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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