The political symbolism of flags in revolutionary movements: the case of the 1821 Greek War of Independence

Type:

Book Chapter

Author:

Anastasia Veneti; Stamatis Poulakidakos

Published:

2023

Publisher:

Edward Elgar Publishing

Chapter 27: The political meaning of protest symbols, across space and time, has been thoroughly discussed by both historians and social movement theorists (Meyer and Tarrow, 1998; Berger and Nehring, 2013). Popular signs of resistance or opposition have emerged since antiquity, such as the olive branch and the dove expressing resistance towards military plans and enlistment in ancient Greece and Rome (Finley, 1983). It was during the French Revolution where protest symbols created mass appeal and visibility amongst the public and revolutionaries, such as the tricolor cockade, the broken chain and the adoption of "The Marseillaise" as a popular anthem (Andress, 2015). The historical sociologist Charles Tilly (1986; 1995) has provided an in-depth and critical exploration around the use and evolution of protest symbols during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. During such periods, which lacked microphones, cameras and other digital resources, revolutionary and chartist leaders placed special emphasis on colours, dresses and banners to communicate their messages. The use of red flags and colours by the 1870 Paris Commune became an emotive symbol that was adopted by international communist and socialist movements (Leith, 1978). The communication of protest and revolutionary symbolism is a spatially and culturally dependent phenomenon and practice. This chapter draws on the Greek War of Independence, (also known as the Greek Revolution) against the Ottoman Empire that sta…

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