Is it the leaders of a country that makes them good, bad, at peace or in war? Or is it the led who are the majority that determines what becomes of a nation.
How does leaders emerge? If you can answer this question correctly, it'll definitely give you clue to answer your question. The success or otherwise of any country lies on the shoulders of both the leaders and the followers (led as you put it). It is collective work from both parties i.e the leaders and the followers. Followers choose people to represent/lead them irrespective of government setting they're operating apart from military rule.
If they choose a leader who is capable of making policies that'll bring development, they'll be applaud for making a right choice and if it is otherwise, they'll be blame for choosing a wrong person to lead them. In as much as leaders are considered as the pilot of a nation, they can not rule an empty land without followers. To make a country what it is in every nation is a responsibility of both the rulers and rules.