As fans, we are aware of the connections between Star Wars and World War II. Yet, we may not know about the history behind the Resistance-Rebel ring. From movies to real life, actual and fictional rings symbolize a stand against tyranny.
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The Resistance, Rings, and History
As fans pointed out in this discussion, Resistance rings in Star Wars have some real-life historical connections. At least, they have a basis in history through the famed movie Casablanca. If we compare the two rings, we see a similar concept at work.
Early on in Casablanca, as explained here, the character Berger shows Victor Laszlo and Ilsa Lund a hidden symbol in a ring. The symbol is a Cross of Lorraine to reflect that he is with the French Resistance of World War II. This is one of the ways that the 1942 movie captures defiance of the Nazis.
As the above article conveys, the Cross of Lorraine in the ring was designed as “a double cross, featuring one vertical line intersected by two horizontal lines” and dates back to Joan of Arc in the 15th century. The design itself may not immediately make us think of the Resistance or Rebel insignia ring, but it does have historical parallels.
The Cross of Lorraine symbolized the Free French Forces in World War II in a way that links with the Resistance and Rebel fight against the Empire. In the case of the former, the Cross symbol was meant to challenge the Nazis and their swastika regime. In the latter, the ring of the Alliance to Restore the Republic, as given to Rose Tico, challenged the First Order’s fascist military order.
The Star Wars ring harkens back to when members of the Imperial Senate wore it to declare their allegiance to the Rebellion. Leia wore an Alderaanian signet ring during the Resistance period to showcase her defiance of the First Order. From Rebellion to Resistance, these rings symbolized the will and hope to fight against invasion and oppression.
As for the Cross ring, it “served as a rallying point for French ambitions to recover its lost provinces” and represented “French patriotism.” During World War II, the use of the Cross symbol spread to Free French flags, ships, and aircraft. We can see how the two symbols reflected similar goals and inspiration.
The Alliance Starbird and the Cross of Lorraine
The idea of resistance to an oppressive force is reflected in the Alliance Starbird and the Cross of Lorraine. The Starbird or Phoenix symbolized the Rebel Alliance’s hope of rising again from beneath the Empire, a belief transmitted to the Resistance too. Similarly, the Cross of Lorraine played that role in real life under the leadership of Charles de Gaulle.
Just like the Starbird spread defiance across the galaxy, the Cross “haunted the Germans as a ubiquitous reminder of underground resistance” during World War II. In the postwar period, this symbol took on renewed significance as a means to promote de Gaulle’s ascendancy as president of France.
As most fans know, the Rebel symbol originated with A New Hope, with the phoenix and eagle combination “symbolizing freedom, rebellion, and hope.” This message of hope carried on into shows like Rebels and variations of it in the sequels. This symbol was thus transmitted across time to become “arguably the most recognizable Star Wars logo in the world.”
The Cross symbol helped draw support from interior parts of France, “where de Gaulle and his movement were initially largely unknown.” It then spread to help unify the real-life French Resistance, as reflected in Casablanca, where “the resistance fighters use the Cross of Lorraine to recognize each other.”
By war’s end and afterward, the Cross symbol rivaled the tricolor French flag and even decorated monuments like the one for de Gaulle. The Starbird lives on too, in actual productions and the hearts of fans.
Resistance Rings
Through Casablanca, we get a window into how an actual ring of resistance informs the Star Wars Resistance ring. In both scenarios, the ring symbolized and energized movements against oppression. In the Rebel ring and Starbird, we find history embedded in the details.