PaganTroop

Flags of the Prussia - Before 1800

blancail66@hotmail.com (PaganTroop) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 09:46:00 +0100

Flags of the Prussia - Before 1800

My thanks to "Fornax" for all his expert help, research, advise, and images used on this page - http://www.loeser.us/flags/german1.html#prussian1

Among the groups of knights organized during the Crusades (e.g Templars, Hospitallers) was a group, largely German, called the Deutscher Orden (German Order), or Teutonic Knights. In 1225, after the failure to reconquer the Holy Land, Pope Gregory IX ordered the Teutonic Knights to convert the Prussians, a people related to the Lithuanians and Latvians, and who were the last remaining pagans in Europe. This historic event would start Prussia on the road to empire and the process of forming a new Germanic empire. By 1701, Prussia became a kingdom and from then until 1871, it was in a continuous stage of expansion until it came to be by far the largest German state, almost as large as all the others together, and the neclus of the Second Reich.

Teutonic Knights	Teutonic Order Banner Turning loose the Teutonic Knights on the Prussians apparently pleased the Poles, especially their ruler the Duke of Mazovia, to whom the Prussians were not only non-believers, but also warlike pains-in-the-neck. In a long war the Order finally conquered the Prussians by 1285, killing some, converting and subjecting others, and set up a unique feudal state (called the Ordenstaat) which lasted until their Grand Master Albert of Brandenburg-Ansbach converted to Lutheranism and turned the lands of the order into the secular Lutheran Duchy of Prussia in 1525. Their symbol was a Black Scandinavian Cross on a white field. Occasionally, the flag is shown with a narrow blue stripe along the hoist, and more often with the fly split into three tails, as shown below on the Grand Master's banner.
Teutonic Grand Master	Teutonic Order Grand Master's Banner The Grand Master (Hochmeister) of the Teutonic Order was the supreme leader of this powerful military order, originally started in Acre during the Crusades. It is an elected office, but one held for life. The Teutonic Order actually still exists today and is still led by a grand master, although the organization has changed into a clerical Roman Catholic religious order. In the beginning, candidates for Grand Master were usually chosen on merit, were experienced senior administrators of the order, before their election. The Grand Masters were the most powerful after the order's 13th Century conquest of Prussia during the Northern Crusades. They created the militarized State of the Teutonic Order (Ordenstaat), which lasted until 1525. A steady power decline in the order began when the control fell to the powerful Wettin and Hohenzollern dynasties and resulted in its conversion into the secular Duchy of Prussia.
Royal Prussia	Royal Prussia 1466-1772 After the Battle of Tannenberg in 1410, the Treaty of 1466 gave the King of Poland most of the Teutonic Order's territory west of the Vistula. This became Royal Prussia, and the rest of Prussia in 1525 became the Grand Duchy of Prussia after the Grand Master, Albrecht von Brandenburg, secularized the Teutonic Order, making the Duchy a fief of Poland. Shortly after the Grand Duchy of Prussia was inherited by the Elector of Brandenburg, one of the princes entitled to elect the Holy Roman Emperor. (see below)
Duchy of Prussia	Grand Duchy of Prussia 1525-1657 In 1466, the state of the Teutonic Order (that part of Prussia not under Polish sovereignty as Royal Prussia) became a Polish vassal. In 1525, with the secularisation of the Teutonic Order, the Grand Duchy of Prussia (Ducal Prussia) was established as a Polish vassal. In 1525, the Polish King Zygmunt Stary (Sigismund the Older) gave Ducal Prussia a flag and a coat of arms: a black eagle with a crown on its neck and the letter S (Sigismund) on its breast. Ducal Prussia was a Polish vassal until 1657. When in 1660, the Duchy of Prussia became independent of Poland the way was opened to unite with Brandenburg and and eventually the Prussian state.
Regimental Standard (unidentified Prussian regiment)	Hohenzollern Regimental Standards Hohenzollern Castle (Baden-Württemberg) was the ancestral home of the counts of Zollern (later known as the Counts of Hohenzollern), who became the electors of Brandenburg. After the Riots of 1848, Hohenzollern became part of the Kingdom of Prussia, and its rulers went on to eventually become the Kaisers of the (2nd) German Empire. This red standard, with its black eagle in a white disc at its center and is one of several displayed at Hohenzollern Castle. This design is the usual pattern used on all Prussian regimental standards, of which there are hundreds with various background colors and shield designs. On this one, golden laurels surround the disc, and the eagle is crowned and armed, holding a sword in one claw and a bundle of lightning bolts the other. Above the eagle in the disc is a red ribbon with the golden motto "Pro Gloria Et Patria" (for fame and fatherland) written on it. In each corner is the golden crown atop a wreath of laurels surrounding the letters "FWR" standing for King Fredrick William (Friedrich Wilhelm, Rex). Fredrick William was the first Hohenzollern allowed to use the title of "King of Prussia," and it became traditional to include his "King´s Sign" on most Prussian regimental standards. The little "flaming cannon balls" were also a common design element. Learn More at:Prussian Infantry Regimental Colours.

Flags of the Prussia 1800-1892

At the end of the Napoleonic wars, a paranoid Imperial Russia and an aging Hapsburg-dominated Austria and Hungary made sure they were protected from any future French menace by placing 38 small Germanic buffer states between France and themselves at the Congress of Vienna in 1816. While this reassuring Russia and Austria, it made the small German buffer states a bit nervous, and this combined with the dreams of a second Reich, led to a slow, but sure process of unification within what eventually became known as the "Confederation of the Rhine" under the leadership of Brandenburg/Prussia.

Province of Posen 1849

Grand Duchy of Posen 1815-1849
Posen Province 1849-1886 (Prussia, Germany)

The Grand Duchy of Poznan (Posen) was part of the Kingdom of Prussia, created from territories annexed by Prussia after the Partitions of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and formally established following the Napoleonic Wars in 1815. Per agreements derived at the Congress of Vienna it was to have some autonomy. However in reality it was subordinated to Prussia and the proclaimed rights for Polish subjects were not fully implemented. The name was unofficially used afterward for denoting the territory, especially by Poles, and today is used by modern historians to describe different political entities until 1918. Its capital was Posen (Poznan). The Grand Duchy was formally replaced by the Province of Posen in the Prussian constitution of 1848.

Province of Posen 1886

Posen Province 1886-1920

In 1886, the flag was changed by the Prussian authorities into horizontal white-black-white triband, because the former was far too similar to Polish. The White-black-white triband was the official provincial flag until 1918.

Flag of Brandenburg

The Brandenburg Province Flag (East Prussia) 1882-1935

This red and white horizontal striped bicolor flag was officially adopted in 1882. Brandenburg's capital was originally Potsdam, before moving to Berlin in 1827. Following German reunification in 1990, Brandenburg was re-established as a state of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Brandenburg State Flag

The Brandenburg Province State Flag (East Prussia)

The ruling family of Brandenburg (East Prussia) were the Hohenzollerns. They united both East and West Prussia, and eventually became the ruling family of Imperial Germany. They also used the plain red and white striped flag without the shield shown above.

East Prussia Flag

The East Prussia Flag 1882-1935

This black and white horizontal striped Bicolor flag was officially adopted October 22, 1882, and abolished in 1935 by Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich.

East Prussia State Flag

The East Prussia State Flag

In 1701, the Elector Frederick III of Brandenburg began using the title "King in Prussia." East Prussia was later joined with West Prussia to become the Kingdom of Prussia. East Prussia is now located in the modern country of Poland. Besides this flag they also used the plain black and white striped flag without the shield shown above.

West Prussia Flag

The West Prussia Province Flag 1886-1920

This black/white/black horizontal striped Tricolor flag was officially adopted November 9, 1886, and abolished in 1920 when it became part of the Posen-West Prussia Frontier Province (1920-1935).

West Prussia State Flag

The West Prussia State Flag

West Prussia was separated from Brandenburg by a part of Poland and bordered the Baltic Sea. She joined with East Prussia to become the Kingdom of Prussia. West Prussia is now located in the modern country of Germany and is known as the State of Brandenburg. They also used the plain black/white/black striped flag without the shield shown above.

Kingdom of Prussia Flag

The Kingdom of Prussia Flag 1701-1918

The Kingdom of Prussian eventually became the North German Federation between 1867 and 1871. Under the leadership of Kaiser Wilhelm II and Otto von Bismarck they formed Imperial Germany or the Second Reich (Second Empire).

Prussian War Ensign 1862

Prussian Civil Ensign 1817

Prussian War and Civil Ensigns 1818-1863

The first Prussian warship was built in 1816 (the Stralsund) and it needed an ensign. Kaiser Wilhelm chose a design of a black eagle in heraldic form, on a white background charged in the canton with the iron cross. This ensign was first used in the spring of 1817 and appeared both as a traditional rectangular-shaped flag and as a swallow-tailed flag. During this early period, several slightly different interpretations of the eagle were used, but after 1863, the ensigns were mainly used in their rectangular form without swallow-tails. The final design was confirmed in 1850, and the swallow-tailed war ensign disappeared from the open seas by 1867. After 1871, when Prussia became Imperial Germany, this ensign's use was restricted to internal waters only.


