Weekly Flag Challenge: Discussion & Entries
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Centroamérican Republic
In the 60s, in response to the Soviet-backed Latin American federalist movements in the Americas, the United States began pushing for more regional integration of Latin-American states. Gran Colombia, Andes Union and the second Central American Republic were created in the process.
White for the isthmus (if elaboration is needed, then the upper quarter is for North America, the lower quarter South America, the central circle Central America), blue for the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, Phrygian cap for liberty, and laureate for reunion of Central America.
The Phrygian cap was a core element of the original Central American seal, I'd say why shouldn't we make it more visible?
In the 60s, in response to the Soviet-backed Latin American federalist movements in the Americas, the United States began pushing for more regional integration of Latin-American states. Gran Colombia, Andes Union and the second Central American Republic were created in the process.
White for the isthmus (if elaboration is needed, then the upper quarter is for North America, the lower quarter South America, the central circle Central America), blue for the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, Phrygian cap for liberty, and laureate for reunion of Central America.
The Phrygian cap was a core element of the original Central American seal, I'd say why shouldn't we make it more visible?
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Flag of the Socialist Union of Central America after the end of the 2nd World War. Until replacement of the Union with Federal Republic of Central America in 1985 (South Mexico would also secede from the Union in 2006 and rejoin Mexico in 2007).
1935 was an eventful year in many places around the world. In China the Nationalist government had managed to temporarily get peace with Japan. Meanwhile the French invasion of the Congolese Republic continued while Sultanate of Darfur was also invaded by the French Forces. Spanish Civil War also began that year with right leaning members of the military and a wide coalition of supporters of various right leaning groups rebelled against government, which itself was a wide coalition of left leaning groups. 1935 also saw "the Great Reorganization" as Harry Pollitt turned the Revolutionary Union of Britain into the Union of Britannic Syndicalist Commonwealths. Liberia also suffered a Britannic supported revolution and was annexed as a new "Britannic Syndicalist Commonwealth". In the Americas Alaska gained statehood, it's population rising with emigres from China, Britain and France, while Cuba and Panama, already US puppets, lost their sovereignty and were annexed by the United States in its red scare.
With its proxy war in Liberia over and newly reorganized and streamlined UBSC was ready to support and supply revolutionaries across the world, which it was unable to do during the late 20's as socialist emboldened by victory in Britain had attempted to rise up in the White Dominions, only to be crushed under the heel of the British Empire in Exile. However supporting the two then ongoing major struggles would prove impossible. With French intervention on their side Spanish Nationalist had proven quick to cut off the Republicans from the sea and any possible support. And while Communists in China controlled significant territory it was landlocked, making delivery difficult to impossible. And as such UBSC chose to start revolutions rather than support any ongoing struggle and decided that South and Central America was the best target for it. In 1937 every country in South America had to deal with a major socialist rebellions. Most countries managed to bring the situation somewhat under control by next year, thought revolutionary insurgencies remained active to some degree or another in every country.
In two countries the revolutionaries were successful in taking over the government in 1937. These were the Central American republics of Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Revolutionary Government of Costa Rica and the Socialist Government of Nicaragua were thus established and within the next month they had agreed to form the Socialist Union of Central America. 5 red stars on black was the flag used by the Costa Rican revolutionaries while the Nicaraguans had replaced the original state emblem on their flag with a black triangle with a red star. With the formation of the Union a single red star on black was chosen as its flag, its five points representing the five states of Central America. By 1938 Uruguay and Paraguay had also fallen to Revolutionaries while the Socialist Union of Central America had managed to liberate the remaining three nations in the region.
By next year Second World War had started in Europe as the Entente invaded the Allied Nations. At the same time the rematch for the Springtime Revolution had started. The British-Britannic War. Central America naturally participated in this conflict as Central American forces quickly occupied the young Dominion of Belize (formerly Colony of British Honduras). A "Peoples Government of Belize" was established and the Socialist Union of Central America adopted a new flag with a large red star surrounded by five smaller stars. Officially the center star was for the Union with the five stars for its member states. Unofficially, the existence of six stars represented the Union's wish to annex Belize as it's sixth state. With the end of that war and annexation of Belize into the union in 1940 a new flag with six red stars on black was adopted. The new peace would not last long as months later the United States and Mexico invaded the Socialist Union of Central America as part of a larger war against the Britannic Union. While the Union resisted its defeat did not take long. The nation was occupied for more than a year. However the revolutionaries who created this union and it's patriots continued fighting a guerrilla war.
