u/Fiff02

HISTORY:

In Eastern Europe, the Baltic states—having endured centuries of subjugation by foreign powers such as the Swedish and Russian Empires—took their first steps toward independence during the First World War, fully achieving it through the struggles of the early 1920s. Between 1918 and 1920, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia adopted the flags that still fly today, albeit with some modifications to their proportions and color shades.

Originating between the late 19th and early 20th centuries, these flags carry distinct meanings. The colors of the Estonian and Lithuanian flags are rooted in nature and folklore, whereas the red and white of the Latvian flag derive from the region's military banners of the 13th century. These flags flew throughout the interwar period, but the outbreak of the Second World War altered the situation.

Although the three nations were neutral at the start of the conflict, the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact enabled the USSR to extend its influence over the Baltic region. In 1940, the three republics were occupied and incorporated into the Soviet Union. The Soviet government banned the national colors, replacing them with red socialist flags based on the hammer-and-sickle design, distinguished primarily by the republics' initials.

The Soviet occupation lasted approximately one year; in June and July 1941, following Operation Barbarossa, German troops invaded the Baltic region and established the *Reichskommissariat Ostland*. The previous national flags, which had been banned by the Soviets, came back into use—particularly during public and military events and for propaganda purposes—alongside German insignia. Local volunteer units also used flags inspired by those of their respective countries.

A minor exception was the Belarusian Central Council, which used the traditional colors of Belarus from 1943 to 1944.

HISTORY: Latvia's modern history began at the end of World War I, when the collapse of the Russian and German empires allowed the Baltic peoples to assert their independence. The Republic of Latvia was proclaimed in Riga on November 18, 1918, but the new state immediately faced a difficult war of independence against Russian Bolshevik forces and German troops remaining in the region.

After intense fighting—supported by the United Kingdom, Estonia, and other allies—Latvia succeeded in consolidating its sovereignty. Peace treaties were signed in 1920 with Soviet Russia, which formally recognized Latvian independence. In 1921, Latvia was also admitted to the League of Nations.

The new country adopted a democratic parliamentary system characterized by high political fragmentation. The situation changed in 1934 when Prime Minister Kārlis Ulmanis staged a coup d'état, dissolved Parliament, and established an authoritarian nationalist regime, while formally maintaining the state's independence.

During the 1930s, Latvia attempted to maintain a policy of neutrality, yet found itself in an increasingly precarious position between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact of August 1939, with its secret protocols, placed the Baltic states within the Soviet sphere of influence.

In the autumn of 1939, the Soviet Union imposed a mutual assistance treaty on Latvia, securing the right to establish military bases on its territory. The following year, taking advantage of the international situation and the fall of France, Moscow presented new political and military demands.

On June 17, 1940, the Red Army occupied Latvia. The Latvian government was replaced by pro-Soviet authorities, and in August of the same year, the country was formally incorporated into the Soviet Union as the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic, bringing an end to its first period of independence.

HISTORY:

The reign of Louis XIV marked a peak of French power. Ascending the throne in 1643 at the age of just four, he initially ruled under the regency of his mother, Anne of Austria. The Fronde uprisings deeply influenced the young monarch, convincing him of the need to strengthen royal authority.

Upon the death of Mazarin in 1661, Louis XIV began to rule personally, without appointing a new prime minister. Thus began the era of the "Sun King," during which France became the prime example of absolute monarchy in Europe. Power was concentrated in the monarch's hands, and the nobility was kept in check through court life, particularly at Versailles.

Under Louis XIV, France strengthened both its economy and its military. Minister Jean-Baptiste Colbert fostered trade, manufacturing, and the navy in accordance with mercantilist principles, while the French army became one of the most powerful in Europe.

The monarch also sought to expand French influence through wars against Spain, the United Provinces, and the Holy Roman Empire. While his conquests strengthened the country, the conflicts resulted in enormous expenses and mounting debt.

