About the flags

Here below is a description of the flags that I use to identify Axis and Allies forces appearing in the movies. The list is ordered by country name, and provides some historical considerations about WW2 vexillology (study of flags).




  Kingdom of Belgium - National flag since 1831

Belgium stayed neutral until the blitzkrieg reached its border in May 1940. Although King Leopold III remained in the country after the armistice, he refused to administer Belgium in accordance with the victor's dictates, and the Germans implemented a military government. The use of the national flag was restricted while the country was under control of the Wehrmacht, from 1940 to 1944.




  Burmese anti-Japan Movement - War flag from 1943 to 1945

The British dominion state of the Myanmars, known as Burma, used the Blue Ensign with the Burmese badge on the fly from 1939 until Japanese occupation in 1941. Then the anti-Japan movement fought under a dark red flag bearing a white star.




  Canada - Civil ensign from 1922 to 1965

Quasi-official national flag, the civil ensign of Canada was largely used during WW2 and until it was replaced in 1965 by the Maple Leaf flag. It was a British colonial ensign of the standard pattern, with the Union Jack as a canton and the shield of the Canadian coat of arms in the fly.




  Republic of China - National flag from 1928 to 1949

The Chinese Nationalist-Communist alliance, led by the generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek, retained the national flag during the second Sino-Japanese war, from 1937 to 1945. The flag is the former naval ensign to which was added the Kuomintang Party blue canton. In 1949 the Communist Party won the Chinese Civil War forcing the Nationalists to retreat to Taiwan, also known as Formosa, where the flag is still used today.





  Czechoslovakian Democratic People's Republic  - National flag from 1920 to 1939

The flag of this design, with the blue wedge reaching the half of the flag, was adopted in 1920 and used until 1939 when its use was restricted by German occupiers. From 1939 to 1945, Czechoslovakia was forced to divide and was partially incorporated into Germany. During this occupation the Czech government-in-exile continued to exist, while Slovakia was an independent satellite of Germany.




  Kingdom of Denmark - National flag since 1219

The Dannebrog or "Banner of the Danes" is generally considered as the oldest continuously used national flag in the world. Germany's invasion of Denmark in April 1940 met only two hours of military resistance before the Danish government surrendered. After three years of economic co-operation between Germany and the Danish government, the Danes refused further alliance and led many inside operations against the occupier's facilities.




  Republic of Finland - State & war flag from 1920 to 1978

The Finnish war flag had the coat of arms of the state in the middle of its Scandinavian cross. Finland fought three conflicts in WW2: the Winter War (1939-40) alone against the Soviet Union, the Continuation War (1941-44) as Germany's co-belligerent against the Soviet Union, and the Lapland War (1944-45) against Germany. In the end, Finland managed to defend its independence and democratic constitution.





  French Republic (Allied) - National flag since 1781

The origins of the Tricolore date back to the French revolution when the colour white, which was that of royalty, was associated with blue and red, which are colours figuring in the arms of the town of Paris. The fall of France in June 1940 marked the end of the French third republic.




  French State (Axis) - Vichy government state flag from 1940 to 1944

After the defeat of the French army in 1940, the French State was under total German control but attempted to maintain the fiction of an independent state, with a French administration, especially for police and justice. Also called the Vichy Regime, this temporary government under Marshal Petain claimed the use of the national flag of France.




  Free French Forces (Allied) - War flag from 1940 to 1945

Since Petain's collaborationist government had kept the Tricolore as the national flag, the Free French Forces under General de Gaulle needed to distinguish their war flag to rally all those who refused to pledge allegiance to the French State. Joan of Arc's Cross of Lorraine was chosen as an emblem with a strong historical meaning to be opposed to the German Hakenkreuz.





  German Third Reich - National flag from 1935 to 1945

Originally the Nazi Party (NSDAP) flag, the Hakenkreuz became the national flag in 1935 with Hitler's self-elevation to the position of Fuhrer. Though once commonly used worldwide as a good luck and religious symbol, because of its iconic usage by Nazi Germany the Swastika cross has become stigmatized in the Western world, notably even outlawed in Germany.





  Kingdom of Greece - State & war flag from 1935 to 1970

Until 1970, Greece had two national flags. The cross and stripes flag was used outside the country, including at the coast, whereas the plain cross flag was used inside. For official purposes and during wartime, the state and war flag was the flag used on land with a crown placed in the middle of the cross. It was the flag hoisted over the Acropolis in Athens, until the Germans replaced it with the Nazi flag in 1941.




