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Republics of Former Yugoslavia

Flags of Republics of Socialist Yugoslavia
Flags used in WWII

See also:

Flags of Republics of Socialist Yugoslavia

Bosnia and Herzegovina

by zeljko heimer 01-APR-1996

Unoficial variant:

by zeljko heimer 01-APR-1996

Bosnia and Herzegovina (Peoples Republic of, until 1963, Socialist Republic till 1992?), had a most compicated flag - since there were no historical flag for it. Red flag with small yellow fimbrated, yugoslav flag in canton (the flag in canton was very small, less then 1/4 of length. Red stands for comunism. It was officially addopted 31-DEC-1946. The flag in the acctual use had, not unusually, a much bigger canton, and most often, Yugoslav flag was in 'a flying canton', i.e. had a whide red outline on all sides.

Croatia

by zeljko heimer 01-APR-1996

Croatia (Peoples Republic of, until 1963, Socialsit Republic til 1990) had a standard Croatian red-white-blue flag with star, officially addopted on 18-JAN-1947, officially abandoned 27-JUN-1990. Croatian tricolore dates from 1848, and is based on colours of Croatian coats of arms (and has nothing to do with Russian origin of pan-Slavene colours).

Macedonia

by zeljko heimer 01-APR-1996

Macedonia (Peoples Republic of, until 1963, Socialsit Republic til 1991) used a red flag with a yellow outlined star in upper hoist corner. The size of the star varied. Officially it was much smaller than the stars on other flags of Republics, but usually - when displayed together with the rest of them - was enlarged on this size. Sometimes the star was put in the middle, but that was wrong. This flag was addopted on 31-DEC-1946, and replaced with Vergina sun flag in 1991.

Montenegro

by zeljko heimer 01-APR-1996

Montenegro (Peoples Republic of, until 1963, Socialsit Republic til 1991) used red blue white flag with a star (yu-cg-46.gif), officially addopted 31-DEC-1946. Montenegrin tricolour dates from 1880's, and is based on Russian tricolour.

Slovenia

by zeljko heimer 01-APR-1996

Slovenia (Peoples Republic of, until 1963, Socialsit Republic til 1990) had white blue red flag with a star, officially addopted 18-JAN-1947, and abandoned 27-JUN-1990. Like in a case of Croatia, again this colours have nothing to do with the Russian flag.

Serbia

by zeljko heimer 01-APR-1996

Serbia (Peoples Republic of, until 1963, Socialsit Republic til 1991) used red blue white flag with a star, officially addopted 17-JAN-1947. Serbian tricolour dates form 1835, and is based on Russian colours.

Autonomous Regions and Minorities

Two Authonomous Regions - Vojvodina and Kosovo had no flag, but used the Serbian, sice they were legally parts of Serbian Republic. The flags of Republics were suposed to be used by goverment only, but were in practice used widhely (most of the enterprises and building were owned by the state [or society, as it was called], so they had right to display this flags, anyway). There were no versions for use on sea, of course.

It was normal to display flags three together (still you would find three flagpoles infront of the most building in the area) - Yugoslav in the middle, Republican to the left, and Party's to the right (from the viewer).

In the areas with the dense minority population, the flag of the minority was added to this. In some towns the town flag would be added also (again as a rule, with a red star), but it was not so often (I remember Zagreb and Rijeka were doing so, Rijeka was special in displaing five flags in rows on the lightpoles: Yugoslav, Croatian, Party's, Italian and the town flag).

It was not so unusual to see in public places displaied all of the flags of Republics in the circle, and state's and Party's in the middle.

zeljko heimer 01-APR-1996

Flags used in WWII

In Serbia, 'independent' regime under general Nedic was established, and was as much independent as neibouring Croatia. Many people are ready to 'forget' this, as much as they forget Vichy France, but are ready to point out Croatia and Slovakia. BTW, Serbia was the first 'Judenrein' country in Europe. However, they issued money (Serbian dinars) and stamps, but I found no reference on them to flags, tough white eagle with Sava's cross is frequent motive. I guess a version of Serbian colours continued to fly. Serbian units, known as chetniks under gen. Mihajlovic were nominaly the amry of Jugoslavian gov't that flead to London, and helped by allies until 1943, but not uncommonly fighting together with axis troups against Tito's partisans. They used black 'Jolly Rogers' with texts 'Freedom or Death' or like. Montenegro was nominaly declaired an independent kingdom in personal union with Italy (former Montenegrin dinasty Petrovics had much connections with Italian dinasty), and AFAIK at least in the first days of war Montenegrin tricolour was used (they also issued stamps, but continued to use former Jugoslav money). Macedonia was anexed by Bulgaria and Bulgarian flag was used there. Slovenia was anslushed directly to the Third Reich, and as much as I know there was no separate flag, tough there were stamps and money with the arms of 'Province Leibach' - Province of Ljubljana with eagle bearing checkered crescent on breasts (don't know the colours). Bosnia and Herzegovina was tolaly incorporated in Independent State of Croatia, and other parts of former Jugoslavia were joined to Hungary, Albania and Italy, were apropriate flags were used. In all those regions partisan units were more or less active, bearing the national flags with the red stars (at that time without the yellow border). Also the totaly red flag was not uncommon.

zeljko heimer 12-APR-1996