In 1685, Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes, putting an end to religious tolerance for the Huguenots. Many Protestants were persecuted or forced to leave the country, leading to economic repercussions.

His reign was a period of great cultural development. Versailles became a model for European courts, and France emerged as a vital center for art, literature, and music, thanks to figures such as Molière, Racine, La Fontaine, and Lully.

His final years were marked by the War of the Spanish Succession. Philip V, Louis XIV's grandson, secured the Spanish throne, but France emerged from the conflict economically exhausted. Upon his death in 1715, after a reign of seventy-two years, the Sun King left behind a powerful and culturally dominant France, yet one burdened by debt and the consequences of constant warfare.

If you want, follow me on IG: flags_maps_byhand.official

HISTORY:

After approximately four centuries of Ottoman rule, Palestine came under British control during World War I following the defeat of the Ottoman Empire. The British Mandate for Palestine was established in 1920—entrusted to the United Kingdom by the League of Nations—and formally ratified in 1922.

The primary official flag flown in the territory was the Union Jack, although specific ensigns existed for certain officials and government departments. Among these was the flag of the High Commissioner for Palestine, consisting of the Union Jack charged in the center with a white disc encircled by a laurel wreath and bearing the inscription "PALESTINE – High Commissioner"; this was adopted in 1936 at the official's request.

As the private use of the British flag was restricted, a Red Ensign was introduced in 1927 for ships registered in Mandate ports, featuring a white disc with the inscription "Palestine." From 1929 onwards, modified Blue Ensigns were also used for government services, including customs and postal operations.

During a period marked by rising tensions between the Arab and Jewish communities, their respective flags also appeared. Arabs primarily used the flag of the Arab Revolt, alongside various local and handmade variants. In 1929, an official Arab flag for Palestine was even proposed, but the project was not pursued.

The Jewish community, meanwhile, used so-called Zionist flags—generally blue and white and featuring the Star of David. Foreign observers sometimes mistakenly identified these as the actual flags of Palestine.

With the end of the British Mandate and the proclamation of the State of Israel in 1948, British ensigns disappeared from the territory, while the tensions that had characterized the Mandate era persisted in the new Middle Eastern landscape.

HISTORY:

The reign of Louis XIV marked a peak of French power. Ascending the throne in 1643 at the age of just four, he initially ruled under the regency of his mother, Anne of Austria. The Fronde uprisings deeply influenced the young monarch, convincing him of the need to strengthen royal authority.

Upon the death of Mazarin in 1661, Louis XIV began to rule personally, without appointing a new prime minister. Thus began the era of the "Sun King," during which France became the prime example of absolute monarchy in Europe. Power was concentrated in the monarch's hands, and the nobility was kept in check through court life, particularly at Versailles.

Under Louis XIV, France strengthened both its economy and its military. Minister Jean-Baptiste Colbert fostered trade, manufacturing, and the navy in accordance with mercantilist principles, while the French army became one of the most powerful in Europe.

The monarch also sought to expand French influence through wars against Spain, the United Provinces, and the Holy Roman Empire. While his conquests strengthened the country, the conflicts resulted in enormous expenses and mounting debt.

In 1685, Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes, putting an end to religious tolerance for the Huguenots. Many Protestants were persecuted or forced to leave the country, leading to economic repercussions.

His reign was a period of great cultural development. Versailles became a model for European courts, and France emerged as a vital center for art, literature, and music, thanks to figures such as Molière, Racine, La Fontaine, and Lully.

His final years were marked by the War of the Spanish Succession. Philip V, Louis XIV's grandson, secured the Spanish throne, but France emerged from the conflict economically exhausted. Upon his death in 1715, after a reign of seventy-two years, the Sun King left behind a powerful and culturally dominant France, yet one burdened by debt and the consequences of constant warfare.

