–1920)[15]
Azerbaijan –Premiership ofSurat Huseynov (1993–1994)
Bulgaria – Junta of the1934 Bulgarian coup d'état (1934–1935)
Commonwealth of England –The Protectorate (1653–1660)
Georgia –Military Council of the Republic of Georgia (1992)
Greece –Revolutionary Council (1967–1974)
Poland –Military Council of National Salvation (1981–1983)
Portugal –National Salvation Junta (1974–1975)
Spain (Nationalist) –National Defense Junta (1936),Junta Técnica del Estado (1936–38, largely powerless)
Turkey[a] –National Unity Committee (1960–1961),National Security Council (1980–1983)
Fiji – Military government ofFrank Bainimarama (2006–2014)[16]Existing administrative bodies formed after the army takeover, including the State Administration Council, have been now dissolved and all government functions have been handed to the National Defense and Security Council, the spokesperson said.
