engleski

Flags as Symbols of Socio-political Integration

The national flags i.e. the flags of the states being symbols of statehood, have always, since their emergence contemporary with the emergence of the nation-states, intended to present the ruling ideology. As one of important elements of those ideologies, the social and political integration of various heterogeneous or even homogenous political entities was often highlighted by symbols included in the flag. This paper attempts to classify the methods of flag design that include the symbols of such integration, proposing the four models. The basic principles of building of an “ integrative flag” according to each model are presented, providing some examples of current and historical national flags employing them. Finally, the national flags used by the states of which Croatia was part in the modern history are presented classified according to the proposed models. The most well known example of such flag clearly showing the integration is certainly the British Union Jack . It does not appear only as the national flag of the United Kingdom, but is also basis for many variants of its maritime flags, its flags of various state services as well as flags of its colonies or previous colonies such as Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, St. Vincent, Tuvalu, Bermudas, Falklands, Montserrat, St. Helena and numerous others… The flag of the United States of America with its stars is the graphical visualization of the US motto “ E pluribus unum!” This two examples sketch the two basic methods or models of the design of integrative flags: in the first case, the combination of pre-existing separate elements of identity and in the latter the choice of a new neutral element repeated a certain number of times. The third model is the choice of a single element symbolizing the unity of the nation. The fourth method is, in a way a combination of the first two, where the separate previous elements are combined and repeated on a background of a neutral flag. The examples of the first method, except the aforementioned flags modelled on the Union Jack, is today less frequent. Among the important representatives of this method may be counted the Union Mark nicknamed “ herring salad” used in the maritime flags of Sweden and Norway introduced in 1844 and abandoned just before the break up of the Union in the end of 19th century. The second method was adopted by many countries, while the repeating symbol designating separate entities is today, as a rule, a star, most frequently the five-pointed star, like in the flags of Comoros, Brazil, the Netherlands Antilles, Sao Tome and Principe, Venezuela, as well as the naval ensign of Bolivia which includes not only stars for the historical provinces, but also one star for a former province lost in war. There are many historical flags as well that include stars or other repeating symbols indicating the integrative parts of the states they have been representing. The third method of expressing unity is found in examples such as flags of Canada, Cameroon, Switzerland or Somalia, each displaying prominently a single symbol to represent the integration of previously divided country. The single symbol may be graphically composed of several elements, such as is the case of the EU flag, where the twelve stars have been chosen as the symbol of integrative unity. In a sense of the newly devised symbol of this third model, of course, each state flag in itself may be observed as a newly devised symbol of the national unity, and as such as a symbol of socio-political integration. The fourth method is the inclusion of a coat of arms (or some other symbol of similar function, since not all those emblems may be classified as coats of arms in the strict sense ) that is composed of elements representing the state subdivisions. It often happens that, due to the intricacy of the details, in such cases the integrativity is difficult to be interpreted. However, those who know the contents of these symbols (that is, to the individual member of such communities) such complexity is as a rule clear, obvious and most of all of utmost importance. Among numerous examples using heraldic symbol one my mention Spain, while non-heraldic example is notable in case of Turkmenistan. In the history of this geographic region the composed state formations were not rarity, but almost a rule. Their flags all include the symbols of that complexity and integrative ideals. Already since Middle Age the military flags of the Habsburg Monarchy include the dynastic Habsburg black double-headed eagle over which were displayed the coats of arms of the crown lands. With the dualization of the Austrian Empire a double civil (merchant) ensign is introduced in 1869. This was composed in its first half of the length by the Austrian red-white-red stripes, and the second half the Hungarian red-white-green stripes, each half with the matching coat of arms. This flag is, beside the two aforementioned cases, the third most important example of the first method of the design of the integrative flags. Certainly, weather this flag symbolizes more the political integration or the disintegration of the Monarchy is a valid question. With the breaking up of the Austria-Hungary at the end of the World War I, a new state of the Southern Slavs in emergence, and due to the inexistence of the common flag, its integrative aspirations expressed on ships with an interesting and in the history otherwise unusual practice of contemporary hoisting several national flags : for example these ships would hoist the Croatian tricolour on the bow, the Serb tricolour on the stern and the Slovene tricolour at the mainmast, while the use of the fourth, Czechoslovakian flag was also reported. With the formation of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes a new tricolour is introduced, soon to acquire purely unitaristic meaning. The integrative symbols are visible in the naval ensign which included on the tricolour the coat of arms composed of the three national coats of arms, according to the fourth method. During the World War II the flags composed of separate national elements emerge again. Such are flags reported in the use on partisan ships in 1942. With the centralization of the partisan government, flags of the third model are introduced, in which the red five-pointed star is the common integrative element. On the naval flags this is highlighted with the golden wreath, while those flags that include the state emblem (“ coat of arms” ), such as the honour ensign 1945-1950, or the naval jack 1947-1990, the integrative element is shown with repetition of an element, however, not the typical stars, but the five (since 1963 six) torches. The contemporary flag of the Republic of Croatia may also be interpreted as a kind of integrative flag, according to the fourth method. Even though the heraldic background of the coats of arms displayed in the crest (crown) of the coat of arms above the chequered shield is somewhat more complex, its straightforward meaning is interpreted as a collection of the coats of arms of historic Croatian regions. After all, the chequy shield itself is the historic coat of arms of one of those regions – the central Croatia. The flag, though these historic symbols, represents the “ program of independence and integrity of Croatia” (Stančić, 2007) that was being proclaimed by the Parliament and the government when adopting it.

flag; ensign; union mark; union jack; integrative flag design

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