The Psychology of Dictators: Why People Follow Tyrants

Introduction: The Allure of Dictatorship and Mass Obedience

Dictatorship occurs when one person or a small group holds absolute power, usually ruling by force or intimidation rather than consent. Modern dictatorships are maintained through terror, censorship and propaganda as much as through laws. Understanding why people follow tyrants and how entire societies submit involves both psychological and social factors. In dictatorships, rulers often promise security or glory while targeting scapegoats, creating a narrative that fear and obedience are justified for the “greater good”.

Throughout history, from Nazi Germany to Stalin’s USSR to North Korea today, ordinary citizens have come to salute tyrannical leaders with fervor. This mass obedience may seem irrational, yet psychological studies show that authoritarian personalities and intense group pressures can drive even rational people to trust dictators. In this article, we explore the psychology of dictators and the social dynamics that explain why people follow tyrants. We cover classic theories (like the authoritarian personality and obedience to authority), sociological concepts (groupthink, nationalism, scapegoating), and the historical case studies of Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, and Kim Jong-un. Along the way, we’ll see how propaganda, censorship, and the “boogeyman” tactic of instilling fear keep dictatorships in place – and what lessons this holds for today’s world.

Psychological Factors: Why People Obey Authoritarian Leaders

The Authoritarian Personality: Submission and Aggression

One key idea is the authoritarian personality. Psychologists (originally Adorno et al., 1950) describe a set of traits that make some people more likely to obey dictators. Modern research confirms that certain people have a cluster of attitudes making them susceptible to authoritarian rulers. In the words of one expert: authoritarian followers tend to have three traits in particular – submission to in-group authority, aggression toward rule-breakers or out-groups, and rigid conventionalism. In other words, they revere leaders of their own group, sanction opponents harshly, and cling to traditional values. Such personalities may arise from strict, punitive upbringings or cultural environments that emphasize order over openness.

• Unquestioning Submission. Authoritarian individuals “obey authority figures from their in-group” almost reflexively. They trust the boss or the party line implicitly.

• Aggression Toward Outsiders. They support punishing those who defy rules or threaten the in-group, often labeling outsiders as immoral or dangerous.

• Rigid Conventionalism. They strongly endorse traditional norms and leaders, resisting new ideas. This makes them receptive to leaders who promise to restore “traditional values.”

These tendencies create fertile ground for a dictator’s appeal. When people feel insecure or threatened, those with authoritarian traits are especially eager to “reestablish a sense of control” by placing faith in a strong ruler. Studies show that in times of crisis – economic collapse, war, or social unrest – individuals with low openness and high conscientiousness view the world as dangerous and unstable. For them, a powerful dictator offers order and safety, even if it means sacrificing freedoms. As one researcher notes, when people feel the world is “unstable and unsafe… placing trust in a dictator… is one way to reestablish a sense of control”.

Obedience to Authority: Lessons from Milgram

Beyond personality traits, human beings have a general tendency to obey authority figures, even to the point of acting against their own morals. The classic example is psychologist Stanley Milgram’s famous shock experiments (1960s). Milgram found that ordinary people would administer what they believed were painful electric shocks to a stranger simply because an experimenter in a lab coat instructed them to do so. Shockingly, every participant (100%) went up to at least 300 volts when urged on – even though many felt they were harming someone. This shows that people will follow orders from perceived authority even when they know it’s wrong.

In the context of dictatorships, the same principle applies. When a powerful leader commands obedience, many people comply out of a sense of duty, fear of punishment, or simply believing “the boss must know best.” The sense of legitimacy a dictator projects – for example, through titles like “Great Leader” or “Führer” – can trigger an almost automatic obedience. Once obedience to authority is accepted in one area (say, traffic laws or workplace commands), that mindset can generalize to accepting dictates by a regime. Milgram’s insights remind us that fear of authority and social pressure can lead good people to follow evil commands without question.

Fear, Threat, and the “Boogeyman” Tactic

Dictatorships thrive on fear – fear of real or manufactured threats. Rulers often create a “boogeyman” enemy (foreign powers, minorities, terrorists, etc.) to rally the populace and justify extreme measures. As one commentator puts it, tyrants tell their frightened citizens: “We may have to take away your liberties… to protect you from that [boogeyman]”. In other words, the leader claims that only drastic action (even at the expense of freedom) can shield the people from a grave danger.