Prussian War Ensign 1818	Prussian War Ensign 1823

These flags without the Iron Cross acted as the "Prussian Civil or Merchant Ensign" and the Prussian government allowed ship owners and sailors to add the name of their own town or province on the white stripe when used as a merchant ensign. Between 1892-1918 these flags were also known as the "Imperial Inland Waters Ensign," and used an eagle design based on the shield of the Imperial German War Ensign.

Reich Fleet Flag

War Ensign of the Reichsflotte 1848-1852

The Reichsflotte (Reich Fleet) was the first all-German Navy. It was founded in 1848 during the Revolutions of 1848 in the German states by the Frankfurt Parliament to provide a naval force in the First Schleswig War against Denmark.

The War Ensign displayed the Eagle of the German Confederation in the canton and was used until 1852. Great Britain never accepted this German War Ensign; rather ships that flew the flag were treated as pirates.

War Flag of Prussia until 1867
Top Mast Flag of SMS "Prussia"
Weimar Republic 1919-1935

Inland Waters General Services

The eagle used on these interesting flags were based on the shield design used on the old national flag of the Kingdom of Prussia and also were used on the Imperial German War Ensign.

Prussian Inland Waterways Ensigns 1867-1918

The Inland Waters General Services Ensign was the general Imperial Service Flag for all Prussian Inland Waterways. This service was responsible for the monitoring, regulation, and control of all inland shipping, such as the transport of bulk goods (ore, coal, etc.), on the important Prussian waterway system.

The Inland Waters Customs Service Ensign was the Prussian Service Flag for Inland Waterways used by the Customs Service. The Customs Service was the agency in Prussian Germany responsible for collecting and safeguarding of customs duties and for controlling the flow of goods including animals, personal effects and hazardous items in the inland waterways.

The Inland Waters Fishery Service Ensign was the Prussian Service Flag for Inland Waterways used by the Fishery Supervision Service. This service was responsible for the stewardship of the German fishing industry and other inland marine resources, including the monitoring, regulation, and control of commericial and sports fishing on the Prussian German waterway system, much like any modern Wildlife Service.


Inland Waters Customs Service	Inland Waters Fishery Service

Flags of the Prussia Since 1900

During the beginning of the 20th Century Prussia was the heart of the Second Reich, and then with the defeat of Imperial Germany, a part of the Weimar Republic, until the rise of the Third Reich. Since the end of World War II the lands of Prussia have been divided between Poland and Germany. Germany itself was divided into East and West until 1992.

Free State of Prussia Flag	Free State of Prussia Flag 1918-1933 The Free State of Prussia (Freistaat Preussen) was a German state formed in the aftermath of World War I. It was the major state of Germany during the time of the Weimar Republic, comprising almost five-eighths of its territory and population. "Free State" is a German term for Republic. The democratic Free State of Prussia was taken over by coup in 1933 and its President Otto von Braun taken out of office. His government went to court over this ouster and after the end of war, Otto von Braun approached U.S. officials to reinstate the legal Prussian government. They and the other Allied Occupation forces, who had taken up occupation of all of Germany, were not interested and declared Prussia abolished in 1947. As was the case after World War I, almost all of this territory had been Prussian territory and most of it went to Poland (the northern third of East Prussia, including Königsberg, now Kaliningrad was annexed by the Soviet Union). The losses represented nearly two fifths of the Prussian territory and nearly a quarter of territory within Germany's pre-1938 borders. An estimated ten million Germans fled or were expelled from these territories as part of the German exodus from Eastern Europe. See the "Territorial Association of East Prussia Banner" below.
Posen/West Prussa Flag	The Posen/West Prussia Frontier Province Flag 1920-1935 In the last part of the 19th century, hundreds of small Germanic kingdoms, princedoms, duchies, margravates, etc., were finally united into the German Empire (Deutsches Reich). The more important units became Länder (states); others became Provinzen (provinces) within the states. At the end of World War I, the portions of Posen and West Prussia provinces remaining in Germany merged to form the Posen-West Prussia Frontier province (Provinz Grenzmark Posen-Westpreußen). The flag was divided into three horizontal stripes and in half vertically. (horizontal stripes: first row: black-white, second row: white-black, third row: black-white). The flag was adopted in 1920 and abolished in 1935 by the Third Reich.
Posen/East Prussia State Flag	The Posen/West Prussia Official State Flag This design is of a possible administrative flag for the Posen-East Prussia Province between 1920-1935, with a coat of arms, consisting of a silver field with a black Prussian eagle; emerging from the neck is a silver arm with armor grasping a silver sword. In 1938, under Hitler's Third Reich, the Posen-West Prussia Frontier province was split into parts, which merged with Brandenburg, Pomerania, and Silesia.
Republic of Ostrów Flag	Republic of Ostrów Flag 1918 The Ostrowska Republic (Republic of Ostrów), which only lasted between October 10, 1918, and November 26, 1918, was another short-lived republic that existed in the former Grand Duchy of Posen. About a month before the start of the Greater Poland Uprising (Powstanie Wielkopolskie), which would bring the whole area out of German hands and back into Poland in 1919, the citizens of the town of Ostrów Wielkopolski decided to liberate themselves from the Germans and declared themselves the independent Ostrowska Republic. This flag, very obviously an ancester of the modern flag of Poland, did fly over an independent Republic of Ostrów for that very short period of time. On October 10, 1918, the newly formed People's Committee of Ostrów issued their declaration of independence to the Germans, but after a few sporadic skirmishes, the Committee decided it was in over its head, negotiated a few favorable concessions with the Germans, and then, dissolved itself on November 26, 1918. The Greater Poland Uprising started a month later in the town of Ostrów.
Modern Poland Flag	The Flag of Poland 1919 Prussia no longer exists as an independent state, but is split into two parts and incorporated into the modern countries of Germany and Poland. The Polish flag dates back to the pennants of the Middle Ages. At first they were all red with a white eagle, but by the 17th Century the background colors of red and white stripes were firmly established. The banners usually bore the official crest of the State. These Polish national colors were used during the November Uprising of 1831, and the colors were used in all national uprisings since that time. They were officially recognized as state colors in 1919 after Poland had regained her independence.
Poland State Flag	The Poland Official State Flag Poland's "landesfarben," or land colors, derived from its coat-of-arms, are white-red; the opposite of the red-white of modern Brandenburg (West Prussia), which is now located in Germany. The State Flag of Poland, with the Polish coat-of-arms, has been in use since 1919. The flags only change came during Communist rule when the crown was removed from the head of the eagle. After Poland became independant the crown was returned. Interestingly, Poland doesn't have a king, but the crown remains. Some also claim the length of the eagle's claws having been changed.
State of Prussia Flag 1933	Free State of Prussia Flag (under Nazi Germany) 1933-1935 Although this is an early Third Reich flag, it seemed better suited at this location since individual State flags virtually disappeared in Germany after 1935. This was the Flag of the Free State of Prussia during its brief existence in the Nazi era. In 1933, the "Preussenschlag" (Prussian coup), Reich Chancellor Franz von Papen unseated the democratic Free State of Prussia government under Otto von Braun under the pretext that it had lost control of public order. This was triggered by a shootout between SA demonstrators and Communists in Altona, Hamburg. After this emergency decree, Papen appointed himself Reich Commissioner for Prussia and took control of the government. This made it easy for Adolf Hitler to assume control over Prussia in the following year.
Landsmannschaft Ostpreussen	Territorial Association of East Prussia Banner - Since 1948 One of the results of the disappearence of the Free State of Prussia was the forming of the "Landsmannschaft Ostpreussen" (Territorial Association of East Prussia) as a non-profit organization for Germans who were evacuated or expelled from East Prussia during World War II and its aftermath. It was formed in 1948 by a group of East Prussian "vertriebene" (refugees) in West Germany. The Landsmannschaft of East Prussia flies a hanging flag (Banner) in the historical East Prussian colors of black and white. Instead of the historical coat-of-arms of East Prussia, they use the arms of the Landsmannschaft, an elk's antler. The organization's current president is Wilhelm von Gottberg. Its seat is located in the City of Hamburg, and it is a member of the "Bund der Vertriebenen" (Union of the Displaced). Its official newspaper is the "Preussische Allgemeine Zeitung" (Prussian General Newspaper). The "Bund Junges Ostpreussen" (Union of Young East Prussians) is a subsidiary youth organization of the Landsmannschaft; its predecessor, "Junge Landsmannschaft Ostdeutschland" (Cultural or Welfare Society of Young East Germans), was disassociated from the parent organization in 2000.