If you want, follow me on IG: flags\_maps\_byhand.official

HISTORY:

The reign of Louis XIV marked a peak of French power. Ascending the throne in 1643 at the age of just four, he initially ruled under the regency of his mother, Anne of Austria. The Fronde uprisings deeply influenced the young monarch, convincing him of the need to strengthen royal authority.

Upon the death of Mazarin in 1661, Louis XIV began to rule personally, without appointing a new prime minister. Thus began the era of the "Sun King," during which France became the prime example of absolute monarchy in Europe. Power was concentrated in the monarch's hands, and the nobility was kept in check through court life, particularly at Versailles.

Under Louis XIV, France strengthened both its economy and its military. Minister Jean-Baptiste Colbert fostered trade, manufacturing, and the navy in accordance with mercantilist principles, while the French army became one of the most powerful in Europe.

The monarch also sought to expand French influence through wars against Spain, the United Provinces, and the Holy Roman Empire. While his conquests strengthened the country, the conflicts resulted in enormous expenses and mounting debt.

In 1685, Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes, putting an end to religious tolerance for the Huguenots. Many Protestants were persecuted or forced to leave the country, leading to economic repercussions.

His reign was a period of great cultural development. Versailles became a model for European courts, and France emerged as a vital center for art, literature, and music, thanks to figures such as Molière, Racine, La Fontaine, and Lully.

His final years were marked by the War of the Spanish Succession. Philip V, Louis XIV's grandson, secured the Spanish throne, but France emerged from the conflict economically exhausted. Upon his death in 1715, after a reign of seventy-two years, the Sun King left behind a powerful and culturally dominant France, yet one burdened by debt and the consequences of constant warfare.

If you want, follow me on IG: flags_maps_byhand.official

Perhaps a slightly different post, which I hope the community will appreciate. It's research on the naval flags at the Laboe Naval Monument in Germany, along with their history. I did everything myself: the diagram, the flags, and the slides with text and photos :)

During the European colonial era, France and Spain had long been in agreement, and in 1912 they divided Morocco, which became a protectorate of their respective nations.

FRENCH ZONE:

The flag in the French zone was adopted on November 17, 1915, placing a green pentacle on the red flags of the Alawite Sultanate, replacing the six-pointed Seal of Solomon. This symbol is very common in Islamic culture and vexillology, seen as a sacred symbol. However, this symbol would appear, unofficially or unofficially, on Moroccan flags for a long time, the result of errors in construction or poor craftsmanship. It was used as the national and civil flag, and from 1940 to 1945, also as a merchant flag. The French tricolor was placed in the canton of the maritime flag in 1923. The Sultan wore a personal epee with the yellow and green pentacle on a red field, while the French governor used his own standard.

SPANISH ZONE: In the Spanish protectorate, a square flag was used from its foundation for mercantile purposes, not officially for national purposes. Only in 1937 was a clear and codified mercantile flag adopted, featuring a red field and a green canton charged with a white pentacle and bordered with the same color. Within the borders, the Caliph and his prime minister, the Grand Vizier, had two standards: one green charged with the golden Seal of Solomon and the other with the same motif but in red and black.

INTERNATIONAL ZONE OF TANGIER: Created as a separate body in 1923, the city of Tangier was administered according to the system of legations, that is, components of several nations united for the management of the territory. For general use, the same flag as French Morocco was flown, with a red field and green pentacle; the difference was in the mercantile standard, charged in the canton or flanked by the city's civic coat of arms.

ERRONEOUS FLAGS: There are numerous incorrect depictions of flags, often the result of misinterpretation. Famous examples include the Moroccan flag from the Larousse encyclopedia, published in 1922, where the star on the flag was the same as the Jewish one. This led to cases of actual flags being created based on the design, due to the credibility of the design, which also appeared in subsequent editions until 1938.

CONCLUSIONS: Flags, like the protectorate, gradually disappeared in 1956, with Morocco's independence, with a few exceptions, such as the national flag, identical to the current one, and the sultan's standard, which remained in use until 1999.