a form of colonial dependency in which by a special international agreement one state turns over the conduct of its foreign relations to another state. At the same time the protected state receives an adviser or resident on domestic affairs, retaining only a certain amount of autonomy.
In the history of international relations, a protectorate has frequently been established by a unilateral act. For example, in 1914, Great Britain, by means of a unilateral declaration, established a protectorate over Egypt, which it had in fact occupied since 1882. In 1939, Hitlerite Germany established a protectorate over Bohemia and Moravia, which actually became victims of fascist aggression.
A protectorate represents a violation of the generally recognized principles of modern international law and, above all, of the principle of national self-determination as set forth in the UN Charter. The preservation of a protectorate regime or attempts to revive it also contradict a declaration published in 1960 concerning the granting of independence to colonial countries and peoples.
As a historical vestige in Europe, Italy has retained a protectorate over San Marino since 1862, France over Monaco since 1861, and Switzerland over Liechtenstein since 1924.
the military dictatorship that ruled England from 1653 to 1659.
The protectorate was established on Dec. 16, 1653, at which time absolute power was transferred to O. Cromwell as lord protector. The protectorate was called upon to protect the new nobility and bourgeoisie against both royalist restoration attempts and the revolutionary initiatives of the popular masses. After Cromwell’s death, his eldest son, Richard, renounced the title of lord protector in May 1659, and power passed into the hands of a council of officers (called the Second English Republic). In 1660 the monarchy under the Stuarts was restored.