The Flags of Canada

blancail66@hotmail.com (PaganTroop) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 09:38:00 +0100

The Flags of Canada

http://www.loeser.us/flags/canada.html

- My thanks to Michael Halleran and Rob Raeside for their expertise on developing this page -

The various "UnOfficial" red and blue ensigns shown on this page were unofficial only in so far as they were not recognized by the British Admiralty, which regulated the flags used to identify Commonwealth ships at sea. The Canadian government and population used them on land as a matter of course.

| The National Flags of Canada | The Provincial and Territorial Flags of Canada |

Cross of Saint George	The Cross of Saint George c1277 This flag was in use in England since the Crusades and it was one of the national emblems of England as early as 1277. It continued to be the English national flag for almost 400 years. The first European explorer to landing in what is now Canada were John and Sabastian Cabot, who landed somewhere on the coast of North America (probably Newfoundland or Cape Breton Island) in 1497 and claimed it for King Henry VII of England. The British failed to establish a settlement in Canada and allowed the French to settle Canada thirty years later.
Blue Fleur de Lou of France White Fleur de Lou of France	The French Royal Ensigns 1535-1763 The French first began to explore and set up colonies in what would eventualy become Canada beginning with Jacques Cartier in 1534 when he landed at Gaspé and claimed what is now Quebec in the name of Francis I of France. He most likely carried the Blue fleur-de-lis as a symbol of French royalty. Under Samuel de Champlain, the first French settlement was made in 1605 at Port-Royal (today's Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia), and in 1609 the heart of New France, which later grew to be Quebec City, was established. Canada was then known as "New France." Officially, the blue version of this flag was meant to fly over land, and the white version was a naval ensign. However, it is believed that the white Fleur de Lou flag of France flew over all or most of the French forts and settlements in America. The French claimed Canada as their own, and 6,000 settlers arrived, settling along the St. Lawrence.
British Union Flag 1707	The British Union Flag 1707-1801 With King James I inheritance of the English throne in 1603, the Cross of Saint George was placed over the Scottish Cross of Saint Andrew to form the British Union Flag. During this period of time, Britain and France repeatedly went to war and made their colonial empires into battlefields. In a series of four wars (Queen Anne's War, King George's War, The French and Indian War, and the Seven Years War) the British took control of Canada. With the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1763, France ceded most of its remaining territory in North America to the British. The new British rulers left much of the religious, political and social culture of the French-speaking inhabitants alone.
British Red Ensign 1707	The British Red Ensign 1707-1801 The British Red Ensign, also called the "Colonial Red Ensign" and the "Meteor" Flag, was adopted by Queen Anne (1702-1714) as the new flag for England and her colonies in 1707. Although it was not first intended that the Red Ensign should be used on land, it seems that it became the "de facto" Royal flag used in most of the English colonies for that purpose.
British Union Flag 1801	The Royal Union Flag 1801 In 1801, the Cross of St. Patrick had been added to the British Union Flag when Ireland joined the Union. This cross was counterchanged with the Cross of St. Andrew. The British Union Flag, known to the Canadians as "The Royal Union Flag," was considered the "official" flag of Canada, and so it remained for many years, all through World War I, when it was the flag of the Canadian forces. To this very day, the Royal Union Flag still remains the "official" royal flag of Canada. In 1964, Parliament declared the flag should be flown to "show allegiance to the crown and as a symbol of Canadian membership in the Commonwealth." It is required to be flown at Canadian federal government facilities on Victoria Day (the anniversary of the Statute of Westminister), and Commonwealth day, but the national flag (maple leaf) can takes precedence in all cases except during a royal visit.
The British Red Ensign 1801	The British Red Ensign 1801 Although the British Red Ensign was originally designed to be the Merchant Flag used on non-military British ship while at sea, in Canada it was treated as the national flag on land as well. Since the British Union Flag was a semi-royal flag and only flown only on the very most important military buildings on land, the Red Ensign by default was commonly used on land in Canada as a national flag until 1868. After that the Canadians added ensigna (shields) on the red flys to indicate that it was the "Canadian Red Ensign."
Hudson Bay Company	The Hudson Bay Company Ensign 1630-1970 Until 1867, the Hudson's Bay Company controlled most of the area of modern Canada west of Ontario. A flag much used in this territory was the British Red Ensign (a red flag with the Union Flag on the canton) with the capital letters H B C in white on the fly: the letters H and B are joined together in a monogram arrangement. One of these flags is displayed in Christ Church Cathedral, in Victoria, British Columbia. The Hudson's Bay Company Ensign continued in use until the company's tercentenary in 1970, at which point it was retired. HBC is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and is one of the oldest in the world. This flag was probably the prototype for the Canadian Red Ensign and several provincial flags.
North West Company	The North West Company Ensign 1779-1821, 1987 The North West Company was a fur-trading business started in 1779 in Montreal. After operating for 40 years in the Canadian North-West, it merged with the Hudson Bay Company in 1821. In 1987, a group of investors (including 415 employees) purchased the Northern Stores Division from the Hudson Bay Company and took back its historical name and flag. With 300 years of history under its belt as a provider of food and everyday products and services to remote communities across northern Canada and Alaska, the North West Company is now the oldest retailer on the continent.
UnOfficial Flag 1868 Made Official 1892	The First Canadian Red Ensign 1868-1922 In 1868 a royal warrant created the Great Seal of Canada. The first Canadian Red Ensign was created shortly after this (without formal authority) and flown over the Canadian Parliament. This flag was made official in 1892 (after a personal intervention with the British Admiralty, which had the final say on such matters until 1931, by Governor General Stanley (the donor of the Stanley Cup for hockey), and remained so until 1922. In 1917, during World War I, the Canadian Expeditionary Force raised this Canadian Red Ensign (popularly known at that time as the "Canadian Flag") on Vimy Ridge, not the Union Jack, even though all Commonwealth forces were technically British during the War. Canada was also signatories of the Versailles Treaty and charter members of the League of Nations, both under this Canadian Red Ensign. Through out this period, widespread use of this flag on land continued on Canadian government buildings. ( For an more information on the shield used - Click here )
1. UnOfficial Flag 1870 2. UnOfficial Flag 1873 3. Conjectural Design 1896 4. UnOfficial Flag 1901 5. UnOfficial Flag 1907 (Type 1) UnOfficial Flag 1907 (Type 2)	"UnOfficial" Canadian Red Ensigns 1870-1924 As Canada grew and new territories and provinces were establish, the official versions of the national arms seemed to lag behind reality. The various "UnOfficial" ensigns were unofficial only in so far as they were not recognized by the Admiralty, which regulated the flags to be used to identify ships at sea. While the Canadian Parliament waited for royal approval of updated versions of the national arms, Canadian flag makers didn't. They produced a series of "UnOfficial flags" that the Canadians proudly used on land as a matter of course. ( For more information about this subject - Click Here ) 1. Canadian Red Ensign (not official) 1870-1873 The addition of the Province of Manitoba to Canada prompted another unofficial change to the red ensign. ( For more information about the shield used - Click Here ) 2. Canadian Red Ensign (not official) 1873-1901 In 1873 the Confederation of Prince Edward Island was added to the Canadian arms. The coat of arms was very similar to the present coat-of-arms, except that the motto "parva sub ingenti" was an integral part of the design. Most Canadian flag makers continued making the flag with symbols for all the provinces. ( For more information about the shield used - Click Here ) 3. Canadian Red Ensign (conjectural) 1896-1901 In 1896, British Columbia adopted a new seal designed by Canon Beanlands, and according to urban legend a new Red Ensign was born. The legend claims that the flag fell victum to a governmental conspiracy after the new seal for British Colombia was rejected by the College of Heralds because it showed "the sun setting on the British Empire." This is, of course, total nonsense. Most evidence indicates that this red ensign design was simply a conjectural one made by a flag maker and the flag was never actually manufactured. Although the Beanlands version of the British Columbia coat-of-arms was used for various purposes prior to the 1906 Grant of Arms from the College of Heralds, it does not seem to have ever been used on a red ensign. ( For more information about the Beanland shield - Click Here ) 4. Canadian Red Ensign (not official) 1901-1907 As these aberrant ensigns bore a crown, they underwent a change in 1901. During the Victorian era, the Saint Edward's crown (with the depressed arches) had been used, but upon the accession of Edward VII, in 1901, the (Tudor) crown with raised arches was adopted. ( For more information about the shield used - Click Here ) 5. Canadian Red Ensign (not official) 1907-1924 In 1905 with the creation of Saskatchewan and Alberta from part of the North-West Territories, Canadian flag makers created yet another couple of "UnOfficial version of the Canadian Red Ensign. ( For more information about the shield used - Click Here )
Royal Canadian Navy Ensign	The Royal Canadian Navy Ensign 1910-1964 When the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) was established in 1910, there was some dispute as to what ensign and jack Canadian warships should fly. Eventually it was decided that the White Ensign of the British Royal Navy (RN) would be the Canadian naval ensign, and that the Canadian Blue Ensign (already in use as the government ensign) would be the Canadian naval jack. This arrangement, however, was not entirely satisfactory. Since the jack was not flown underway, RCN ships at sea could not be distinguished from those of the RN. During World War I, therefore, Canadian warships began to display a green maple leaf on either side of the forward funnel. This informal insignia was later made official.
Proposed Naval Ensign	Proposed Royal Canadian Navy Ensign 1910 This flag was proposed as the Royal Canadian Navy Ensign, but wasn't approved or put into use. When the Naval Service of Canada was established in 1910, the government wanted to adopt the British White Ensign defaced with the Canadian shield as the naval ensign, but the British Admiralty, which had the final say in such matters at that time, would not hear of it. The funny thing is that some fifty years later, at the time of the Vietnam War, the Admiralty demanded that Australia and New Zealand cease using the undifferentiated White Ensign on their warships. I guess the Canadians asked too soon.
Canadian Naval Jack 1910	The Royal Canadian Navy Jack/Ensign 1910-1922 As the Royal Canadian Navy Jack between 1910-1922, this was the official flag for all government owned vessels (both federal and provincial). This would have included the armed vessels which were transferred to the Naval Service of Canada by the Department of Marine and Fisheries (Canadian Coast Guard) in 1910. The Canadian Blue Ensign was used as jacks on RCN warships, but used as ensigns on all government owned vessels, both federal and provincial, other than those which belonged to the RCN. ( For more information about the shield used - Click Here )
Canadian Red Ensign 1922	The Canadian Red Ensign 1922-1957 In 1921 a royal proclamation made Royal Arms of Canada into their present form. In 1924 a Canadian Order in Council was passed authorizing the Red Ensign to be flown for limited use over all Government buildings abroad, and that was because the diplomatic service needed to have some flag to fly over Canadian Embassies that was not the Union Jack. In 1945 a Canadian Order in Council made the Canadian Red Ensign the de facto national flag decreeing that until such time as action is taken by Parliament for the formal adoption of a national flag, the Red Ensign may be flown wherever place or occasion may make it desirable to fly a distinctive Canadian flag. ( For more information about the shield used - Click Here )
Canadian Blue Jack 1922	The Royal Canadian Navy Jack/Ensign 1922-1957 The Royal Canadian Blue Jack was the official flag for all government owned vessels from 1922 to 1957. The Canadian Blue Ensign was also used as jacks on RCN warships. ( For more information about the shield used - Click Here ) The Canadian Blue Ensign was used as jacks on RCN warships, but used as ensigns on all government owned vessels, both federal and provincial, other than those which belonged to the RCN.
Battle Flag of Canada	The Canadian Active Service Force Flag 1939-1944 In the Second World War, which Canada entered after Britain declared war on Germany, they used the Canadian Red Ensign as their national flag, but also in use was a lesser known battle flag. Canada wanted its army to be distinguishable among the great mass of British troops, and so provided it with, not the Canadian Red Ensign, but this new battle flag. Designed by Colonel Archer Fortescue Duguid, Director of the Historical Section of the National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa, the flag of the Canadian Active Service Force, generally known as the "Battle Flag of Canada," was approved by the War Cabinet in December of 1939.