This tactic works because fearful people cling to security. When the populace is scared, they are more willing to trade liberty for promises of safety. History shows this again and again. Stalin, Hitler, Mao and others all presented themselves as protectors against enemies – communism, capitalism, conspiracies – and used the resulting panic to tighten their grip. As one legal scholar notes, famous dictators understood that “a frightened populace will allow their government to take drastic measures to protect them without protest”. Indeed, it is estimated that “over ninety million” citizens were killed under 20th-century dictatorships that exploited fear and paranoia.

• Creating an Enemy: Dictators often blame the nation’s problems on scapegoats (minorities, previous regimes, foreign countries). By identifying a visible “enemy,” they deflect public anger away from themselves and onto an easily hateable target.

• Security Over Freedom: By exaggerating threats, they persuade people to surrender civil liberties “for security.” People who are anxious or feel powerless tend to accept even absurd promises if they think it keeps them safe.

Together, the authoritarian personality, blind obedience, and fear-mongering form a potent psychological cocktail. When combined with strong propaganda and social pressure, these forces can lead ordinary people to support or tolerate even very brutal regimes.

Sociological Dynamics: Groups, Nationalism, and Scapegoats

Groupthink and Conformity

On a social level, group dynamics play a huge role in sustaining dictatorships. A well-known concept is groupthink, where a tightly knit community (like a party cadre or a frightened society) seeks consensus so strongly that dissent is silenced. Psychologist Irving Janis defined groupthink as the drive for unanimity that suppresses critical thinking. In groupthink, individuals often “set aside their own personal beliefs or adopt the opinions of the rest of the group”. They see disagreement as betrayal of the group. In a dictatorship, citizens who disagree with the leader often stay quiet rather than risk punishment.

• Silencing Dissent: In a cohesive society, fear of being ostracized or accused of disloyalty keeps people from speaking out. As one account notes, when everyone seems to agree, “people opposed to the group’s decisions… frequently remain quiet, preferring to keep the peace rather than disrupt the crowd’s uniformity”.

• Illusion of Consensus: State propaganda fosters an image that the leader’s vision is everybody’s vision, creating an illusion that everyone is on board. This “echo chamber” effect means even skeptical individuals start doubting their own doubts.

• Us-vs-Them Thinking: Groupthink also leads to stereotyping outsiders. The in-group (the nation or party) is “right,” while anyone questioning it is demonized as an out-group. This makes it psychologically easier to harshly punish critics or scapegoated minorities.

In short, when social pressure is high and alternative information is scarce (due to censorship), people fall into lockstep. Conformity bias means that even people who are privately uneasy about a dictator’s policies will often go along with the crowd. This collective mindset was key to Nazi Germany: neighbors would salute Hitler in the streets and jeer at dissenters, convincing many that agreeing was normal. Under groupthink, silence is compliance, and nonconformity becomes unthinkable.

Nationalism and “Us vs. Them”

Nationalism – the belief in the superiority of one’s country or people – is another powerful factor. Dictators harness nationalism to unite citizens under a single flag and leader. By stoking pride in the nation and its history, they create a strong in-group identity.

• “Destiny” and Revival: Many dictators promise to restore national greatness after humiliating defeats or economic hardship. For example, Hitler blamed Germany’s woes on the Treaty of Versailles and Jews, then promised a new era of glory. Propaganda cast him as Germany’s savior and redeemer, fostering intense devotion.

• Enemies as Unpatriotic: Any criticism of the regime is branded unpatriotic. Publicly saluting the leader (like the Nazi “Heil Hitler!”) became a civic duty to show national unity. Not saluting marked someone as suspicious. This conflation of loyalty to the dictator with love of country pressures people to comply.

• Mobilizing the Masses: National symbols (flags, songs, parades) and education (state-approved history) teach citizens to identify their own success or failure with the leader’s fate. When you believe “our leader is our nation,” it is much easier to follow him without question.

