The Flags of War - Nations Involved in WWII (1936 - 1945)

     "The object of war is not to die for your country, but to make the other bastard die for his."
      -- George Smith Patton, Jr. (1885-1945), American general in WWII, led sweep across France into Germany

Background:
The Second World War was an unparalleled conflict in the history of the world in terms of the sheer enormity of the loss of life, destruction of property, and geographical distribution of the conflict.  From the conclusion of WWI, the world seemed to spiral headfirst into a second re-enactment of the carnage begun in 1914; from 1945 to the end of the century, the scars and reminders of WWII dominated the shape of world society. 
  
Purpose: (The basics):

In order to understand the "flow" of the war, (the rapid expansion of Germany across Europe in the first years of the war, the ultimate collapse of Hitler's Third Reich, and the ultimate occupation of Eastern Europe by the Soviet Union) this activity will have students enact the principal military and political events which guided the war.

Process:
  
 A. Choose a Nation - Students will select nations from among the following lists.  The lists are organized in sequenced sets of 5 nations.  Depending on the size of the class, the teacher should select the number of lists to be used and let students choose which countries they wish to present.  No student may use the same country as another student.   For example: if there are only five students involved in the activity, only the first list will be used; if there are sixteen students involved, the first three lists will be used as well as a nation from list 4.  If there are 37 students, the teacher should select lists #1 through #7, eliminating three nations to ensure all essential nations (lists 1 - 2) are chosen, or, alternately, to include the Pacific Theater, lists 1 - 4 and lists 8 - 10, selecting three to eliminate.

   1.  France, Germany, Britain, Russia (USSR), Italy

   2. The USA, Poland, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Belgium

   3. Denmark, Norway, Albania, Greece, Holland (the Netherlands)

   4. Rumania, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, the Vatican

   5. Finland, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania

   6. Liechtenstein, Luxemburg, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino

   7. Occupied Egypt, Occupied Libya, Occupied Tunisia, Occupied Algeria, Occupied Morocco

   8. Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Turkey, Iceland

   9. Japan, China, Philippines, Korea, Burma (this set can be placed earlier and should be used entirely - all five nations, may replace set #5)

   10. Viet Nam (French Indochina), Malaya, Solomon Islands, Indonesia (Dutch Indies), Thailand (this set can be used to accompany the preceding Pacific Theater set, may replace set #6)

   11. Formosa (Taiwan), Hong Kong, New Guinea, Marshall Islands, Caroline Islands (may replace set #7)

 B. Encyclopedia Research - Each student will research the significant battles, events, declarations of neutrality or alliance, occupations and invasions of their nation between the years 1936 and 1945, using on-line and encyclopedia research. It is essential to note the dates of these significant events in preparing for the activity.  The depth research required varies from nation to nation: in most cases an encyclopedia will suffice.  For certain nations (like Switzerland, Sweden, and the Vatican) the best research will be done in specialized books which address the role of the nation during WWII.  The this website is also a good starting point for research in vexillology.

 C. Written Preparation - Students should select the key events and write them on a notecard or paper, including a brief description of the event and the specific date (Month and Year essential) the event took place.  For most nations, this will be about 12 - 20 items.  For some of the larger nations (list 1) - there will easily be over 20 items.  Very small nations (lists 6 - 7) may produce 10 - 15 items.  These sheets should include the student's name and period and be attached to the flags as they will be included as part of the grade.

 D. Flag - Each student will make a flag of their nation (one that was used during WWII, not necessarily a modern one).  Flags must be at least 8 1/2 inches by 11 inches in size.  Flags will also be graded on the basis of attractiveness and accuracy. Students are encouraged to be creative (but accurate) with their flags.  Computer-printed flags are NOT acceptable.  Maybe you did not understand that.  Let's try again: Computer-generated flags are NOT acceptable.  Have fun, get out the markers, the glitter, the crochet needles.  Be creative (but accurate).

 E. The Activity - Students should have a good understanding of the function of their nation throughout WWII after preparing the write-up (part C).  The day of the activity the teacher will read off months (or series of months) for particular years in chronological order.  Students who have active nations for that time period will raise their hands to be called upon to read their events.  When called upon, they should show their flags to the class and read off the critical information or key events which take place during that time period.  For example, when the teacher indicates December of 1941, the students with the USA and with Japan will raise their hands, show their flags, and indicate the event which took place (the bombing of Pearl Harbor). 

Students whose nations are conquered/occupied will sit at the feet of the appropriate conquering nations. 

Conquering nations will stand, and stay standing.  It becomes difficult to stand for an hour.  Feel the pain of being a conquering nation.

Allies will stand side-by side.

Neutral nations will remain seated at their desks. 

Throughout the process students will have to move positions and change sides, depending on the military and political events which take place in their nation.  Estimated time required for the activity: 1 - 1 1/2 hours, depending on number of countries involved.  At various points in the activity (March 1940, November 1941, and May 1945) the teacher will stop the activity for a moment and ensure that students take a good visual look at the relative positions of their neighbors.  Students may be quizzed the following day on the overall dynamics of the activity/war.

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"Flags of WWII" FAQ’s:

Question: Which ones are the easiest?

Answer: It depends on your definition of "easiest".  The highly active countries (Germany, USSR, Britain, etc.) will have lots of readily accessible information, but will have a huge quantity of significant events to record.  The smaller nations (Estonia, Liechtenstein, Solomon Islands, etc.) will have fewer events to keep track of, but will be far more difficult to research.  The neutral nations (Sweden and the nations in list #7) will be very difficult in that, in order to engage in the activity, students will need to focus on nearly purely political events, as opposed to military actions). 

Question: Can I use the modern flag of my nation?

Answer: Only if it's the same as the WWII flag (as in the case of Britain).  If it is a nation whose flag has changed (such as the United States), you will need to use the old flag to correspond to the proper time period (1936 - 1945).

Question: What if my country changes flags multiple times during the war?

Answer: Several countries, as they change alliances and governments do this.  You will need to get their multiple flags.

Question: Can I use a storebought flag or do I have to draw it?

Answer: Storebought flags are fine (so long as it is at least 8 1/2" x 11" minimum); you can also make your flags in other ways - use glitter, combine strips of colored paper, crochet it, create a painted board, make a three-dimensional hologram which is projected in front of you,  etc.  Feel free to be creative so long as you are accurate, can hold your flag easily, and are correct in your representation of the flag of the period.

Question: Where do I find this information?

Answer: This is the sort of thing you can do a classic Internet search on.  The Flags of the World website is also a good starting point for research in vexillology, as mentioned before.

Question: Can I simply print out the flag from that awesome website?

Answer: No. Computer-printed flags are NOT acceptable.  Maybe you did not understand that.  Let's try again: Computer-generated flags are NOT acceptable.  Have fun, get out the markers, the glitter, the crochet needles.  Be creative (but accurate). (Ah, the joys of cut-and-paste!)