Canadian Red Ensign 1957	The Canadian Red Ensign 1957-1965 In 1957 a slight modification was made to the approved artistic interpretation of Canada's arms changing the maple leaves on the Canadian Red Ensign from green to red. The Canadian Red Ensign would continue to be both the Merchant Naval Ensign and defacto national land flag until it was replaced by the Maple Leaf Flag in 1964. ( For more information about the shield used - Click Here )
Canadian Naval Jack/Ensign 1957	The Royal Canadian Navy Jack 1957-1964 This was the Royal Canadian Blue Jack for all government owned vessels from 1957 to 1964, replacing the 1922-1957 pattern Canadian Blue Ensign. ( For more information about the shield used - Click Here ) The Canadian Blue Ensign was used as jacks on RCN warships, but used as ensigns on all government owned vessels, both federal and provincial, other than those which belonged to the RCN.
Canadian Air Force Ensign	The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Ensign 1941-1968 The ensign of the Royal Canadian Air Force was based on the ensign of the British Royal Air Force (RAF), a light (sky) blue ensign, but with the Canadian Maple Leaf placed within the roundel. Until the Second World War the RAF ensign was used by the RCAF; the RCAF ensign with the maple leaf roundel began to be used in 1941. The outbreak of the Second World War the RCAF had 15 permanent operational squadrons (12 for homeland defence, three for overseas service). However, only 29 were front-line fighter and bomber aircraft. By the end of the war, the RCAF would be the fourth largest allied air force. The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) was the air force of Canada from 1924 until 1968 when the three branches of the Canadian military were merged into the Canadian Forces.
Pearson Pennant	Pearson's Proposed Pennant 1963 For much of its post-Confederation history, Canada used both the Royal Union Flag (Union Jack) and the Canadian Red Ensign as its national flag. During the election campaign of 1963, Lester Pearson and the Liberal Party promised that Canada would have a new flag within two years of his election. Pearson's preferred choice for a new flag has been nicknamed "the Pearson Pennant," which featured the three maple leaves on a blue background. he preferred this choice, as the blue bars reflected Canada's motto, "From Sea to Sea". The flag was never officially recognized, although it led to the adoption of the current Maple Leaf Flag in 1965.
The Maple Leaf Flag	The Maple Leaf Flag 1965 A royal proclamation established the National Flag of Canada in 1964 as the Maple Leaf Flag, which was first officially flown in January of 1965. The use of the Canadian Red and Blue Ensigns, as well as the Royal Canadian Navy White Ensign stopped at this time. The Maple Leaf flag was supported by the Liberal government. The (Conservative) opposition leader at the time, John Diefenbaker (also a former Prime Minister), requested at his death in 1979 that his casket be covered with both the Maple Leaf and the Red Ensign.
CF Flag	Canadian Forces Ensign 1968 The Canadian Forces (CF), or the Canadian Armed Forces, are the unified armed forces of Canada, as first constituted by the National Defence Act of 1922. The Canadian Forces Reorganization Act amended the National Defence Act in 1968 and established the united Canadian Forces as they are today. They include all three main branches of the Canadian military; the Maritime Command (MARCOM), Land Force Command (LFC), and Air Command (AIRCOM). At the top of their command structure is the Commander-in-Chief (the reigning Canadian monarch), represented by the Governor General. The badge displayed on the CF Flag's fly has crossed swords superimposed by a red maple leaf. This is flown at CF Bases and used as the rank flag of the Chief of the Defence Staff. The flag is also displayed inside the Maritime Pacific (MARPAC) Command building.
CF MARCOM Jack	Canadian Forces Maritime Command 1968 The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) was the navy of Canada from 1911 until 1968 when the three Canadian armed services were unified to form the "Canadian Forces." Since 1968, the modern Canadian navy has been known as the Canadian Forces Maritime Command (MARCOM). The Canadian Forces Maritime Command flag is not used as an ensign on warships. RCN vessels wear the Maple Leaf as an ensign and the Canadian Forces Maritime Command flag as a jack. Although, it is not correct to use the name "Royal Canadian Navy" or its abbreviation anymore, most people still seem to use the unofficial terms "Navy" or "RCN."
MARCOM Naval Board	Canadian Forces MARCOM Naval Board The Canadian Navy Board is comprised of flag officers (Commodores and above) and meets every few months to discuss operations and fleet policies. The fleet is roughly evenly split between the Atlantic and Pacific commands with the Atlantic housing the larger of the two fleets. MARCOM participates in NATO exercises, and ships are deployed all over the world in support of the Canadian military and in conjunction with multinational deployments. When meeting the Navy Board flag flies in place of the senior officer's flag. The flag is divided diagonally descending crimson over blue with a gold horizontal fouled anchor.
CF LFC Ensign	Canadian Forces Land Force Command The Flag of the Canadian Armed Land Forces (LFC) is white with the national flag in the canton. On the fly, there are two crossed swords, partially covered by a red maple leaf. Although, it is not correct to use the name "Royal Canadian Army" or its abbreviation anymore, most people still use the unofficial term "Army" when talking about the land forces.
CF AIRCOM Ensign	The Canadian Air Command Ensign 1975 After 1968, the RCAF was merged with the Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Navy to form the Canadian Forces, and air force functions were under this new command. However, in 1975 Canada's military air services was re-organized into a single command: Canadian Forces Air Command. (AIRCOM) Although the modern Canadian air force is known as the Canadian Forces Air Command, it is still known as the "Air Force" and maintains many of the traditions of the RCAF.
CCG Jack	The Canadian Coast Guard Jack 1962 The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) was created in 1962 to address the need to provide services to mariners in Canadian waters. The Canadian Coast Guard owns and operates the federal government’s civilian fleet, and provides necessary maritime services to Canadians. The Canadian Coast Guard vessels wear the Maple Leaf as an ensign and the Canadian Coast Guard flag as a jack.
CF Int Flag	Canadian Forces Intelligence Force The Intelligence (Int) Branch is the branch of the Canadian Forces (CF) that is charged with providing intelligence information to enable CF commanders to make decisions. The Int branch works in a variety of areas, both at home and abroad, to meet the needs of commanders and operational planners of the Canadian Forces at all levels, be it on overseas missions like Bosnia and Herzegovina, Haiti, Somalia, Rwanda, East Timor, and Afghanistan, or at home like the ice storms in Quebec, floods in Winnipeg, and fires in British Columbia.
CFMP Flag	Canadian Forces Military Police The Canadian Forces Military Police (CFMP) provide security and military policing services to all Canadian Forces (CF). The Canadian Military Police are a bit unusual because they are classified as regular Peace Officers in the Criminal Code of Canada, which gives them the same powers as civilian law enforcement personnel. Although Military Police jurisdiction is on military establishments across Canada and throughout the world, any civilian accessing these areas falls under their jurisdiction and are dealt with in the same manner as any civilian policing agency. The CFMP flag is a vertical white-red-white tricolor with the Canadian Forces Military Police badge centered on the red stripe.
CF RCA Ensign	Royal Canadian Artillery 1750 The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery (RCA) is the artillery branch of the Canadian Forces (CF). Many of the units and batteries of The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery are actually older than Canada itself. The first artillery company in Canada, in the form of two batteries of garrison artillery, was formed in the province of Quebec in 1750. They are still active today as part of the 1st Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery. The Royal Canadian Artillery has participated in most major conflicts in Canada's history and their flag is almost identical to the Royal United Kingdom Artillery except in the gold coloring of the badge.
RCMP Headquarters Flag RCMP Guidon	Royal Canadian Mounted Police The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (popularly known as the "Mounties") is the Canadian national police service and an agency of the Ministry of Public Safety Canada. The RCMP is unique in the world since it is a national, federal, provincial and municipal policing body. They provide a total federal policing service to all Canadians and policing services under contract to the three territories, eight provinces (except Ontario and Quebec), more than 190 municipalities, 184 Aboriginal communities and three international airports. The RCMP was formed in 1920 when the Northwest Mounted Police (NWMP, founded 1873) merged with the Dominion Police (founded 1868). The NWMP were given the Royal prefix by King Edward VII in 1904, and many of the present-day Mounties' traditions date back to the RNWMP, including the distinctive red uniforms, its paramilitary heritage, and its identity as a frontier law enforcement force. The Guidon of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police serves as a unique Standard for the Force and follows the regimental tradition of cavalry regiments deriving from the British Army. The first RCMP Guidon dates back to 1935. It was retired in 1973 when a new Guidon was given on the 100th Anniversary of the RCMP by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth.
RCAC Flag	Royal Canadian Armour Corps 1945 Beginning in 1936, Canadian armoured regiments were created to replace the dated horse cavalry with more modern "tank" regiments. Thus, the Royal Canadian Armour Corps (RCAC) was officially formed in 1940, first as the Canadian Armoured Corps (CAC), which in turn, traced its lineage back to the Canadian Tank Corps (CTC) of the First World I. The royal designation was added in 1945.
Governor-General's Flag 1901 Governor-General's Flag 1921 Governor-General's Flag 1931 Governor-General's Flag 1981 Governor-General's Flag 1998	The Governor-General of Canada Flag 1901 The Governor-General (GG) is the the Queen's deputy and carries out the functions of the Crown in her absence. Queen Elizabeth is legally and constitutionally the Head of State of the Dominion of Canada. This box shows the changes in the design of the flag of the Governor-General of Canada since in 1901. In 1869, the crown authorized that Royal Governors of all ranks use a British Union flag defaced with the arms or badge of their colony. In Canada, the Governor-General's flag bore a St. Edward's crown over the badge of Canada. In 1901, the crown was changed to a Tudor crown after Edward VII became King, as shown in the 1901 version here. In 1921, the badge on the Governor-General's standard was changed to the newest approved coat-of-arms of Canada. In 1931, a completely new design, first proposed in 1928, became official. The new flag showed the crest from the royal arms on a blue field with a scroll bearing the word "CANADA" placed below it. At first the lion stood on a Tudor crown, but in 1953 a change was made to the design at Queen Elizabeth II request and the Tudor crown was replaced by the St. Edward crown. In 1981, the Governor-General's flag went through its last major change when the crest of the arms of Canada became the central emblem of the flag. This crest is a crowned lion holding a red maple leaf in its paw, standing on a wreath of the official red and white colors of Canada, on the blue background of the flag. In 1998, the lion on the Governor-General's flag lost his tongue and claws at the insistence of the Right Honourable Roméo LeBlanc, who was Governor General from 1995 to 1999. He wanted the lion made more "friendly." When the Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson replaced LeBlanc, she quietly changed the flag back to what it had been previous to 1998. Governor-General's Flag since 1999 This flag is flown from the Governor-General's car, the Governor-General's official residences, and any other building the Governor-General is visiting. On overseas visits, the National Maple Leaf Flag is used more commonly, as it is a more recognizable Canadian symbol. ( Click here for more information about the Canadian government )
Canadian Royal Standard Queen Elizabeth II	The Canadian Royal Standard for the Queen This flag of Her Majesty The Queen is flown for her when she visits her Dominion of Canada. Her title in Canada is "Her Majesty, the Queen of Canada" and she is legally and constitutionally the Head of State of the Dominion of Canada. In her absence the Governor-General (GG) is the Canadian head of state and the Prime Minister (PM) is head of her government. The flag bears a blue roundel within a wreath of roses in gold. The centre features her Cypher, composed of the letter "E" (Queen Elizabeth) with the Royal Crown above it, also in gold. ( For some more information about this subject - Click Here )
Canadian Royal Standard Prince Charles	The Canadian Royal Standard for the Prince of Wales This Personal Standard is flown for Prince of Wales when he visits the Dominion of Canada. The flag bears a blue roundel within a wreath of golden maple leaves for Canada. The center features the badge commonly known as The Prince of Wales’s feathers, used by the heir apparent to the Sovereign. Near the top of the flag is the traditional heraldic mark of an eldest male child, the three-point white label.
Canadian Royal Standard Prince William	The Canadian Royal Standard for the Duke of Cambridge This personal standard is flown for the Duke of Cambridge when he visits the Dominion of Canada. The flag bears a blue roundel within a wreath of golden maple leaves for Canada, and of shells, a symbol borrowed from his coat-of-arms. The center features his cypher, composed of the letter "W" (Prince William) with a coronet above it that indicates he is the child of the heir apparent to the Sovereign. Near the top of the flag is the personal three-point white label charged with a red shell, taken from his coat of arms.

