US General Douglas MacArthur (left), military ruler of Japan 1945-1952, next to Japan's Emperor Hirohito

Military rule may mean:

• Militarism or militarist ideology - the ideology of government as best served when under military control
• Military occupation, when a country or area is occupied after invasion.
  • List of military occupations
• Martial law, where military authority takes over normal administration of law
• Police state, where people's lives are subject to constant and often covert police surveillance
• Military law, the legal system applying to members of the armed forces
• Military dictatorship, a form of government where political power resides with the military
• khakistocracy, where the military regime colludes with the elite and industrial classes for perpetuating their rule
• Military tribunal

Military rule may also be:

• When a military applies a court-martial and nonjudicial punishment
• When specific laws are applied in a military context as in the United States Uniform Code of Military Justice by the Judge Advocate General's Corps (JAG)