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| White Flag |
If traced further, this tradition has been used since the past by the Chinese and Roman to signify the surrender. Quoted from Slate, Wednesday (31/5/2017), the oldest evidence of this gesture user is found in the era of the Eastern Han dynasty around the year 25 to 220 AD. But it is believed that this tradition has been older than that.
One Roman author named Cornelius Tacitus mentions the use of a white flag in his book Histories and was written in 109. The appearance of the cue refers to the Second Cremona Battle that took place between the Vitellia and Vespasia in 69. At that time the white color was used as a the emblem for the soldiers to surrender.
Many historians believe that white wana is used because it is more easily recognizable in the midst of battle conditions. In addition at that time most people use a white cloth and is a very easy thing to get so that the color is used.
In eastern culture, the reasons for using white to give up have slightly different reasons. In Chinese culture, white is a symbol of grief and death so that the white flag is considered a sign of sorrow and sadness that they experience because of defeat.
Then this white flag appeared and was known in the western world, especially when wars occurred in some areas. From there the white flag finally gets 'international recognition' as a sign of surrender, ceasefire and negotiation.
Medieval messengers also carry sticks with white flags on them, as a distinction between them and fighters. The civilian army used to wave white flags before collecting his wounded comrades.
The white flags and their meanings were then codified in the Geneva and Hague Conventions of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The convention also agreed on banning soldiers from using white flags as a cunning ploy to attack the enemy.
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