The Nazis explicitly “exploited [the people’s] yearning” for a charismatic leader to “consolidate power and foster national unity”. Similar trends appeared elsewhere: Stalin’s USSR promoted the myth of the Great Patriotic War and glorified the Soviet system, making dissent seem like betrayal of Russia itself. Nationalism creates a tribal mentality: we (the nation) against them (other nations or “enemies”). In such an atmosphere, dissent is not only dangerous but morally unthinkable.

Scapegoating: Blaming Others for Problems

Closely tied to nationalism is scapegoating – blaming a convenient “other” for society’s troubles. Every dictator needs someone to hate: it could be an ethnic group, a foreign power, or an ideological enemy. Scapegoating serves two purposes: it channels popular anger away from the regime itself, and it gives the leader an excuse to crack down on “traitors.”

• Psychological Comfort: When people see their hardships blamed on a defined enemy, it simplifies complex problems. It is easier to accept strict rule if you believe it’s protecting you from that enemy. Hitler famously blamed Germany’s defeat in WWI on Bolsheviks and Jews, making them the target of Nazi hatred. The Nazi regime’s propaganda “vilified arch-enemies of Nazi Germany as Jewish,” even portraying Allied leaders as puppets of a “Jewish conspiracy” to destroy Germany. This constant stream of hate speech created paranoia but also justified total war and genocide as “defense.”

• Unity Through Hate: Scapegoating binds the in-group together. Everyone is expected to share the hatred of the designated out-group. In Hitler’s Germany, Jews and Communists became the face of all evil. This made ordinary Germans feel they were united in a “struggle” with a common enemy, reinforcing the dictator’s claim to lead them.

• Weaponizing Grievances: Dictators often choose scapegoats that already have societal biases. For instance, Hitler tapped into existing anti-Semitism; Stalin targeted “kulaks” (wealthier peasants) and political rivals; modern authoritarians often single out immigrants or minorities. By blaming these groups, dictators avoid owning any blame themselves for economic or social problems.

In effect, scapegoating creates a simple narrative: we are good; they are bad and deserve blame. This feeds the psychology of obedience, since people come to believe eliminating the scapegoated “threat” is worth any sacrifice of rights. The common hurt or fear of the population is channeled into anger at the scapegoat, rather than at the ruler who might have failed them.

Historical Case Studies: Obedience in Action

To see these forces in practice, we examine three dictators who mastered the art of mass control: Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, and Kim Jong-un. Each provides vivid examples of how psychological and social dynamics play out under tyranny.

Adolf Hitler: The Master of Mass Manipulation

Nazi propaganda poster praising Hitler as Germany’s savior (1932 election campaign). Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party offer a classic case of cult-of-personality propaganda. From the 1920s onward, Nazi media portrayed Hitler as a heroic, almost messianic figure. He was the Führer – a father of the nation, a war hero, and Germany’s ultimate defender. In the unstable Weimar Republic of the 1930s, many Germans craved such a figure. Nazi propaganda “exploited this yearning” by vividly presenting Hitler as the “soldier at the ready” and a redeemer of Germany. His speeches at grand rallies, repeated in posters and films, reinforced the idea that the country’s fate depended on unwavering loyalty to him.

Key tactics in Hitler’s Germany included:

• Cult of Personality: The Nazi regime cultivated a mass “cult of the Führer,” ensuring Hitler’s image appeared everywhere. Artists and filmmakers were hired to make him look godlike. Public shrines and millions of copies of Mein Kampf spread his legend. By 1935, citizens were expected to greet each other with “Heil Hitler!” – a quasi-religious pledge of loyalty. Any sign of dissent was treated as treason. Indeed, “non-compliance signaled dissension… where open criticism… were grounds for imprisonment”. This social pressure enforced Hitler’s absolute authority.

• Propaganda and Censorship: Hitler’s Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels mastered mass media. Newspapers, radio, and films glorified the regime and banned opposing views. The press constantly told Germans that Hitler had “brought stability, created jobs, and restored German greatness”. This simple, positive message filled the public space, drowning out any conflicting information. Meanwhile, Hitler’s government viciously censored critics. By controlling information, the Nazis made it seem like resistance was futile and heretical.

