Finland - Historical Flags (1918-1920)

Last modified: 2003-09-27 by phil nelson
Keywords: finland: historical flags (1918-1920) | scandinavian cross | lion: with sword (yellow) | crown | mannerheim (gustaf) |
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Flags Adoption in 1918:

• Temporary Merchant Ensign
• Temporary State Flag

1918-1920:

• Civil Flag
• State Flag
• War Flag and Ensign

• Diplomatic flags

• Finland Soviet Republic (proclaimed 1917)
• Kingdom of Finland (intended constitution 1918)

See also:

• Finland: Historical Flags (1919)
• Finland (Current Flags)
• Finland (Historical flags)

by Ossi Raivio, 20 October 1998
Proportions 17:26 = (6.5 + cross + 6.5):(8 + cross + 15), where cross = 0.35 + 0.4 + 2.5 + 0.4 + 0.35. .

Red flag with golden yellow cross bordered blue and white.

Adopted 1998-02-27. Abolished 1918-05-29.

This is the first official Finnish national flag. It was adopted as merchant ensign, but that word (in Finnish) means national flag, too. The law was never passed because of the Civil War, but Senate gave order to use this flag as temporary merchant ensign.
Ossi Raivio, 20 October 1998

by Ossi Raivio, 20 October 1998
Proportions 17:26 .
Adopted 1918-02-27. Abolished 1918-05-29.

Red flag with the Finnish lion in golden yellow and white.

This is the first official Finnish state flag. The Senate's proposal was made 1917-12-21 and this flag was hoisted 1917-12-28 on a Finnish ice-breaker, but again – the law was never passed because of the Civil War, but the Senate gave order to use this flag as temporary state flag.

After the Civil War between the Whites (government's forces) and the Reds (socialist rebels) was ended in the victory of the Whites, the red colour wasn't popular at all. So, the Parliament passed a law about the Finnish flag – the blue cross on white.
Ossi Raivio, 20 October 1998

by Ossi Raivio
Proportions 11:18 = (4+3+4) : (5+3+10) .

Adopted: 1918-05-29
Abolished 1920-02-12

Editorial Note: