Tankie

T-54 tanks. This model was used by the Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact countries during the Cold War.

Tankie is a nebulous pejorative term with multiple meanings. It is commonly used by liberals to assail communists, and in particular communists who support historical instances of socialism, but may also refer to any left-wing personage (communist or not) who endorses a perceived "authoritarian" state (largely non-Western powers such as the Russian Federation).

Etymology

Tanks played a prominent and highly publicized role in the Soviet intervention in Hungary in 1956. The term tankie is said to originate from this invasion.

See also

• Commie
• Anti-Stalinism