Despite the bad situation for the forces of revolution in Central America UBSC, its allies and It's Japanese co-belligerent were winning the war on other fronts. At the start of 1943 Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela had communist governments, Japanese troops were in North American mainland and the Red Army had taken Philadelphia and Toledo Strip. Liberation of Central America would also start that year as Colombian forces crossed first the Darien Gap, then the Panama Canal and finally Panamanian border. Guerrilla forces rose up to join their South American comrades and liberated their country from American and Mexican occupation.
End of the war in 1945 brought two new things to Central America. One was the Union's seventh state, South Mexico. With the addition of this expansive state the Union's capital was moved from Managua (where it had been since Costa Rica and Nicaragua first unified in 1937) to San Salvador. And a new flag was also adopted. During the guerrilla conflict not all resistance forces had access to actual flags of the Union or of its States. Many simply used red banners, others black, others red with black or gold stars in many shapes, still others black with red stars in many shapes. Others used bicolors of red and black divided in a variety of ways. Blue-White-Blue triband flags of the various pre-revolutionary states and older attempts at Central American Unions also saw use. After the war ended government saw that Blue-White-Blue was increasingly popular and as such the new flag was a large departure from red starred black banners the Union had used before. It was a blue-white-blue triband using a light blue most similar to the flags of pre-revolutionary Guatemala and the Original Federal Republic/United Provinces of Central America. However red and black remained popular and the new flag did not abandon those colors completely. A diagonal band of black and red stretches across the entire flag. As with all previous flags of the Union its states were represented by stars. As center of the flag was home to 7 golden stars, each representing a state.
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The Mexicayotl Dominion
In the early 1500s, the Spanish began to establish a presence in Mesoamerica. They had found the Caribbean islands easy to overrun, they had experienced success in Florida, and so they turned their sights on the stronger indigenous tribes of southern Mexico and Central America. What they found astounded them. There was a diversity of tribes that organized themselves into territories ruled by fantastic cities. Most of the cities at this time paid tribute to Tenochtitlan, the capital of the strongest tribe in the area. While there were riches to be had everywhere, Tenochtitlan was the jewel coveted by Cortes.
At first, the Spanish were allowed to land and trade. The Aztecs were curious, and they sought to learn. The Spanish and the Aztecs had very different ideas about the limits of Spanish dominion, and in 1518 Cortes executed a handful of Aztecs to punctuate this disagreement. The Aztecs responded with an attack that was repelled by superior Spanish weaponry. The Spanish wanted to press the advantage, and knew that a handful of cities were unhappy paying tribute to Tenochtitlan. They approached the rulers of those cities with a plan to lure the warriors of Tenochtitlan out for a fight, whereupon the allied indigenous tribes would attack the less defended city. Several cities agreed to this plan, and Cortes marched his men and cannons inland.
Meanwhile, the ruler of Huejotzingo, one of Cortes's allies, had turned on Cortes and informed Moctezuma II of the plan. The emperor told the ruler of Huejotzingo that in return for his loyalty, he could have whatever he wished, as ruler of his city. The ruler of Huejotzingo asked that Moctezuma release all of the cities from tribute, if they would side with Tenochtitlan against the Spanish. The emperor agreed. Cortes and his men were ambushed as they made their way toward what they assumed was an unsuspecting Tenochtitlan.
Cortes begged the emperor to spare his men. Moctezuma told Cortes that the men would be given a chance to live, but Cortes would pay for the lives that had been taken. Cortes was brutally executed. Moctezuma then told the remaining men that they could teach his people to create cannons and guns, or they could join in Cortes's fate.
Moctezuma kept his promise to the other cities and released them from tribute. Together, they swept across the entire area, down into modern day Panama and up into southern Mexico, subduing and assimilating the other tribes and cultures. By 1540, the Mexicayotl Dominion had been firmly established. One other thing that Moctezuma appropriated from the Spanish was the idea of a flag. The original design has been altered several times over the centuries, and the empire has been replaced by a sort of hybrid republic system, but the main elements of the flag remain. The tri-colored bands represent Tenochtitlan, the other Aztec cities/tribes, and the Maya, who joined the empire peacefully, negotiating membership rather than resisting. The blue represents the sky and the water, encompassing all that is. The main sigil on the flag is a stylized representation of Queztecoatl, the standard of the emperor.
