White flag

The truce is a white flag featuring the flag of truce as such, and the combatants obliged to defend its inviolability guaranteed by international law. It is one of the distinctive emblems of the international law of war and is defined in Article 32 of the Hague Regulations.

From the inviolability of the white flag sponsor and his prohibition of abuse of the frequently used function is obtained as a sign of surrender or the waiver of defense. So often means hanging out of white flags in the cities peacefully surrender to enemy troops.

Although the truce is often referred to as " white flag ", it is not a flag in the true sense.

History

Even if the white flag only since the Hague Regulations enjoys contractually stipulated protection under international law, it has been used for a long time and respects customary law. As a sign of surrender, she was ( 25-220 AD) already used in China during the Eastern Han Dynasty. Also, the Roman historian Publius Cornelius Tacitus reports against 109 AD by the use of a white flag during the surrender of Roman legionnaires.

Other meanings

• Especially in Austria, the white flag is hoisted at schools, when all is encountered students pass the Matura.
• The Taliban used 1996, became a white flag as the national flag of Afghanistan. On 27 October 1997, the Shahada was added in black.