Flags of Forgotten Countries

blancail66@hotmail.com (PaganTroop) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 09:04:00 +0100

Flags of Forgotten Countries

http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2009/07/flags-of-forgotten-countries.html

In recent years, we have seen a number of countries disappear, along with their flags. The Soviet Union came to an end, to be replaced by a multitude of new or revived republics, all with their own flags. Czechoslovakia split into its two component parts, while Yugoslavia splintered, as the individual nationalities all asserted their independence. All this happened very recently, but many states have vanished from the map before over the centuries. Here’s a look at some flags of those long gone - and in many cases forgotten - kingdoms and countries.

"Avenue of Flags" - 1933 Chicago World's Fair, images via 1, 2, 3

The Holy Roman Empire, which existed from 962 to 1806, was famously said by Voltaire to be neither holy, Roman nor an empire. It was an attempt to revive the Western Roman Empire, which had collapsed during the 5th and 6th centuries and replaced with by independent Germanic kingdoms. At its peak in the 12th century, the Holy Roman Empire comprised most of the territory of modern-day Germany, Austria, Switzerland, eastern France, Belgium, the Netherlands, western Poland, the Czech Republic and Italy. By the end of the medieval period, the emperor was mostly just a figurehead, with real power based at the local level, with all the emperor’s vassals being virtually independent. This flag was used from 1400 until the empire’s dissolution during the Napoleonic wars in 1806 -

In 1473, Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, was one of the wealthiest and most powerful nobles in Europe, rivaling many royal families. His territory stretched from Switzerland to the North Sea, incorporating large parts of eastern France, Belgium and the Netherlands. He had ambitions to transform his lands into a real kingdom, but his plans to become a monarch ended with his death in battle in 1477, so this flag of the duchy also represents a country that might have been -

A state that lasted for over a millennium was the Most Serene Republic of Venice, one of the superpowers of its time. The republic existed from the late seventh century until 1797, when Napoleon conquered the city.

