Autocracy, << aw TOK ruh see, >> is a form of government in which one person holds supreme power. This individual cannot be restricted, according to law, by any institution or group of citizens from doing whatever he or she wishes. However, some autocratic leaders have used the appearance of public accountability (being answerable to the people) and elections to conceal their autocracies. The Russian government under the czars was an autocracy, extending from the mid-1500’s to the early 1900’s. Dictator Adolf Hitler’s government in Germany from 1933 to 1945 was also a form of autocracy. Many countries have been controlled by autocrats since World War II ended in 1945. These autocrats included Idi Amin Dada of Uganda and Mu’ammar Muhammad al-Qadhafi of Libya. See also Dictatorship ; Government .
