Page 122 - (DK) Complete Flags of the World
P. 122
Europe
Germany
Ratio: 3:5 Adopted: May 23, 1949 Usage: National and Civil
The colors of The flag was first
the German flag adopted in 1848.
were taken from The flag was
the uniforms of officially adopted
German soldiers for the republic
during the in 1919
Napoleonic Wars
In 1919 the German Empire became a republic. In
1949 it was divided into East and West Germany,
and in 1990 the two halves reunited.
Until the 19th century, Germany the black and white of Prussia, of
was a collection of feudal states. In which Bismarck was Chancellor.
1848 an attempt was made to unite
them, and although no union was THE WEIMAR REPUBLIC
established, a flag was produced. This After Germany’s defeat in the First
was a black, red, and gold horizontal World War a republic was declared in
tricolor. The colors were taken from 1919 and the black, red, and gold flag
the uniforms of the German soldiers returned. Its revival was short-lived
in the Napoleonic Wars in the late and in 1933, when the Nazi
18th century. government came to power they
restored the imperial colors and made
THE GERMAN EMPIRE their party flag, the Hakenkreuz, the
Most of the states finally united into national flag.
the German Empire in 1871, but After World War II, both German
instead of retaining the black, red states reverted to using the black,
and gold flag, the rival Bismarck red, and gold tricolor, but East
tricolor of black, white, and red was Germany added its coat of arms.
adopted. This was a combination of Since reunification, the plain tricolor
the red of the Hanseatic League and has been used.
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