The Byzantine Empire, or Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire in the medieval period, although over the centuries, it gradually became primarily Greek. The capital was Constantinople, now known as Istanbul. For a thousand years, the Empire was a powerful force, despite military setbacks and territorial losses, but entered into a lengthy decline after the twelfth century, culminating in the Fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Turks in 1453.The imperial flag featured a double-headed eagle to symbolize the empire’s interests in both Europe and Asia.

Refugees from Constantinople in 1453 helped fuel the Renaissance in Italy, but Byzantine churchmen and nobles also ended up in Moscow, which shared the Orthodox faith of the now defunct empire. Around the same time, the rulers of Russia adopted the title Czar, meaning Caesar or Emperor, and Moscow began to be referred to as ‘the Third Rome’, after Constantinople was the second. The Russian Czars thus saw themselves as the successors to the Byzantine Empire and so adopted the double-headed eagle, using this on their flags until the revolution in 1917:

Imperial Russia wasn’t the only major casualty of the First World War. The Habsburg family was one of the most prominent dynasties in Europe from the fifteenth century onward. Their empire covered almost 250,00 square miles of central Europe, including what are now Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, parts of Poland, Romania, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia and Montenegro. With a population of around fifty million, the multi national Austrian Empire was one of the great powers of Europe. However, military reverses in the mid-nineteenth century led to a loss of territory and influence in Italy and Germany, and the Habsburgs were forced to come to a new arrangement with the Hungarian half of their empire in 1867. Henceforth the country was known as Austria-Hungary, until its collapse in 1918 -

The kingdom of Prussia was also a great power in Europe in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, playing a major role in the war against Napoleon. Prussia was located mainly in the northern portion of Germany, although it also held territory elsewhere, such as in the Rhineland. The eagle was used as the symbol of the country -

In 1870, Germany was unified under Prussian leadership and the German empire was born. This was the Emperor’s standard from 1871 until the end of the empire at the close of the First World War in 1918 -

(image credit: Martin Grieve)

Napoleon’s flags and coat of arms were seen flying all over Europe in the early years of the nineteenth century -

Napoleon III, ruler of France from 1852 to 1870, clearly used his uncle’s previous flags as an inspiration for those of his own empire -

Although the first Napoleon transformed the map of Italy, for much of the first part of the nineteenth century, Italy was often said to be just a geographic expression and there was no united Italian nation. The peninsular contained a collection of small states and duchies, the largest of which was the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies:

The kingdom comprised the southern part of Italy and the island of Sicily, with its capital in Naples. In 1861, it became part of the United Kingdom of Italy, whose royal flag is shown here -

Yugoslavia disappeared, along with its flag, in recent memory. And yet between the two world wars, Yugoslavia was a monarchy with, you guessed it, a two headed eagle on the flag:

Spain is one of the countries in Europe to still have a monarchy, but from 1931 until 1939 the country was a republic and displayed this flag to symbolize its new direction:

Unfortunately for the republicans, the new direction was short lived and after the Spanish Civil War, this flag was illegal during the Franco Era. Possession could lead to execution or at best an extended prison sentence. After the civil war and until shortly after Franco’s death in 1975, this was the flag of Spain -

Outside of Europe, the Mexican flag has undergone a lot of changes since the early nineteenth century, but this one depicts one of the short lived emblems of the Mexican state, the second Mexican empire, which ran from 1864 to 1867. When President Juarez suspended payments of interest to foreign countries, Spain, France and Britain, Mexico’s main creditors, united by sending a fleet to Mexico to force the government to pay its debts. Britain and Spain soon withdrew, but France, ruled by Napoleon III, remained with a large army and proceeded to conquer the country. With the US still engaged in the Civil War and unable to intervene, Napoleon III helped establish Maximilian of the house of Habsburg, brother of the Austrian Emperor, on the throne of Mexico. The empire faced civil war right from the start and in 1867 Emperor Maximilian was executed by firing squad by the victorious rebels:

Mexico wasn’t the only monarchy in the Americas. The Empire of Brazil, under the rule of Emperors Pedro I and Pedro II, existed from 1822 until 1889. After the occupation of Portugal by Napoleon, the royal family fled to exile in Brazil, their most important colony. After the fall of Napoleon, Brazil became independent of Portugal, but kept a member of the royal family as the head of state -

Also in South America, when the area threw off Spanish rule in the early nineteenth century, one of the early republics was Gran Colombia, which included much of northern South America and a small portion of southern Central America from 1819 to 1831. It later split up into the countries we know today as Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela -

In Asia, the Qing Dynasty ruled China, Manchuria, Tibet, Taiwan and Mongolia from 1644 to 1912. This flag dates from the period from 1890 to the establishment of the republic in 1912 -

Iran, of course, was also once a monarchy, which flew this flag until the late seventies -

In Africa, Ethiopia is the oldest independent country and also has one of the longest recorded histories in the world, including a long list of monarchs. Here we see the Imperial flag of Haile Selassie, the country’s last emperor -

And finally, also in Africa, a country often in the news today is Zimbabwe. However, after declaring independence from Britain under Ian Smith in 1965 until 1980, the country was known as Rhodesia, which had this flag at that time -

So there you are, flags of forgotten countries. Hopefully for some of you, these images may have helped jog your memory.

BONUS:

Speaking about cool flags... Turns out that Greater Tokyo Area, Japan, has a flag for every city and ward inside of it - and they are quite unique and stylish:

We had such a great response to the first article about flags here on Dark Roasted Blend, that we thought we’d unearth a few more examples of fascinating banners from the distant and not so distant past. Here’s a look at some more flags of forgotten countries.

Epic lands, empires, wars, revolutions - with flags to match them

The flags of Napoleon and his nephew Napoleon III featured in our first article, but France went though a number of political changes in the nineteenth century. After Napoleon’s fall, the Bourbon’s returned to the throne, using this royal coat of arms, with the restoration period under Louis XVIII and Charles X lasting from 1814 until the monarchy was overthrown by the July Revolution in 1830.

(image via)

A cadet branch of their own family replaced the Bourbons as rulers of France. However, their successor, Louis Philippe, was himself overthrown in the revolution of 1848:

(images via)

France of course experienced further upheaval in World War Two, after defeat to Germany in 1940. This flag was the personal standard of Philippe Petain, chief of state of Vichy France, which remained unoccupied by the Germans until November 1942:

(larger map and more info here)

Also in World War Two, following the fall of Mussolini in 1943 and the subsequent defection of Italy from the Axis cause, Germany took control of northern and central Italy. The puppet state established by Mussolini on Lake Garda, halfway between Milan and Venice, was informally known as the Salo Republic, which came to an end in April 1945:

(image via)

In Asia during the same period, the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo was located in Manchuria and parts of Inner Mongolia. Established in 1932, the government was headed by Puyi, the last emperor of China, until the end of the Manchukuo state following the defeat of Japan in 1945:

(right: Puyi during his time as the Emperor of Manchukuo, image via)

Propaganda posters showing harmony between the people of Japan, China, and the state of Manchukuo:

(images via)

Another result of World War Two was the division of Germany, and here’s the flag of the now defunct East Germany, or as it was formerly known, the German Democratic Republic, which lasted from 1949 to 1990:

(right: Warsaw Pact poster "Together We Are Invincible!")