• Fear and Terror: Behind the scenes, the Gestapo (secret police) instilled terror. Anyone suspected of dissent could be sent to a concentration camp. Combined with propaganda, this made many ordinary Germans too scared to question the regime. The ever-present threat of torture or public humiliation persuaded people to stay silent or, worse, to report on neighbors.

• Scapegoating: Perhaps most notoriously, Hitler blamed Germany’s problems on scapegoats. Jews, communists, Romani people, and others were portrayed as enemies of the German Volk. The Nazis used propaganda to “scapegoat” these groups – falsely accusing them of causing unemployment, crime, and even Germany’s WWI defeat. The result was widespread hatred and violence (Kristallnacht in 1938, culminating in the Holocaust). Many Germans, having absorbed this propaganda and fearing the supposed conspiracy, either participated in or silently accepted these atrocities.

In sum, Hitler’s dictatorship psychology combined nationalism, violence, and psychological manipulation. He created an “us vs. them” world where loyalty to him was equated with being a loyal German. Millions complied – waving flags and joining rallies – because they were engulfed in a system that rewarded obedience and punished doubt.

Joseph Stalin: Propaganda, Purges, and Paranoid Loyalty

Joseph Stalin’s rule over the Soviet Union (mid-1920s to 1953) also relied heavily on psychological control, albeit in a Communist guise. Stalin built a powerful personality cult: his portraits hung in factories and schools, and he was praised as the wise “Father of Nations.”

• Totalitarian Ideology: Stalin framed Soviet communism as an infallible ideology that needed his firm leadership. Like Hitler, he equated dissent with treachery. The state proclaimed that the country’s success (collectivization, industrial might) was due to Stalin’s genius. Any failure was blamed on “saboteurs” or “wreckers.” This propaganda created an atmosphere where ordinary citizens internalized fear of being labeled as traitors.

• Fear through Purges: Stalin is infamous for the Great Purge (1936–1938) and the Gulag. During this time, millions were arrested, exiled, or executed. Party officials, military officers, intellectuals – anyone could be accused of anti-Soviet conspiracy. Families of “enemies” were tormented. This terror had a chilling effect: nobody was safe, so people learned not to voice dissent. They became conditioned to automatically obey orders and publicly praise Stalin, believing that any slip could be fatal.

• Propaganda and Control of Information: The Soviet press and education relentlessly promoted Stalin as a heroic, all-knowing leader. Textbooks credited him with the country’s progress and victory over fascism. Films and posters depicted him with Lenin and Marx. Contradictory histories (like earlier alliances with Hitler) were erased. Citizens lived in a bubble of state-sanctioned truth. By monopolizing information, Stalin’s regime ensured that many Soviets truly believed him to be indispensable.

• Nationalism in Communism: Interestingly, Stalin also used Russian nationalism to bolster support. During WWII, Soviet propaganda emphasized the defense of Mother Russia. Stalin appealed to traditional Russian imagery and Orthodox motifs, recruiting nostalgia for pre-revolutionary glory, all to unite people under his banner.

Under Stalin, rational people complied because the risks of resistance seemed unbearable, and the benefits of loyalty (or the illusion of benefits) seemed paramount. The combination of unrelenting fear and idolization of the leader created a state where even if Stalin’s orders didn’t make sense, disobedience felt suicidal. By the end of his rule, Stalin’s portrait was omnipresent; words that could be misinterpreted as criticism were edited out of books; and nearly everyone wore a pin with his image. The Soviet public sphere was a system of total control, and Stalin’s paranoia drove people to self-censor.

Kim Jong-un: A Modern Cult of Personality

Monumental statues of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il at Pyongyang’s Mansu Hill, symbols of North Korea’s enforced personality cult. North Korea under Kim Jong-un (and his father and grandfather before him) offers a stark example of how intense propaganda and social control sustain dictatorship today. The Kim dynasty has created one of the world’s most pervasive personality cults, where “eternal leaders” are revered almost as gods. North Koreans are taught from birth to worship the Kim family, which they believe alone embodies the nation’s spirit.

