In a military dictatorship, political power resides with the military. Similar to a Stratocracy, in a military dictatorship a state is ruled directly by the military. Military dictatorships are a result of a coup d'état. Military dictatorship may be official or unofficial and may not qualify as stratocratic. A military dictatorship is also known as a military junta. Military leaders often rule as a junta, selecting one of themselves as a head. Dictatorship is a contrast to democracy. Fascism is not the same as Dictatorship or a Military Dictatorship. Totalitarianism is considered to be an extreme version of authoritarianism.
The Brazilian military government, also known in Brazil as the Fifth Brazilian Republic, was the authoritarian military dictatorship that ruled Brazil from 1 April 1964 to 15 March 1985. Most military dictatorships are generally formed after a coup d'état has overthrown the previous government. Military dictatorships may gradually restore significant components of civilian government while the senior military commander still maintains executive political power. In Pakistan, ruling Generals Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, and Pervez Musharraf, have held referendums to elect themselves President of Pakistan for additional terms forbidden by the constitution.
Military dictatorships is contrasted with Communism and Communist State. In Communist states, the center of power rests among civilian party officials. In a military dictatorship the dictatorship is government that has the power to govern without consent of those being governed.
Unlike a military dictatorship, in a stratocracy the state and the military are the same and government positions are occupied by military leaders. Unlike a military dictatorship, stratocracy is government headed by military chiefs. Stratocracy is not a military dictatorship where the military's political power is not enforced or even supported by other laws.
The military's political power is supported by law and the society. In military dictatorship political power resides with the military as in a stratocracy, a state ruled directly by the military. Military dictatorships are a result of a coup d'état. Military dictatorship may be official or unofficial and may not qualify as stratocratic. Military dictatorships and democracy alternate periodically in some countries like Pakistan.