Many sultans used different personal "avatars"...er, banners

The Ottoman Empire, also known as the Turkish Empire, was founded in the early fourteenth century and came to an end after the First World War. At the height of its power in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the empire controlled North Africa, Western Asia and most of South Eastern Europe. Various flags were used within the Empire throughout its existence and the sultans also used different personal banners. There was no national flag until 1844 and the design was very similar to the current flag of the Republic of Turkey, founded in 1923. However, here is a flag used by the Ottoman army for some three hundred years from the mid fifteenth century:

(image via)

Every sultan tended to have his own banner, but a coat of arms, similar to those prevalent in Europe, was created for Sultan Abdul Hamid II in 1882, although it was never an official coat of arms for the Empire itself:

(image via)

Greece was ruled by the Ottomans for centuries, until independence was secured in the 1820’s. However, during the Turkish period, the Greeks used a number of unofficial flags. This one was employed in certain parts of the empire from 1431 to 1619 by the spachides, a cavalry unit:

(images via)

After Otto, a prince of Bavaria in Germany, was made King of Greece in 1832, the country used this flag for several decades:

(image via)

Forgotten British colonial variations

(map of the British Empire, click to enlarge - via Norman B Leventhal Map Centre)

There are lots of British colonial flags due to the extent and the life span of the Empire, but here are a few examples of forgotten flags, such as this one belonging to the British East India Company from 1707. Note the absence of the diagonal red cross of St. Patrick on the Union Jack, which was not added to the main British flag until after the Act of Union with Ireland in 1801:

India was often described as the jewel in the Crown of the British Empire. Here’s the flag of the Governor General, with a separate image depicting the star pattern:

(image via)

Azad Hind was an Indian government in exile based in Singapore after 1943, which was heavily dependent on support from Imperial Japan. Its aim was to free India from British rule by allying itself with the Axis powers:

(right image: Azad Hind card, via Ann Mette Heindorff)

Here are a couple of flags from colonial Hong Kong. The one on the left dates from 1871, the one shown on the right was used from 1959 until Hong Kong’s transfer back to China in 1997:

Viceroyalties and Forgotten Federations

On the opposite side of the world, the West Indies Federation was created from a number of British colonies in the Caribbean in 1958, but only lasted until 1962:

Another short-lived federation existed in the same part of the word over a century earlier. The Federal Republic of Central America, originally known as known as the United Provinces of Central America, was created in 1823 from the former territory of the Captaincy General of Guatemala, an administrative division of the Spanish Empire covering much of the region. The republic included the modern countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica, but the union dissolved in a civil war between 1838 and 1840:

From 1535 to 1821, this was the flag of the Viceroyalty of New Spain, which governed California, the South West US, Mexico and much of Central America, plus the Spanish controlled Caribbean islands (see image below, top right). Further south, the Viceroyalty of New Granada came into being in 1717 in northern South America, ruling over modern day Colombia, Ecuador, Panama and Venezuela. The symbol (shown below on the left) was used on flags at some of the forts on the coast in the eighteenth century:

Flags inside flags... inside flags...

In Africa, this was the flag of South Africa from 1928 to 1994. The design is based on the Prince’s flag from the Netherlands, the banner of the Prince of Orange in the Dutch War of Independence (1568-1648), with the smaller flags of the Orange Free State and Transvaal, the former Boer republics, plus the British Union Jack, in the centre:

(right image: South African art deco postcard 1928, via)

Elsewhere in Africa, the colonial era left a lasting legacy, since almost the entire continent was once carved up by the European powers. This flag belongs to German East Africa, or Tanganyika, which is now known as Tanzania. Most other German colonial flags were similar, in red, black and white, with a central crest or shield:

(right image: hospital in Dar-Es-Salaam, via)

The huge country in central Africa now known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo was formerly called the Belgian Congo. Established as the Congo Free State in 1885, the entire vast territory was originally privately owned by the Belgian King Leopold II, until reports of major human rights abuses against the native population forced the king to hand the state over to Belgium in 1908. It became the Belgian Congo until the independence movement began in 1960:

(images via)

Great Expectations

Finally, from down under, the Australian flag’s original design dates from 1901, but the oldest known Australian flag appeared almost a century earlier. The Bowman Flag was created by John and Honor Bowman in 1806 and raised at their home in New South Wales NSW to commemorate Nelson’s victory at Trafalgar in October 1805. The flag features the English rose, Scottish thistle and Irish shamrock, along with Nelson’s famous motto from the battle ‘England expects that every man will do his duty’, flanked by the emu and kangaroo, symbols of Australia:

LE POÈME SUR RIG - SUPPLÉMENT

blancail66@hotmail.com (PaganTroop) — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 09:23:00 +0100

http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k5612256d/f262.image

LE POÈME DE HYNDLA

blancail66@hotmail.com (PaganTroop) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 15:48:00 +0100

http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k5612256d/f254.image

Deuxième Conférence Internationale sur l’Hollywoodisme et le Cinéma Mondial à Téhéran

blancail66@hotmail.com (PaganTroop) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 17:12:00 +0100

Marie Bruchet Mardi 14 février 2012

Deuxième Conférence Internationale sur l’Hollywoodisme et le Cinéma Mondial à Téhéran

La deuxième Conférence internationale sur l’Hollywoodisme et le cinéma mondial s’est tenue du jeudi 2 au samedi 5 février 2012 dans le cadre du 30^ème Festival international du Cinéma à Téhéran. Elle a rassemblé des intellectuels venus du monde entier, dont une importante délégation française. Cette dernière comprenait MM. Robert Faurisson, Paul-Éric Blanrue (représenté), Vincent Reynouard (représenté), Dieudonné M’bala M’bala et Mme Maria Poumier.

Vincent Reynouard y avait été invité par les autorités iraniennes. Toutefois, sous le coup d’un contrôle judiciaire qui lui interdit, entre autres, de quitter le territoire national, il n’a pu s’y rendre. J’y suis donc allée à sa place, pour le représenter et pour y faire l’exposé qu’il avait préparé. Ces quatre jours resteront à jamais gravés dans ma mémoire.

L’objectif de la conférence était double :

- réunir des gens soucieux de combattre le sionisme qui empoisonne le milieu cinématographique et qui, par là même, répand sa propagande mensongère et totalement dénuée d’humanité ;

- proposer des solutions concrètes pour améliorer le cinéma hollywoodien.

Le programme de ces trois jours était le suivant :

1/ Hollywood et l’éveil du monde : le rôle du cinéma dans l’éveil du monde ;

2/ Hollywood et le sionisme : le révisionnisme historique, les techniques hollywoodiennes dont le but est de détourner les événements internationaux à l’avantage des intérêts sionistes, l’influence d’Hollywood sur l’opinion publique ;

3/ Hollywood et les valeurs humaines : la promotion de la violence par les films hollywoodiens.

Le jeudi 2 au matin, le Président de la République Islamique d’Iran, M. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, remettait un prix à MM. Robert Faurisson, Vincent Reynouard, Mme Maria Poumier et à d’autres intellectuels afin de récompenser leurs efforts dans le combat antisioniste. Le prix, magnifique recueil de poèmes de Omar Khayyam, grand poète et savant persan ayant vécu aux XIe et XIIe siècles, fut particulièrement apprécié pour ses illustrations délicates et superbement ciselées.

1/ Hollywood et l’éveil du monde : le rôle du cinéma dans l’éveil du monde

Dans une intervention préliminaire en début d’après-midi, le Ministre de la Culture et de l’Orientation Islamique d’Iran, M. Mohammad Hosseini, exposa la situation géopolitique actuelle.

Selon lui, les « valeurs » sionistes ont pénétré tous les domaines de la vie quotidienne. Par conséquent, il est impératif et urgent que « le monde se réveille » et trouve des solutions concrètes.

Dans le domaine culturel, les films hollywoodiens sont la première cible des antisionistes. Faciles d’accès et peu onéreux, ils font logiquement partie du quotidien, ce qui rend la tâche plus difficile à ceux qui veulent les éliminer. Pour y parvenir, il est nécessaire de démonter les rouages de l’industrie d’Hollywood afin de mieux les comprendre, donc de mieux les maîtriser et, ainsi, de les contrer, voire ― idéalement ―de les détruire complètement.

Selon M. Hosseini, il est primordial que la domination des médias par les sionistes soit bien reconnue et identifiée par les populations du monde. Cette prise de conscience nécessaire conditionne le combat contre le sionisme.

Et d’ajouter :

« L’Occident doit maintenant se réveiller. Nous l’attendons. Les Européens et les États-Unis commencent à ouvrir les yeux sur les dangers du sionisme. Ils commencent à s’informer. Mais cela reste timide. Nous les attendons.

Les sionistes se trouvent maintenant face à face avec l’Humanité, face à face avec des êtres humains qui, enfin, se réveillent sérieusement, notamment grâce à des intellectuels. (…) Les pressions des lobbies sionistes sont si fortes que le monde réagit et réalise combien ces lobbies sont dangereux, combien ils peuvent nous hypnotiser... Nous sommes prêts à coopérer, à investir avec tous les scénaristes et réalisateurs qui veulent combattre le sionisme. »

Monsieur le Ministre de la Culture et de l’Orientation Islamique termina son allocution en déclarant : « La nature sioniste est par définition non humaine et même antihumaine ».

Durant cette première partie de la conférence, les intervenants présentèrent le mouvement « Occupy Wall Street ». Né le 17 septembre 2011 dans le parc Zuccotti à New-York, ce groupe non violent souhaite dénoncer les abus du capitalisme financier, et plus particulièrement les abus des « 1 % qui oppressent les 99 autres pourcents ». Prévu pour ne durer qu’une seule semaine, non seulement il existe encore aujourd’hui, mais aussi, il est devenu international. Selon Wikipédia, au 15 octobre 2011, il a essaimé dans environ 1 500 villes de 82 pays.

