- Match the names of the symbols.
A. Yellow Star, the symbol of horror
B. Red circle, the symbol of death
C. V, the symbol of victory
D. Swastika, the symbol of fear
- Read about the symbols
A. Yellow Star, the symbol of horror
WWII was a nightmare for the innocent people who wanted nothing but peace and harmony in their lives. But if there is one race that suffered the most during the war, it was the Jews. With the number of civilian casualties running into millions, the European population of Jews was reduced to fringes by the Third Reich. It started with the decree that they must wear a yellow star — a six-sided star, in an armband, with the word Jew inscribed on it. This was their systematic plan to persecute and destroy the Jewish population of Europe. According to the law, all Jews over the age of 10 were forced to wear that star on the armband. Poland, Croatia, Austria, Belgium, Netherlands, Romania — in all the countries where the Nazi flag flew, the law was imposed on the Jews. After their segregation, the Jews were transferred to ghettos and from there to the death camps, where they continued to wear the star till their last breath.
B. Red circle, the symbol of death
By the end of 1944, a wave of war broke out against the Empire of Japan. Their enemy, the United States, was one of the few superpowers the Japanese could not resist. In desperation, the Japanese military formed a suicide squad called “Kamikaze”, which included young soldiers, teenagers and young people, who had just enrolled in military training. They were “invited” to join voluntarily to the kamikaze detachment. In October 1944, kamikaze pilots attacked the United States Navy with explosives. Not only were the pilots expected to commit “holy death” for the emperor, but also generals wanted them to destroy enemy military bases. Kamikaze pilots wore white ribbons with red circles in the center and “fulfilled” their mission. Since then, kamikaze pilots have become a symbol of death in the Pacific Ocean.
C. V, the symbol of victory
Germany underestimated their enemy, especially their resolution to fight back. Luftwaffe suffered heavy losses in the battle that eventually compelled Hitler to postpone Operation Sealion indefinitely. Churchill saw this victory as an opportunity to bolster the spirit of his fellow citizens. His hand gesture of V — which meant victory — became the source of inspiration for everyone. Not just England, but people from around the European continent were now looking up to Churchill to liberate Europe from Hitler. His V gesture was his promise to everyone that he will fight in the fields, in the streets, in hills, and that he will not surrender — as he famously said in the House of Commons while referring to the Dunkirk evacuation.
D. Swastika, the symbol of fear
In the 1930s, during the rise of Nazi power, Hitler adopted swastika as the emblem of his party. In Mein Kampf, Adolf Hitler wrote: “I myself, meanwhile, after innumerable attempts, had laid down a final form; a flag with a red background, a white disk, and a black swastika in the middle.” When Hitler became the dictator of Germany, he emblazoned every street, building, products with swastika. His plan was to colour whole Europe in red with the symbol of fear. As he expanded his territory outside Germany, innocent people were thrown out of their house; many were sent to concentration camps; others were killed mercilessly. Even those who were far from Hitler’s reach feared the same fate. They knew he was coming, with his treacherous army and swastika.
- Design your symbols to stand for World War Two to convey your ideas.
