This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website

Protectorate of Bohemia-Moravia 1939-1945

Protektorát Èechy a Morava; Protektorat Böhmen und Mähren

Last modified: 2005-07-30 by jarig bakker
Keywords: moravia | bohemia | third reich |
Links: FOTW homepage | search | disclaimer and copyright | write us | mirrors


[Flag of Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia 1939-1945] by Mark Sensen
used between 15 Mar and 6 Oct 1939

See also:

Flag of Bohemia and Moravia

On 1 October Sudetenland (the Germanophone parts of Czechia) was annexed by the Third Reich, while in November Poland annexed the Teschen area, and Hungary annexed some Magyarophone parts of Slovakia and Subcarpathian-Ruthenia. On 6 and 8 October 1938 Slovakia and Subcarpathian-Ruthenia respectively gained autonomy. On 14 March 1939 both declared their independence. The next day Germany annexed the remainder as the "Reichsprotektorat Böhmen und Mähren" (Czech: Protektorát Èechy a Morava; English: Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia), while Hungary annexed Subcarpathian Ruthenia and some more parts of Slovakia. Bohemia and Moravia used a horizontal triband white-red-blue as flag.
Mark Sensen, 2 July 1996

The Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia had a flag which was white, red, blue - quite rare pan-Slavic combination. The white over red was the traditional flag of Bohemia (same as Poland) with blue for Moravia. I wonder if this is the reason why the Czechs reneged on the agreement they had with the Slovaks not to use any Czechoslovak emblems after separation: the only alternative to the old Czechoslovakian flag was one tainted by a particularly dark episode in their history?
Roy Stilling, 8 December 1995

After the German Protektorat Böhmen und Mähren was established in 1939, people still used the Czechoslovak flag to represent the continuation of Czechoslovakia. Therefore Karl Hermann Frank, the secretary of state of the Reichsprotektor, demanded the change of the state symbols. The idea of the Czech heraldist dr. Karel Schwarzenberg of using the Slav white-blue-red tricolore (stripes ratio 2:1:2 because of the eventual interchange with the Slovak flag) was rejected. Karl Schwarzenberg then designed a new flag consisting of three horizontal stripes:  white-red-blue. The Czechoslovak flags were still used by the Czech and Slovak troops abroad until the end of WW2.
Jan Kravcík, 14 Jun 2000

Regarding Mr. Kravcik´s mention of Czechoslovak flag during WWII: these flag were used (semi)officially between 15th of March and 6th of October 1939. For example there are film shots of German military parade on Wenceslas Square, where three flags are displayed - Reichsflagge, Reichskriegsflagge and Czechoslo