In the early 1500s, the Spanish began to establish a presence in Mesoamerica. They had found the Caribbean islands easy to overrun, they had experienced success in Florida, and so they turned their sights on the stronger indigenous tribes of southern Mexico and Central America. What they found astounded them. There was a diversity of tribes that organized themselves into territories ruled by fantastic cities. Most of the cities at this time paid tribute to Tenochtitlan, the capital of the strongest tribe in the area. While there were riches to be had everywhere, Tenochtitlan was the jewel coveted by Cortes.
At first, the Spanish were allowed to land and trade. The Aztecs were curious, and they sought to learn. The Spanish and the Aztecs had very different ideas about the limits of Spanish dominion, and in 1518 Cortes executed a handful of Aztecs to punctuate this disagreement. The Aztecs responded with an attack that was repelled by superior Spanish weaponry. The Spanish wanted to press the advantage, and knew that a handful of cities were unhappy paying tribute to Tenochtitlan. They approached the rulers of those cities with a plan to lure the warriors of Tenochtitlan out for a fight, whereupon the allied indigenous tribes would attack the less defended city. Several cities agreed to this plan, and Cortes marched his men and cannons inland.
Meanwhile, the ruler of Huejotzingo, one of Cortes's allies, had turned on Cortes and informed Moctezuma II of the plan. The emperor told the ruler of Huejotzingo that in return for his loyalty, he could have whatever he wished, as ruler of his city. The ruler of Huejotzingo asked that Moctezuma release all of the cities from tribute, if they would side with Tenochtitlan against the Spanish. The emperor agreed. Cortes and his men were ambushed as they made their way toward what they assumed was an unsuspecting Tenochtitlan.
Cortes begged the emperor to spare his men. Moctezuma told Cortes that the men would be given a chance to live, but Cortes would pay for the lives that had been taken. Cortes was brutally executed. Moctezuma then told the remaining men that they could teach his people to create cannons and guns, or they could join in Cortes's fate.
Moctezuma kept his promise to the other cities and released them from tribute. Together, they swept across the entire area, down into modern day Panama and up into southern Mexico, subduing and assimilating the other tribes and cultures. By 1540, the Mexicayotl Dominion had been firmly established. One other thing that Moctezuma appropriated from the Spanish was the idea of a flag. The original design has been altered several times over the centuries, and the empire has been replaced by a sort of hybrid republic system, but the main elements of the flag remain. The tri-colored bands represent Tenochtitlan, the other Aztec cities/tribes, and the Maya, who joined the empire peacefully, negotiating membership rather than resisting. The blue represents the sky and the water, encompassing all that is. The main sigil on the flag is a stylized representation of Queztecoatl, the standard of the emperor.
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It's against the rules to participate in your own challenge (because then, winners will just game the system by framing challenges based on the flags they intend to make beforehand). You should probably put this in the general flag thread instead.
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Ah, my bad. For the record, not only did I NOT have a flag ready, I did not have a solid idea. I would not have made the initial cut-off and only barely made the extended deadline.
But, I will post the flag in general. Thanks for the heads up.
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The winner is...
GREEN PAINTING!
https://www.alternatehistory.com/fo...ew-challenges-previous-winners.136906/page-32
GREEN PAINTING!
https://www.alternatehistory.com/fo...ew-challenges-previous-winners.136906/page-32
FLAG CHALLENGE #245: Saudiless Arabia
Draw a flag that’s flown in a world where the current Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was either avoided or overthrown.
Exactly how this was done is up to you.
Whether the state(s) that replaced the KSA is better or worse is also up to you.
It could be the flag of an ATL country (or countries) in the OTL territory of Saudi Arabia, or flag of a state elsewhere in the world as a result of butterflies caused by the missing Al-Sauds.
Submissions Open: Now
Submissions Close: April 23
Draw a flag that’s flown in a world where the current Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was either avoided or overthrown.
Exactly how this was done is up to you.
Whether the state(s) that replaced the KSA is better or worse is also up to you.
It could be the flag of an ATL country (or countries) in the OTL territory of Saudi Arabia, or flag of a state elsewhere in the world as a result of butterflies caused by the missing Al-Sauds.
