Editing Borduria (section)

==Government and military==
[[File:Flag of Borduria (Tintin - 1939).svg|thumb|right|upright|Old flag of Borduria (from 1939 black and white edition of ''King Ottokar's Sceptre'')]]
[[File:Flag of Borduria.svg|thumb|right|upright|Alternative interpretation of 1939 black and white edition]]
[[File:Flag of Borduria (Tintin - 1946).svg|thumb|right|upright|Old flag of Borduria (from 1947 color edition of ''King Ottokar's Sceptre'')]]
[[File:Borduriens flagga.svg|thumb|right|upright|Post-war flag of Borduria (from 1956 ''The Calculus Affair'')]]
[[File:Flag of Borduria (Tintin - 1956).svg|thumb|right|upright|Variant of post-war flag]]
Borduria is a fascist country with a [[totalitarian]] government. Several Central European countries such as [[Kingdom of Hungary (1920–1946)|Hungary]], [[Independent State of Croatia|Croatia]], [[Albanian Kingdom (1928–1939)|Albania]] and [[Kingdom of Romania|Romania]] were ruled by fascist governments before or during [[World War II]]. Many became client states of the [[Soviet Union]] after the war; Borduria may be presumed to be in a similar situation. In Tintin post-war stories it is not depicted as a typical [[Eastern Bloc]] country, however, but as a fascist state. The fact that the president of state bears the military rank of [[Marshal]] is a reference to Soviet leader [[Joseph Stalin]], Romania's wartime leader [[Ion Antonescu]] and [[Yugoslavia]]'s post-war president [[Josip Broz Tito]]. However, the leader's cult of personality most resembles [[Joseph Stalin]].

The army in pre-war ''[[King Ottokar's Sceptre]]'' is depicted as German-supplied, the main aircraft depicted being the [[Messerschmitt Bf 109|Bf 109]]. In post-war stories it has all the characteristics of the Soviet military. In ''[[Tintin and the Picaros]]'' the [[San Theodoros]] army is supplied by Borduria with [[Beretta AR70/90]] assault-rifles and [[Mil Mi-1]] helicopters. Also the government state limousine with Kurvi-Tasch's mustaches is inspired by the Soviet [[ZIL-114]].

In ''King Ottokar's Sceptre'', the Bordurian flag is black with a red circle and two black triangles, reminiscent of the stark, eye-catching symbols used by several Fascist movements. In ''[[The Calculus Affair]]'', it is red, with the emblem of Kurvi-Tasch's mustache inside a white circle, resembling it closer to the Nazi flag, and this was also worn as military armbands by the Bordurian military personnel. In ''King Ottokar's Sceptre'', the Bordurian army uses the [[Gewehr 98]], [[vz. 24]] and [[Karabiner 98k]] [[bolt-action]] rifles. In ''The Calculus Affair'', Bordurian soldiers and agents were armed with Italian [[Beretta Model 38]] [[Submachine Gun]]s. Due to the nature of its government and its military's weaponry, Borduria was most likely an affiliate of the [[Axis powers|Axis]] during World War II, although there is no explicit mention of that in the books.

The post-war emblem of Borduria is similar to the [[circumflex]] symbol, and is modelled in the likeness of the mustache of [[Marshal Kûrvi-Tasch]]. In ''The Calculus Affair'', evidence of the cult of personality surrounding the Marshal can be found in countless objects in Borduria, from the lettering on signs and buildings to the logos of Bordurian companies and even certain characteristics and details on cars, including the car bumpers, include the shape in their designs.