War flag
A war flag, also known as a military flag, battle flag, or standard,[1] is a variant of a national flag for use by a country's military forces when on land. The nautical equivalent is a naval ensign. Under the strictest sense of the term, few countries today currently have distinct war flags, most using a flag design that is also the state flag or general national flag for this purpose.
History
Sound trumpets! Let our bloody colours wave! And either victory, or else a grave.
— Edward, Prince of Wales, in Henry VI, Part 3, Act II, Scene II
The use of flags as field signs apparently emerges in Asia, during the Iron Age, possibly in either China or India.
Use of simple flags as military ensigns becomes common during the medieval period, developing in parallel with heraldry as a complement to the heraldic device shown on shields. The maritime flag also develops in the medieval period. The medieval Japanese Sashimono carried by foot-soldiers are a parallel development.
Some medieval
Current war flags
Used by armed forces only
-
Canadian Armed Forces ensign
-
War flag of the Republic of China Armed Forces
-
Flag of the Iranian Army
-
War flag of the Korean People's Army of North Korea
-
Armed Forces of the Russian Federation
-
Flag of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
-
Vietnam People's Army
Army (land) use only
-
British Army non-ceremonial flag
-
Flag of the Colombian Army
-
Georgia Land Forces
-
War flag (regimental color) of the Hellenic Army
Former war flags
-
Flag of Bangladesh during Bangladesh Liberation War
-
The originalEureka Stockade
-
Battle flag of the Confederate States (1861–1865)
-
Cross of Burgundy Flag, Spain(1506–1843)
-
War flag of the Imperial Japanese Army (1868–1945)
-
War flag of thePeople's Republic of Congo(1970–1991)
-
The "Gadsden flag", used by some Continental forces during the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783)
-
Battle flag of theUnited Irishmen, used at the Battle of Arklow
-
War flag of East Germany (1960–1990)
-
War flag of the Chetniks (1903–1946)
-
War flag and ensign of Iran (1925–1979), between 1910 and 1925 the Kiani Crown was used instead of Pahlavi Crown
-
War flag of the Italian Social Republic (1943–1945)
-
War flag of Prussia (1816)
-
War flag of the German Empire (1903–1919)
-
War flag of theRoman Republicof 1849
-
Flag of the Red Army and Soviet Armed Forces (Unofficial)
-
Royal Siamese Army in Haw wars(1885–1890)
-
War flag ofMughals (1526–1857)[4]
-
United States Cavalry guidon.
-
War flag of the Royal Italian Army
-
War ensign of the Slovak Republic (puppet state of Nazi Germany 1939–1945)
-
-
War flag of the Royal Hungarian Army (1939–1945)
-
War flag of Zaire
See also
- Colours, standards and guidons
- Hata-jirushi
- Sashimono
- Uma-jirushi
References
- ^ "standard". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
- ^ flag. (2008). Encyclopædia Britannica. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica.
- ^ E. Pottier, Douris, London, 1909, p. 105 fig. 20, Plate XXV.b
- ^ "India before British Rule". www.crwflags.com. Archived from the original on 2021-01-16. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
Further reading
- Wise, Terence (1978) Military flags of the world, in color. New York: Arco Publishing. 184p. ISBN 0668044721. War flags of 1618–1900.