“The Jolly Roger marked the moment of betrayal — but today’s false flags strike without ever showing their true colors.”
Once the pirate ship had sailed close enough to its unsuspecting target, the deception reached its climax. At the last possible moment, the crew would drop the false flag and hoist the Jolly Roger — the black flag adorned with a skull and crossbones. This sudden revelation of their true identity was meant to shock and terrify. By catching their prey off guard, pirates often forced quick surrenders without the need for prolonged battle, saving themselves ammunition, damage, and casualties.

“From the High Seas to Modern Deception: The Legacy of the False Flag”
This strategy became so notorious that it shaped maritime warfare and even naval codes of conduct. While some navies also used false flags for ruses of war, it was considered dishonourable to engage in combat without first revealing one’s true colors. Pirates, however, operated outside such rules. For them, false flags were a ruthless but practical means of gaining the element of surprise — and it is from these sea-borne deceptions that the modern term “false flag” was born, now used to describe covert actions designed to mislead about their true source.