The word is commonly used in English as a synonym for "totalitarianism", particularly "fascism", although jackboots and similar types of footwear have been worn by various British regiments since the 18th century (see Wellington boot, origins). Following the 1982 invasion of the Falkland Islands, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher declared that the democratic rights of the Falkland Islanders had been assaulted, and would not surrender the islands to the Argentine "jackboot".