  Kingdom of Hungary - State flag from 1867 to 1945

During WW2 Hungary, which was technically a monarch less monarchy, retained the state flag with the traditional coat of arms. Generally opportunistic and reluctant member of the Axis powers, Hungary engaged in secret peace negotiations with the United States and the United Kingdom, while waging war against the Soviet Union. In reprisal for this betrayal, German forces occupied Hungary in 1944.




  Kingdom of Italy (Axis & Allied) - Ensign and state flag from 1848 to 1946

The arms are those of the house of Savoy, the ruling family. They were removed in 1946 after Italy became a republic. Since Italy technically remained a monarchy throughout WW2, both Fascist & Allied Italians used the same Bandiera da Guerra. However in 1943 when Mussolini proclaimed the Italian Social Republic, his state flag was charged by a Roman eagle grasping black fasces.





  Empire of Japan - Ensign & war flag since 1889

Although the Hinomaru or "sun disc flag" was the Nippon national flag, in wartime the "Rising Sun” was used as the ensign of the Imperial Navy and the war flag of the Imperial Army. In post-WW2, the flag was banned by Allied occupation authorities. However with the re-establishment of a Japanese Self-Defense Force the flag was re-adopted in 1975.





  Kingdom of Norway - National flag since 1937

Norway proclaimed its neutrality during WW2, but was invaded by German forces in 1940. Occupied Norway kept its national flag. However, use of the flag was restricted by the Quisling collaborationist government under German control in an attempt to restrict its use for nationalist and anti-Nazi purposes.




  Kingdom of the Netherlands - Civil flag since 1821

The Netherlands hoped to stay neutral when WW2 broke out but were invaded in 1940 without a declaration of war. Subsequently the Dutch government and the royal family went into exile and the country was occupied by oppressive SS troops. During this period the red-white-blue was still the Dutch flag but its use was stricly forbidden by the pro-Nazi regime.





  Republic of the Philippines - War flag and ensign from 1941 to 1945

The flag has the unique ability to display a state of war of the country according to the orientation of the blue and red panels. If the blue panel is above the red, the Philippines is at peace, otherwise the red on top indicates a state of war. Here the flag is displaying the red on top, as during the WW2 area.




  Republic of Poland - State flag since 1920

The coat of arms of the Polish state flag is a shield with a crowned white eagle. Pursuant to the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, Poland was invaded by and divided between Germany and the Soviet Union in 1939. The invaders forbade the use of the "white-red" and later on the communist government imposed by the Russians chose to eliminate the eagle's crown, while the Polish government in exile and its troops in WW2 continued to use the crown.





  Kingdom of Romania (Axis & Allied) - State flag from 1866 to 1948

Both Axis and Allies Romanians used the state flag charged with the coat of ams. During WW2, Romania tried to remain neutral but pressions from Moscow and Berlin prompted the government to join the Axis. In 1944, Romania changed sides and joined the Allies, but its role in the defeat of Nazi Germany was not recognized by the Paris Peace Conference of 1947.




  Slovak Republic - State and war flag from 1939 to 1945

Slovakia seceded from Czechoslovakia in 1939 and allied with Hitler's coalition. In 1944, in view of the Russian advance, an anti-Nazi uprising led to a guerilla war in Slovakia. During the WW2 area Slovakia used this flag charged with a black two-armed cross as their State and War Flag.




  Union of Soviet Socialist Republics - National flag from 1912 to 1959

The Soviet flag of WW2 was slightly different to the design used during the Cold War in the placement and style of the hammer and sickle. These symbols represented the industry and the farming as the Communist Party claimed to support the welfare of the working class. The raise of the "Red flag" over the Reichstag marked the fall of the Nazi regime.





  United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland - National flag since 1801

The "Union flag" consists of three elements: The cross of St. George (red on white) for England, the cross of St. Andrew (white diagonal on blue) for Scotland, and thecross of St. Patrick (red diagonal on white) for Ireland. Also nicknamed the “Union Jack”, the flag is used as a canton on the flags of the dominion sates of the Commonwealth.





  United States of America - National flag from 1912 to 1959

The WW2 "Old Glory" American flag had 48 stars on the blue canton rather than the 50 of today's "Stars & Stripes". Since then, the states of Hawaii and Alaska have joined the Union. The thirteen stripes represent the original colonies. The flag was raised on Mt. Suribachi by the US Marines who captured Iwo Jima island. This was the first place an invader's flag ever flew over Japanese home territory.





  Democratic Federative Yugoslavia - State flag from 1941 to 1946

Before WW2, the State flag had the state's coat of arms in the middle, and civilians used a simple version. The red star has been used since the uprising of July 1941. However, until 1946, the star was usually just in the white field, and without the yellow outline, like the Croatian anti-fascist movement.