Key features of Kim’s dictatorship:

• Hereditary Rule & Ideology (Juche): North Korea mixes communism with a nationalist ideology called Juche (self-reliance) centered entirely on the Kims. The regime teaches that Kim Il-sung (the founder) and his descendants Kim Jong-il and Kim Jong-un are infallible. Just as loyalty to family is important in Confucian culture, North Koreans are indoctrinated to show filial piety to their “Great Leader.” The leadership is often referred to as the father and mother of the nation, making criticism seem like filial betrayal.

• Mandatory Homage: The state mandates elaborate rituals of loyalty. Citizens must bow before statues of the Kims, with children forced to recite hymns praising them. Textbooks, media, music and art all glorify the Kims. One scholar notes that Kim Il-sung “constructed a sense of unquestioning loyalty toward him” among the people. Houses display portraits of the leaders that people are required to keep clean and honored. This constant immersion in reverence conditions citizens to accept the regime’s commands without question.

• Monumental Propaganda: Public imagery reinforces the cult. The Mansu Hill Grand Monument in Pyongyang exemplifies this: it features two 22-meter-tall statues of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il. By 1994 there were thousands of statues and portraits across North Korea, with citizens often having to present flowers at them on anniversaries. This is intimidation through omnipresence – the rulers’ faces literally tower over every part of life. (A recent survey counted over 40,000 Kim statues and monuments, with thousands more built in just the past decade.)

• Information Blackout: North Koreans have virtually no access to outside information. The internet and foreign media are banned, and severe punishment awaits anyone caught watching foreign films or discussing foreign affairs. This allows the regime to control the national narrative completely. Citizens grow up believing North Korea is under siege by enemies (especially the United States and South Korea) and that only their leaders protect them. This crisis narrative keeps the population fearful and obedient.

• Repression and Surveillance: The regime punishes not just dissent but even insufficient enthusiasm. According to defectors, North Koreans know there are “stiff penalties for those who criticize or do not show ‘proper’ respect” to the Kims. Reports suggest that entire families can be sent to labor camps for one member’s disloyalty. With neighbors and even relatives incentivized to report “anti-state” behavior, people become their own jailors, suppressing dissent out of self-preservation.

Under Kim Jong-un, many people comply not necessarily because they love the regime, but because it’s too terrifying not to. Life inside North Korea is built on fear of punishment and mandatory idolization. The confusion of ideology and patriotism – teaching that “North Korea is the Kim family” – means that obeying Kim is equated with being a good citizen. Here, the psychology of dictatorship is very direct: citizens are propagandized from birth to see their leaders as infallible and omnipotent, so most accept the regime’s reality without question.

Propaganda, Censorship, and the Maintenance of Power

Across dictatorships, propaganda and censorship play central roles. When a regime controls the narrative, it shapes citizens’ beliefs and memories.

• Media Control: Dictatorships maintain strict censorship, shutting down independent media and flooding the airwaves with official propaganda. For example, modern “spin dictators” (like Putin or Lukashenko) might not murder hundreds of thousands like Stalin or Hitler, but they use digital surveillance and slick propaganda to stay in power. (In fact, one analysis notes: “Modern dictators do not arrest hundreds of thousands as Stalin or Hitler did… They primarily rely on selective censorship, digital surveillance, and sophisticated propaganda.”).) When journalists or social media threaten the regime’s story, it is labeled “fake news” or the sources are jailed. This creates information silos where only the ruler’s version of reality is heard.

• Ideology and Education: From early school grades, children in dictatorships often learn an education designed to worship the regime. Textbooks rewrite history glorifying the dictator, instilling fear of “enemies,” and teaching youth that loyalty is a moral duty. Over time, this becomes almost unconscious conditioning.

• Repeating the Message: The power of propaganda comes from repetition. A dictator’s slogans and images are repeated constantly (in speeches, monuments, exams, media). Even if individual citizens are skeptical, the sheer ubiquity of the messaging can start to feel like unquestionable truth. It exploits a mental shortcut: things we hear all the time often seem true (the illusory truth effect).