Submissions Open: Now
Submissions Close: April 23
It's only been 2hrs 30mins. Give it time.
Also, I do have some ideas, but I'll decide and post over the weekend on it.
It's only been 2hrs 30mins. Give it time.
Also, I do have some ideas, but I'll decide and post over the weekend on it.
Sekali people dun like my challenge, then I can change liao.
The Emirate of Nejd Arabia
In 1175, Hatim Abdallah ibn al-Wahid took charge of the failing Hamdanid cause in Yemen. Hatim had spent years working as a trader and merchant, cultivating relationships with the bedouin tribes of the interior of Arabia. Eschewing the Hamdanid name, he took the name ibn Arabiya. In 1179, Hatim had gained control of the entire Arabian peninsula. Secular and shrewd, Hatim knew that establishing a Muslim caliphate would lead to ceaseless conflict. Instead, he proclaimed himself malik (king), rather than sultan, of Arabia. Again, the shrewdness of Hatim is evident in the way that Arabia progressed. While Arabia remained a secular and cosmopolitan state, he would respond to entreaties from those who sought to topple Christian control of the Holy Land by sending troops, but never very many. Hatim concentrated on strengthening the cohesion of his kingdom and building the prosperity of his society by concentrating on law and trade.
His legacy was enormous. Arabia persisted as a single kingdom until the mid 1600s, surviving three dynastic changes and seven attempted invasions. Religious pressures, however, did eventually lead to a formal change of the kingdom to a confederation of emirates rules by the three heirs of the Nabiyid line: Nejd Arabia, Dhofar Arabia, and Hejaz Arabia. These emirates have remained close allies through the past few centuries.
This is the flag of Nejd Arabia. The green of the precursor Nabiyid Arabia flag is represented, but the predominant symbol is the sun, standing for knowledge and the secular state. The white bands were adopted as reminders of two wars fought on the soil of Nejd Arabia, and the price of peace.
In 1175, Hatim Abdallah ibn al-Wahid took charge of the failing Hamdanid cause in Yemen. Hatim had spent years working as a trader and merchant, cultivating relationships with the bedouin tribes of the interior of Arabia. Eschewing the Hamdanid name, he took the name ibn Arabiya. In 1179, Hatim had gained control of the entire Arabian peninsula. Secular and shrewd, Hatim knew that establishing a Muslim caliphate would lead to ceaseless conflict. Instead, he proclaimed himself malik (king), rather than sultan, of Arabia. Again, the shrewdness of Hatim is evident in the way that Arabia progressed. While Arabia remained a secular and cosmopolitan state, he would respond to entreaties from those who sought to topple Christian control of the Holy Land by sending troops, but never very many. Hatim concentrated on strengthening the cohesion of his kingdom and building the prosperity of his society by concentrating on law and trade.
His legacy was enormous. Arabia persisted as a single kingdom until the mid 1600s, surviving three dynastic changes and seven attempted invasions. Religious pressures, however, did eventually lead to a formal change of the kingdom to a confederation of emirates rules by the three heirs of the Nabiyid line: Nejd Arabia, Dhofar Arabia, and Hejaz Arabia. These emirates have remained close allies through the past few centuries.
This is the flag of Nejd Arabia. The green of the precursor Nabiyid Arabia flag is represented, but the predominant symbol is the sun, standing for knowledge and the secular state. The white bands were adopted as reminders of two wars fought on the soil of Nejd Arabia, and the price of peace.
The Banu Ar-Rub' Al-Khali, Sons of the Empty Quarter, are a separatist organisation of Southern Arabia. They arose in 1970s and appear to have their origins in an agreement between the eastern tribes of the Rub' Al-Khali loyal to the former Imamate of Oman and the Yemenite Republicans and sought to create a theocratic Republic of Southern Arabia, though this soon devolved into an independent republic covering the Rub' Al-Khali desert and borders.
The Rub' Al-Khali is technically divided by the Hashemi Sultanate of Arabia, the Federation of Coastal Arab Emirates, the Sultanate of Oman, the South Arabian Federation, and the Sultanate of Yemen, but the borders were highly disputed effectively ceding control to local groups of variant loyalty. The formation of the Arab Council for Administration of the Rub' Al-Khali (ACARK) brokered by the United Kingdom however has increased cooperation in the region and the downgrading of the BRK from a terrorist organisation as it shifted to more achievable political goals. The militant offshoot Banu Mafazat, Sons of the Deserts, however are still on the UN Terrorist Watchlist.
