Over the course of centuries there have been changes in flags and you can see how this reflects the changing mood and direction of a country. I’ve always had an interest in history and through books and documentaries I’ve noticed that the flags from a half century or century ago for certain countries are very different compared to their flags today. This observation is what initially sparked my interest in learning about the changing symbols and meanings in flags over time. I first started looking at the different designs of flags but eventually I became interested in the reasons behind the change. I noticed patterns that are sometimes similar in certain countries due to the time frame and similar circumstances in each country.
An example of recurring patterns that may be noticed in flags can be seen during the 20th century. Communism was spreading around the world after 1945 with the end of World War 2. A famous symbol that communists associate themselves with is the red star, which is believed to be the ultimate triumph of communism around the world. You can see the spread of this symbol into the flags of several countries in Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, and North Asia around this time.
In Eastern Europe the most notable flag that I saw a change in was the now disbanded Yugoslavia. Yugoslavia was created as a nation after World War 1 and it was first a kingdom. During World War 2 they were invaded by Nazi Germany and by the end of the war they were granted freedom of elections. However, the Soviet Union held unfair elections in Eastern European countries with hopes of spreading communist influence and Yugoslavia was one country that fell to communism under the leadership of Josip Broz Tito. As soon as they turned to communism they sported a red star with yellow outlining in the middle of the flag showcasing their alignment with communist thought.
Another example is Vietnam. During the period of decolonization, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam’s marxist revolutionary leader, led an uprising against the French as they refused to give up their colony. Eventually Vietnam was split in two, North Vietnam (Communist) and South Vietnam (Democratic). The Vietnam War was brutal but it ended in America and South Vietnam losing and North Vietnam managed to come in and take full control of the country. With this, Vietnam fell to communism. South Vietnam’s flag was the original flag of Vietnam as a country, it showcased a yellow banner with three striped red lines. However, with North Vietnam emerging victorious, they sported a red banner with a yellow star in the center, again, showcasing their communist identity. Interestingly, many Vietnamese migrants who escaped from Vietnam at the end of the war, still proudly hang up the South Vietnam flag in their homes and enclaves.
The last example is the split of North and South Korea. Korea had long been an imperial empire but by the early 20th century they had been invaded by Japan. Only by the end of World War 2 did Japan finally give up the land they had invaded. After World War 2, Korea was in a similar circumstance to Vietnam and were eventually split up between North Korea (Communist) and South Korea (Democracy). The Korean War was fought over the course of three years but ultimately ended in a stalemate and kept its original border at the 38th parallel. This still remains the case today and when looking at North Korea’s flag, you will notice that same red star symbolizing their communist turn. Here we see how the theme of communism influenced the design of flags throughout the 20th century.
Another recurring pattern I noticed was how flags changed as they transitioned from Monarchy to Republic/Democracy. The first case of this I noticed was in France. France was one of the strongest countries in Europe for centuries and was a strong absolute monarchy. To symbolize their kingdom, they sported a blue shield with golden fleurs-de-lis proudly showing off the royal coat of arms. However, by the late 18th century, the lower class that made up a majority of the population were fed up with kings and queens recklessly ruling their country that caused the poor to suffer as they continued to live in luxury. This led to the very bloody French Revolution which saw the executions of the King, Queen, Royals, and even innocent lives by guillotine if they were deemed unrevolutionary. This was the starting ground for France to ultimately become a Republic. In order to abandon their old identity associated with monarchy, they changed the banner into the classic red, white, and blue stripes seen today. By the end of the French Revolution, a growing military general with huge ambition by the name of Napoleon Bonaparte would conquer Europe to fulfill his need for power. In the process, he would spread revolutionary ideas across Europe and while it didn’t immediately happen, by the next century, many other European kingdoms would see the transition from Monarchy to Democracy. Even in the 20th century this impact was still seen.
In 1910, Portugal had its own revolution which overthrew the monarchy to establish its Republic. Similarly, Greece also saw the effects of the Napoleonic wars. Greece managed to establish its own kingdom from 1832-1924 and again from 1935-1973. Between those years Greece also tried to establish its own Republic and they did not permanently establish one until 1973. We see how the concept of Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars changed people’s thoughts about their country and their flag.
The last example of change in flags overtime is the transition of Imperialism to Republic. This would occur most often in Asia. As mentioned earlier, Korea had been an imperial nation that had isolated itself for centuries, and during the Joseon dynasty had a completely distinct flag. The Empire of Korea sported a pattern of red and blue swirls in the center of the flag with black lines around it. The Republic of Korea had these same red and blue colors but represented yin and yang with black lines symbolizing harmony. South Korea sports this flag today as they managed to hold their own against North Korea during the Korean War.
During its imperial rule Japan had a red banner with a yellow circle and lines in the center. However, in the late 19th century when they embraced westernized technology and thought they changed their flag to its rising sun design which they continued to use during its invasions of Asia and by the end of World War 2. After World War 2, they again changed it so that it was simply a white banner with a red circle in the center simply symbolizing the circle of the sun.
Lastly, China during its imperial rule interestingly had a dragon with a yellow background and red circle on the top corner. However, in 1912, they overthrew the emperor and replaced it with a Republic. They replaced the flag with 5 different colored stripes. Then it became a red banner with a blue corner and white sun shape. This flag symbolized Blue Sky, White Sun, and a Wholly Red Earth. When China split between Communism and a Republic they abandoned this design and had a red background with 5 yellow stars. However, Taiwan kept the old design and remains the same today. This shows how Asian nations changed their flags as they transitioned from Imperialism.
The change of flags around the world is an interesting concept that I researched on my own time. There are so many more examples I know of which I highly encourage for people to look up and know the meaning behind it. I found this topic very interesting as I observed how change of policy in public sentiment also influenced the design of their flag and how it formed their national identity. It’s also interesting to see why flags are the way they are today and makes me wonder if there would be more change in the future.