Czechoslovakia Flag

Czechoslovakia Flag

Czechoslovakia Flag

Following the breakup of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the end of World War I, an independent republic called Czechoslovakia was created from Bohemia and Slovakia, its first flag being designed to express the unity of the new country. Bohemia's red-over-white flag was the basis for this Czechoslovakia flag, a blue triangle being added in the hoist to represent Slovakia, the three colors used furthermore being considered traditional Slavic colors. During the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia in World War II, the use of this Czechoslovakian flag was banned, a horizontal tricolor of white, red and blue being flown instead until 1945, when the country was liberated and the original flag restored.

When, in 1992, the Czechs and Slovaks agreed to separate, under the terms of the so-called 'Velvet Divorce', neither successor state was allowed to use the national symbols of the previous federation. Because the traditional Czech (i.e., Bohemian) flag of red over white was seen being as too similar to Poland's, the new Czech Republic decided to retain the tricolor flag, in defiance of their previous agreement.