In a dictatorship, how does a leader come to and maintain power?

Answer 1

In the Roman Republic, the Senate selected a dictator to rule the republic during times of crisis.

In modern times, manipulating the unwashed masses.

Answer 2

In a number of ways, actually.
In most cases, the country is in a state of both economic and political struggle, and the [future] dictator usually works their way up through the military ranks. Most dictators are extremely charismatic, which is where they get so much support from the people of the country - they love they way the dictator speaks and can motivate crowds.
This was true for Hitler who, during a time of struggle for Germany, became higher in power within the military and when the Chancelor died, he basically just took over.
Stalin became dictator of Russia in a similar way. Stalin literally sat around with a cigar in his mouth and a red pen writing names on a sheet. He would just pick off the people on his list. Stalin killed probably millions of people in his... ooooh 40 years? of rule. So in Stalin's case, people were just scared shitless of him. If anybody near challenged him, they were as good as dead
Hitler had the same effect when he got so high into power, he was conducting so much killing that people simply became afraid of him. Hitler also was just a strong leader, starting with the children of Germany, and then talking about the women and how they are the base of a "New Germany" which just pumped the Germans up. Their country was in such a horrible state that citizens look for whatever hope they can, and when a powerful, charismatic, and hopefull leader starts speaking of a new, better country that they will build, people follow. Hitler actually did a pretty good job, Germany did get healthier for a while, so people were seeing actual improvmets and loved it.
As far as maintaining power, again, people will just be afraid of them, or that they get so caught up in following the leader, that while it is happening, many folks just won't stop to think about it.
It's actually a pretty interesting phenomenon how people will follow. Once you get to such a high power, people place so much trust in you and respect you so much, that really anything you say goes. and it's all really all down hill from there....

....does that help?

Answer 3

Assuming you are not being handed the dictatorship through birth or passing of another there has basically been only one way to gain and maintain power. FEAR! When people are afraid to stand against you, you have dictorial power. Generally brutality is used to gain power, then fear of that brutality maintains it.

Answer 4

they come to power by persuading others that they have the problems of the country under control, they manipulate laws to their advantage, slowly but with a plan they start taking away a few liberties here and then a few more later, they take control of the media so that it will say what they want it to say, and they maintain power through fear to see a perfect example of this go into history and see how Hilter came to power.

Answer 5

Well, Saddam Hussein, to maintain his iron rule, literally killed all political uprisings. Any additional party that challenged his Baathist Part rule would be destroyed. He used poisonous gases to kill the Kurds.

Answer 6

Either through the military or through inheritance.