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Finland - Historical Flags (1920-1978)

1920-1978:

Civil Flag
State Flag
War Flag and Ensign
Presidential Flag (1920-1944, 1946-1978)
Presidential Flag (1944-1946)
Coat of Arms
Karelian-Finnish Soviet Socialist Republic (proclaimed 1940)

See also:

Civil Flag (1920-1978)

by Zeljko Heimer
Proportions: 11:18 = (4:3:4) : (5+3+10)
Adopted: 1920-02-12
Abolished: 1978-05-26

Editorial Note: The shade of blue differs from that of the current flag. although the proportions and other graphical information is the same

State Flag (1920-1978)

by Zeljko Heimer
Source: Flaggenbuch (1939)
Proportions: 11:18 = (4+3+4):(5+3+10)
Adopted: 12 February 1920
Abolished: 26 May 1978

White flag with blue cross and the Finnish coat of arms in the middle of the cross. Because Finland decided to be a republic instead of a monarchy, the government thought that the crown should be removed. The shield became almost a square. Lion's armoured arm and the blades of the weapons are coloured light grey but the roses are white. The shade of the blue became darker.
Ossi Raivio 25 October 1998

War Flag and Ensign (1920-1978)

by Zeljko Heimer
Source: Flaggenbuch (1939)
Proportions: 11:18 = (4+3+4):(5+3+10)
Adopted: 12 February 1920
Abolished: 26 May 1978

Finnish Presidential Flag (1920-1944, 1946-1978)

by Zeljko Heimer
Ratio: 11:19 = (4+3+4):(5+3+5+6)
Adopted: 17 May 1920
Temporarily out of use: 1944-1946
Abolished: 26 May 1978
Source: Flaggenbuch (1939)

Finnish swallow-tailed state flag with a blue-yellow Cross of Freedom 3rd Class for Civil Merits in the upper hoist. (But: a yellow disk in the middle, instead of the yellow rose used today [see the present presidential flag].)
by Ossi Raivio 27 October 1998

Presidential Pennant
by Zeljko Heimer
Source: Flaggenbuch (1939)

Finnish Presidential Flag (1944-1946)

by Ossi Raivio 27 October 1998

Finnish swallow-tailed state flag with a special emblem in the upper hoist: two crossed blue-yellow Marshall's staffs (decorated with yellow-white Finnish lions).

Ratio: 11:19 = (4+3+4):(5+3+5+6)
Adopted: 1944
Abolished: 1946

Marshall of Finland, Baron Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim used this flag to symbolize his position as the High Commander of the army and the President of the Republic. When Juho Kusti Paasikivi was elected president by the parliament after the war, he re-adopted the former version of the flag.

I don't know the exact dates when this flag was adopted and abolished, but because C. G. E. Mannerheim was president from 4 August 1944 to 9 March 1946 these are quite good guesses.
Ossi Raivio

Coat of Arms

by Zeljko Heimer
Source: Flaggenbuch (1939)

Karelian-Finnish Soviet Socialist Republic

The Karelian-Finnish Soviet Socialist Republic was established 31 March 1940 and combined the territory of the former Karelian ASSR with areas taken from Finland in the Winter War.
Jan Oskar Engene 29 May 1997

At the beginning of the Winter War (Nov./Dec. 1939) Kuusinen (leader of Finnish communist emigrants in the USSR) formed a communist government in Terijoki near the border with the USSR. This was (off course) recognized by the USSR as the legal Finnish government, although later the peace-treaty was signed with the government in Helsinki.

(Source: "Aanval op Finland" by Drs. Paul Luykx et.al. in "Bericht van de Tweede Wereldoorlog").
Mark Sensen 29 May 1997