• Censorship as Control: Censorship complements propaganda. By blocking outside viewpoints and punishing any dissent, the regime ensures people only know what it wants them to know. When people can’t compare the official story with reality, they have less reason to resist.

In all these ways, dictatorships manufacture consent. By monopolizing information, they make resistance feeling impossible for most. People learn not even to think freely, because the regime’s ideology is the only one circulated.

Why Rational People Comply with Irrational Regimes

Given the above, one might ask: are people simply naive or uneducated to accept a tyrant? Not necessarily. Even intelligent, rational individuals can fall in line under the right circumstances. Several psychological explanations help clarify this:

1. Self-Interest and Survival: When disobedience carries the threat of death or imprisonment, self-preservation kicks in. Rationally, people obey because the personal cost of dissent is too high. In Hitler’s Germany or Stalin’s USSR, speaking out or secretly opposing the regime risked torture or death. For most, keeping oneself and one’s family safe came first.

2. Social Identity: People derive part of their identity from the groups they belong to (nation, party, religion). In a dictatorship, supporting the regime becomes part of that identity. Dissenting means losing one’s community and protection. It is rational, under such social pressure, to conform.

3. Incremental Compliance: Often, dictatorships didn’t happen overnight. By the time full tyranny is established, many have already adapted to smaller authoritarian steps. People rationalize each step (“It’s just this one law,” “It’s for the war effort”) and become gradually complicit. They drift into compliance, rather than a sudden leap. This gradual slide makes it psychologically easier for people to accept even “irrational” demands.

4. Cognitive Dissonance: Once someone has publicly supported a dictator, they will tend to double down mentally to avoid the discomfort of admitting they were wrong (cognitive dissonance). In other words, people justify their own obedience by convincing themselves the leader must be right. This rationalization can make even highly educated or normally critical people insist on their choice.

5. Hope and Ideology: Some citizens genuinely believe the dictator’s ideology or promises. Whether it’s the promise of national revival, equality, or security, committed believers are not “irrational” to them. In Nazi Germany, many genuinely wanted the country to recover its pride. In communist states, many believed in socialism. When an ideology captures the mind, people will follow it devotedly.

6. Fear of Chaos: A subtle factor is the fear of change. Even if a regime is cruel, people may fear that overthrowing it would lead to chaos or worse tyranny. Dictators often warn that without them, society will collapse. Some rationalize compliance as the lesser evil.

Thus, “rational” compliance often stems from a mixture of fear, identity, and adaptive reasoning. It’s not that people enjoy being oppressed; they simply weigh survival and belonging above abstract freedoms when the stakes are life-and-death.

Dictatorship Psychology Today: Lessons for the Modern World

Finally, these dynamics are not just historical relics. Understanding the psychology of dictatorships helps us see warning signs in today’s world. The same forces can operate in any country where leaders stoke fear and demand loyalty. For example, recent years have seen the rise of populist strongmen in democracies who use similar tactics: blaming immigrants for problems, attacking independent media, and telling supporters that opposition equals chaos.

Researchers caution that a surge in authoritarian followers – people inclined to support dictators – is a real threat to democracy. Even in the United States, studies have found that those scoring high on authoritarian traits were more likely to back a strongman candidate who promised to “take power” if needed. Experts warn that boosting civic education alone may not suffice; in fact, simply learning more about politics can increase support for extremism among certain personalities. The core issue is psychological – fear, identity, and perceived threats – which means societies must build resilience by addressing insecurity and fostering critical thinking.

In summary, the psychology of dictators involves a mix of individual traits, social pressures, and manipulative tactics. When we study why people follow tyrants, we see a combination of obedience to authority, desire for security, craving for belonging, and deception through propaganda. By learning from history – Hitler’s charismatic rallies, Stalin’s secret police, North Korea’s cult – we can better guard against the same patterns. Even today, the lessons of why people follow tyrants remind us to question charismatic leaders who promise salvation, to protect independent thought, and to respond to fear with facts and solidarity.

Sources: Historical examples and psychological theories are drawn from scholarly works and reputable historical archives. These illustrate how propaganda, fear, nationalism, and authoritarian personalities combine in dictatorships.