The Flag
The flag is white bordered by green and black squares to represent the Empty Quarter and its Arabian tribes. Usually it features the Takbir in gold. The BM flag uses a variant with the Shahada in red often along with swords.
The Rub' Al-Khali is technically divided by the Hashemi Sultanate of Arabia, the Federation of Coastal Arab Emirates, the Sultanate of Oman, the South Arabian Federation, and the Sultanate of Yemen, but the borders were highly disputed effectively ceding control to local groups of variant loyalty. The formation of the Arab Council for Administration of the Rub' Al-Khali (ACARK) brokered by the United Kingdom however has increased cooperation in the region and the downgrading of the BRK from a terrorist organisation as it shifted to more achievable political goals. The militant offshoot Banu Mafazat, Sons of the Deserts, however are still on the UN Terrorist Watchlist.
The Flag
The flag is white bordered by green and black squares to represent the Empty Quarter and its Arabian tribes. Usually it features the Takbir in gold. The BM flag uses a variant with the Shahada in red often along with swords.
Aitihad Alqabayil Alearabia (Arabic Tribal Confederation) was formed in 1964 after Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud joined with the sheiks of the most powerful tribes in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to peacefully depose King Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Saud due to widespread concerns about the king's competency.
The resulting confederation instituted a parliamentary style of government with three houses of government.
The Almajlis al'akbar (Elder Council) consists of the Sheiks from each of the eight founding tribes and act much like the highest court in the land as well as the final executor of law. The Almasnin (lead elder) is the head of this body and is filled on a 3 year rotation by the Sheik of each tribe. This body is also the only governmental body to hold veto power over any legislation passed by the other branches.
The Almajlis al'aelaa (Upper Council) is a democratically elected body, divided geographically, into 50 seats. This body is responsible for electing the government's executive officer (Prime Minister).
The Almajlis al'adnaa (Lower Council) is a tribally appointed body consisting of 120 seats that are divided among various less powerful tribes in the country. Each tribe is allotted seats based on their population and is responsible for determining how members of the council are appointed. Methods for appointment include heredity, direct democratic election, elder appointment, and even outright purchasing of seats.
The Flag consists of a double border of red and black on a filed of white with a gold crescent enveloping a Rub el Hizb (Islamic star)
Black represents the Prophet Muhammad
Red represents the descendants of Muhammad
White represents peace
Gold represents prosperity
The crescent represents Islam, the national faith of The Arabic Tribal Confederation
The Al-Quds star (the outer portion of the Rub el Hizb) represents the 8 founding tribes of the confederation
The inner circle of the Rub el Hizb represents the Arab people across the globe
*Disclaimer: I do not speak Arabic and simply used Google Translate for names etc. No offense or disrespect was intended with this ATL
The resulting confederation instituted a parliamentary style of government with three houses of government.
The Almajlis al'akbar (Elder Council) consists of the Sheiks from each of the eight founding tribes and act much like the highest court in the land as well as the final executor of law. The Almasnin (lead elder) is the head of this body and is filled on a 3 year rotation by the Sheik of each tribe. This body is also the only governmental body to hold veto power over any legislation passed by the other branches.
The Almajlis al'aelaa (Upper Council) is a democratically elected body, divided geographically, into 50 seats. This body is responsible for electing the government's executive officer (Prime Minister).
The Almajlis al'adnaa (Lower Council) is a tribally appointed body consisting of 120 seats that are divided among various less powerful tribes in the country. Each tribe is allotted seats based on their population and is responsible for determining how members of the council are appointed. Methods for appointment include heredity, direct democratic election, elder appointment, and even outright purchasing of seats.
The Flag consists of a double border of red and black on a filed of white with a gold crescent enveloping a Rub el Hizb (Islamic star)
Black represents the Prophet Muhammad
Red represents the descendants of Muhammad
White represents peace
Gold represents prosperity
The crescent represents Islam, the national faith of The Arabic Tribal Confederation
The Al-Quds star (the outer portion of the Rub el Hizb) represents the 8 founding tribes of the confederation
The inner circle of the Rub el Hizb represents the Arab people across the globe
*Disclaimer: I do not speak Arabic and simply used Google Translate for names etc. No offense or disrespect was intended with this ATL
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