The name for dictators in small countries that think they are more important than they are. The term comes from how children play soldier by putting a kitchen pot on their heads to make people think they are real soldiers. Tinpot despots have a lot less influence in the world than they think they do. They often use military forve to get what they want.
Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe and Muammar al-Gaddafi of Libya are considered tinpot despots. Sudan, Eritrea, Chad, and Equatorial Guinea also have tinpot despots as leaders as well.
by running_late February 27, 2011