Perhaps some anecdotal evidence will help, a bit.
Many, many decades back, when I was a young soldier, I used to make known my concerns about various and sundry things such as polishing the backs of our buttons and the insteps of our boots. These little requirements were imposed upon us, now and again, in a totally autocratic manner by corporals and sergeants who were, in turn, responding to warrant officers and officers.
Once, having said my piece, whilst earnestly painting a rock or, more likely, applying thin strips of blue, gold and black paint to a curb, I found myself in a 'conversation' with an NCO - an NCO with, inter alia, an MM on his chest - leading a fair 'rack' of service medals and campaign stars. Having satisfied himself that I was not a bit of pond scum too many miles from shore he explained: "big and busy and crowded as the battlefield is, lad, you are often - way too often for comfort - all by your lonesome. There is no one to tell you what to do or how to do it now; you have to decide for yourself. It's a very confusing, frightening place, not just the first time, either, and it's hard to think things through and remember battle-drills and procedures so we all need to do the right thing the first time, instinctively. The way we do that is by overcoming our fear; what helps us to overcome our fear is our sure and certain knowledge that there are 'right things' to do and 'right ways' to do them. No one will tell you, you have to know, all this BS, the shining and painting and polishing and playing at toy soldiers on parade is designed to provide you with tools to overcome your fear and to do the right thing, the right way, right now. We do all this to you in the comfort of a peacetime camp because you have to do it for yourself when it really counts."
So yes, there is autocracy but, very often, the individual soldier is on his own - perhaps part of a small team - and (s)he/they must dig deep to overcome their natural, human fear and then do whatever is necessary. The autocracy of military discipline and training helps to 'stiffen' them.