Croatia, history of the flag

Republika Hrvatska

Last modified: 1997-09-03 by zeljko heimer
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• History of the Flag
  • Before the Word War II
  • Independent State of Croatia
  • Federal Croatia in Democratic Federative Yugoslavia
  • Proposals for the new flag in 1990
  • Interpretations of flag colours
  • Order of Checquy Gules-Argent
• Further comments on checquy ordering

• Croatia

History of the Flag

Before the Word War II

Croatian horizontal tricolor of red, white and blue inherited their colours, of course, from Croatian coats of arms: Croatian checkered red and silver, Dalmatian blue with three golden leopards, and Slavonian blue with red field with black marten bordere d with two white wavy lines, and golden star above. All of the three coats were, in fact, used in different times for all the land, as it is with the name also. Later in 19th cent. the geographical meaning of these names was finally firmly established. Th e land was named in 19th cent "Triunar (meaning one made of three) kingdom of Croatia, Slavonia and Dalmatia". Therefore, it is not unusual that the flag was made of all three colours.

First time that it was officially proclaimed was in 1848 and under influence of revolutionary movements in Europe, a simple tricolor was made. The flag was, of course, without any coat. However, it was used as local flag in a big empire, so it remained more or less internationally unknown, but it became one of the most important symbols of Croatian people. Very often it can be seen on old postcards, most often together with Croatian coats (normally not on the flag, but from time to time as a part of the flag).

After the end of the World War Croatia proclaimed independence, and a tricolor became state flag, again without coats. The collision with Dutch flag, didn't became, as a matter of fact, a problem, because the state was shortlived. After short time, Croatia was united with Slovenia and Bosna and Herzegovina in State of Slovenians, Croats and Serbs (not to be mistaken for later Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenians), and a month later occupied by Serbian forces united in Kingdom under Serbian dynasty which already annexed Montenegro. This state was then named Kingdom of SHS (Serbs, Croats and Slovenians), and took a neutral combination of pan-sloven colours blue white red (both Serbia and Montenegro had red blue white and Slovenia white blue red).

Croatian flag again remained local flag, highly respected by people, but half illegal, as the Belgrade government tried to unite all nations into a Yugoslav nation. These efforts didn't succeed, and in 1938 a separate province (banovina) of Croatia was made. It took, as one can expect, the red white blue tricolor and in official use the coat of province in the middle. By this time many Croatian political parties used Croatian tricolor with their respective symbol in the middle, most known HSS (Croatian Peasants Party), with checkered red white field bordered green.

Independent State of Croatia

by zeljko heimer

After the breakdown of Yugoslavia in 1941 a quisling regime proclaimed Independent state of Croatia. The flag was again red white blue with a symbol of leading pronazi party Ustasa, a checkered red and white with letter U above in a wattle.

Federal Croatia in Democratic Federative Yugoslavia

by zeljko heimer

In the same time the antifascist movement led by communists used the same tricolor with a five pointed red star. The star was as high as a white field, and was usually of the type with inner diameter half of the outer. Only later in 50's the star was made bigger and a golden bordering was added. Any Croatian flag without red star was *strictly* prohibited. There is a case of a folklore ensemble wearing Croatian national costumes, that were requested that the belts on the trousers, traditionally red, white and blue, had to be with the red stars.

Proposals for the new flag in 1990

In late 80's with a growth of national and anticommunist movement, the thoughts of a new flag were heard. There was obvious problem of collision with Dutch flag, if there would be just the star removed. However, the tradition of having the coat of arms in the middle was very strong. Emigrant societies in the world used the one with checkered shield, and many taught it is right to use the same design.

There were some other propositions. Maybe a most radical was the checkered red and white flag, very much alike the one used for car racing. Others were simplifications of tricolor with coat designs. I include one or two that I think were among the better.

by zeljko heimer

by zeljko heimer

by zeljko heimer

All of the three are from 1990, and are some of designs that have been published in newspapers and debated on. Unfortunately, I don't have right now the names of designers. I prefer first one, simple and easy to recognize among other flags, and on distance.

Finally, the design with full coat of arms was preferred, and made official, with a coat bigger than on many of other propositions. The author of the design is, I think, Miroslav Sutej, who made design of the coat itself, and the presidents flag, and some other insignia of the state.

Interpretations of flag colours

One of interpretations of colours dating from late 19th cent is Red Croatia, White Croatia, and Kingdom of Slavonia (blue). Red and White Croatia are Croatian states from early middle age, approximately in todays Dalmatia (Red) and central Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina (White).

And finally to mention an interpretation of colours of Croatian flag made by Miroslav Krleza, a greatest national wrighter, saying that colour represents the three simbols of Croatian history and people: blood of Croatian martyrs, Croatian peaceful lamblike nature, and Croatian devoutness to God.

Order of Checquy Gules-Argent

There is an other issue, that has to be considered with the Croatian flag, that sometimes became a political question. It is the arrangement (or the order) of red and white field in the shield. The question is on the first square, as it is usually called , meaning the one in the upper right (heraldically) corner, weather it is red or white. The discussion on the matter was sometimes quite hot. The shield is usually 5x5 and sometimes (especially when the shield is trierced) 4x4. Until the 1918 white was usually preferred, afterwards red (in most cases then the trierced shield was displayed). In Independent State in WW II the first square was white, and after 1945 again red (it was used, oddly enough, in a center of coat of arms of Socialistic Republic of Croatia in Yugoslavia, and not on the flags where it was forbidden). Now it is red, however it is possible to see flags with coat with first white square, and a shield smaller than the white strip, without the crown of five shields above. This flag is not at all approved, but it is tolerated for use by private persons. It is common opinion that those how fly it are politically more extreem rightly oriented.

by zeljko heimer

Further comments on checquy ordering

"What the heraldry says on that? Heraldic definition of checkered red and white does not say anything of which one goes first."

Well, yes it does -- at least in English, "checky gules and argent" means red (gules) goes first, and "checky argent and gules" means white (argent) goes first.

But the shield is older than the description; and it's likely that in old days, before armigers became numerous enough to require such fine distinctions, the shield was represented both ways.

A partial solution might be to use a shield whose top edge is not square, so the "first" cell is ambiguous.

anton sherwood 14-OCT-1995