Watch The Dictator's Playbook

The Dictator's Playbook is a six-part documentary series produced by PBS that dives into the tactics and strategies used by six of the 20th century's most notorious dictators. The series explores the lives and regimes of six different tyrants across different time periods and geographical locations: Adolf Hitler, Saddam Hussein, Idi Amin, Kim Il-Sung, Manuel Noriega, and Francisco Franco.

Each episode is devoted to a different dictator and examines the techniques they used to gain and hold onto power. Using interviews with historians, experts, and individuals who were personally impacted by these rulers, the series uncovers the psychological, social, and political factors that allowed these leaders to achieve their desired goals. It also reveals how these dictators maintained their control, it's not only through force and oppression.

The series adopts a narrative format where each episode is presented as a case study. It starts by outlining the specific historical context in which the dictator came to power and then shows how they used various tactics to maintain and expand their authority. The series examines the different forms of power exercised by each dictator, for example, propaganda, manipulation of the media, cult of personality, and mass surveillance.

The series also analyzes the technical and technological innovations each dictator used to maintain their regime. In Hitler's case, the show explores how mass production techniques were employed in both propaganda and weapons manufacturing during World War II. Saddam Hussein was an early adopter of technology, using early cellphones and fax machines to keep his administration and communication tools as secure as possible.

The series also looks at how propaganda was used to control the masses. In Franco’s Spain, censorship was used to silence any criticism or opposition to his regime. In Saddam Hussein’s Iraq, the Ba’ath Party controlled and manipulated all forms of media to broadcast only approved messages. The series examines how dictators’ propaganda works and inspires to their citizens.

But the show delves deeper into how the policies and decisions of these dictators affected their citizens. The series looks beyond the headlines and shocks to consider the actual cost of dictatorship. It speaks with those who were interned in concentration camps, persecuted for their religion or ethnicity, or lived under constant surveillance.

In addition to the historical footage, the series uses computer-generated imagery to create a visual understanding of the dictator's tactics played out. This story-telling technique keeps the viewers invested and helps to explain the complex political machinations of each dictator.

The Dictator's Playbook is an insightful and informative documentary series, shedding light on the tactics and strategies of six of the 20th century's most notorious dictators. Although the show provides a balanced take, it doesn't sugarcoat the devastation these autocrats inflicted on their own people. As viewers will discover, these dictators had a playbook, and they all followed a similar path to obtain power. Anyone who is interested in learning about the dynamics of power, dictatorship, or simply in history, this is a must-watch series.

The Dictator's Playbook is a series that is currently running and has 1 seasons (6 episodes). The series first aired on January 9, 2019.