Prenant la parole, le psychiatre américain Daniel Schechter souligna que ce mouvement, initialement totalement ignoré par la presse, révèle combien le système est malade. « Même si on veut faire des réformes, affirma-t-il, le système est incapable de répondre. Il n’est pas capable de se soigner, de se réparer lui-même. »

Peu après, le journaliste américain Webster Tarpley expliqua que les 1 % de puissants à Wall Street étaient « difficiles à faire tomber » et que le mouvement « Occupy Wall Street » n’était pas organisé comme il le faudrait pour arriver à ses fins. W. Tarpley mentionna également l’existence de « faux rebelles » au système, tel le célèbre réalisateur américain Michael Moore. Celui-ci prétend dénoncer le système capitaliste américain, mais ses films sont précisément financés par ce système.

De son côté, Sean Christopher Stone, acteur américain et fils du réalisateur Oliver Stone, parla de la loi « sécuritaire » votée aux États-Unis après les attentats de 2001. Elle permet d’emprisonner sans jugement tout citoyen considéré comme une menace pour la sécurité nationale. D’après S. C. Stone, cette loi représente un danger pour les activistes du mouvement « Occupy Wall Street ».

Intervention fort appréciée dans cette partie : le discours du député responsable des films au Ministère de la Culture et de l’Orientation Islamique d’Iran, M. Javad Shamaghdari. « Au nom de Dieu le Tout-Puissant et le Miséricordieux », ainsi débutait chacune des allocutions prononcées par J. Shamaghdari pendant ces journées de rencontre. Le jeudi 2 février dans l’après-midi, il déclara que les artistes du monde entier avaient beaucoup à dire pour exprimer leur mécontentement vis-à-vis de l’attitude des sionistes dans le monde. Dans le domaine cinématographique, la stratégie à adopter est simple : il faut attaquer franchement et frontalement, en produisant des films qui prônent des valeurs opposées à celles qui transparaissent dans les films hollywoodiens. « C’est un devoir pour nous tous, lança-t-il, que de connaître et de faire connaître la nature du sionisme. ».

J. Shamaghdari rappela également que les différences ethniques et la diversité culturelle étaient tout à fait naturelles. Le Coran déclare que nous avons été créés différents (langues, ethnies, etc.) afin que, tous, nous ayons l’occasion d’apprendre à mieux nous connaître. Notre nature humaine est d’aller vers Dieu en respectant Sa Parole. Or, le discours véhiculé par l’industrie d’Hollywood nie la nature humaine en l’éloignant de Dieu, notamment parce qu’il justifie la violence entre les êtres humains, ce qui est absolument antinaturel. Hollywood prend donc le contre-pied de la Parole Divine ; il veut déformer la pensée et la modeler en présentant chaque phénomène dans le cadre de l’intérêt particulier, et non dans celui du Bien Commun. Par exemple, de nombreux films hollywoodiens transforment les populations peaux rouges en monstres sanguinaires afin de rendre leur massacre par la cavalerie légitime…

M. Shamaghdari conclut avec ces mots :

« Depuis sept décennies Hollywood travaille à déshumaniser le monde en l’éloignant du message divin et en l’attirant vers les passions et l’intérêt particulier. Pour combattre ce projet destructeur, nous devons utiliser la même arme : le cinéma. Nous devons produire des films qui propagent les valeurs humaines que sont la Vérité, la Paix, la Justice et l’Amour. »

Le vendredi 3 février fut le plus enfiévré des trois jours. En effet, les interventions révisionnistes ont en quelque sorte réveillé l’assistance et ont clairement divisé les intervenants en deux groupes : les « croyants » et les « non-croyants » en… l’ « Holocauste ».

Le premier intervenant fut M. le rabbin Ahron Cohen. Arborant un badge avec l’inscription « juif antisioniste » ainsi qu’une écharpe aux couleurs de la Palestine, il expliqua que les sionistes avaient dénaturé l’identité profonde des juifs en introduisant le nationalisme et la territorialité. Il rappela que l’identité profonde et historique du peuple juif résidait précisément dans la non-territorialité. Le peuple juif est historiquement condamné à l’exil par décret divin. A. Cohen ajouta que l’on pouvait être juif sans être sioniste et que l’antisionisme n’avait rien à voir avec l’antisémitisme. Les sionistes, dit-il, sont irrespectueux des lois divines car ils les détournent au profit de leurs intérêts particuliers. Ils promeuvent la guerre et, par conséquent, ne respectent pas la nature humaine. L’objectif des juifs orthodoxes, que M. le rabbin Ahron Cohen représentait à Téhéran, est clairement de dénoncer l’injustice et les souffrances infligées par l’État d’Israël au peuple palestinien, de remettre la non-territorialité du peuple juif au cœur de l’identité juive, et enfin, de rendre sa terre au peuple palestinien.

La parole fut alors donnée au professeur Faurisson. Dans un premier temps, il définit ainsi le terme « Hollywoodisme » : « la transformation, souvent mensongère, de la réalité par l’esprit et les pratiques de tout un cinéma américain. » Puis il décrivit « les méfaits de l’Hollywoodisme dans la formation de l’imposture de “l’Holocauste”, c’est-à-dire dans la construction du mythe du génocide, des chambres à gaz et des six millions de juifs tués pendant la Seconde guerre mondiale par les Allemands. » Enfin, il parla du « révisionnisme comme antidote par excellence contre l’Hollywoodisme et son incessant battage en faveur de la religion de “l’Holocauste”. » L’exposé brillant du Professeur captiva l’auditoire. Des gens se rapprochaient pour mieux entendre. On en retint tout particulièrement l’explication claire et concise des impossibilités physique, chimique, humaine et financière de l’organisation d’un tel massacre de masse perpétré contre le peuple juif au moyen de chambres à gaz.

Vint ensuite l’exposé de Vincent que je devais prononcer. Celui-ci n’avait pu se rendre à Téhéran à cause du contrôle judiciaire qui lui interdit de sortir du territoire national français depuis sa sortie de prison en avril 2011.

S’appuyant sur de nombreux documents photographiques et picturaux, j’expliquai comment le cinéma hollywoodien était devenu une sorte de ministère américain de la Propagande en utilisant des techniques simples de manipulation pour légitimer la politique américano-sioniste. Dans les années 60, ainsi, les films hollywoodiens présentaient les Palestiniens comme des terroristes sauvages et cruels et les juifs comme de pauvres victimes (exemple typique d’inversion accusatoire).

Exemples précis à l’appui, je démontrai que, depuis les années 50, Hollywood promeut le grand mensonge de l’ « Holocauste » : quel que soit le style de film (aventure, drame, science-fiction, fantastique, policier…), le fantôme de l’ « Holocauste » plane. Citons Moonraker, Marathon Man et plus récemment Shutter Island…

J’expliquai ensuite comment il est simplissime de faire rapidement perdre son crédit à un chef d’État, M. Ahmadinejad par exemple, en le faisant passer pour un nouvel Hitler qui menacerait le monde entier et qui, comme son père spirituel, voudrait commettre un nouvel « Holocauste » (nucléaire cette fois). La rhétorique est toujours la même : si on avait éliminé Hitler préventivement, rien de « tout cela » ne serait arrivé… De cette manière, nul besoin d’expliquer quoi que ce soit, l’opinion publique sera entièrement d’accord si une guerre contre l’Iran était déclenchée : ne vaut-il pas mieux « prévenir » que « guérir » ?

En guise de conclusion, j’expliquai que, toute cette propagande reposant sur le prétendu « Holocauste », la solution passait par la lutte contre ce mythe qui nous empoisonne tous et qui empêche toute discussion saine et posée sur l’État d’Israël.

Cette dernière intervention révisionniste provoqua de vives réactions. Entre autres, celle du rabbin Dovid Weiss s’est révélée la plus véhémente. Affirmant que l’ « Holocauste » avait bel et bien existé, le rabbin déclara d’une part que ce n’était pas une raison pour faire souffrir le peuple palestinien et d’autre part que le sujet de la conférence n’était pas celui-là mais bel et bien la dénonciation de la situation d’esclavagisme imposée par le peuple israélien au peuple palestinien. Le vrai sujet, conclut-il, était de discuter des moyens à employer pour rendre au peuple palestinien sa terre et sa dignité ; l’ « Holocauste » était sans rapport avec cela.

Profitant d’une courte pause, Dieudonné M’bala M’bala, présent dans l’assistance, répondit à l’intervention du rabbin Weiss. Celui que l’on appelle « Dieudo » se présenta et expliqua sa présence à Téhéran en parlant de son film L’Antisémite. Puis il décrivit la situation en France, un pays dans lequel, le lobby juif régnant en maître, parler des juifs, orthodoxes ou non, devient un exercice de plus en plus périlleux. Calmement mais fermement, il expliqua qu’il était extrêmement délicat de parler de son passé familial de « déportés à Auschwitz », ayant lui-même des ancêtres « déportés par des marchands esclavagistes juifs et chrétiens ». D’après lui, mettre une échelle de valeur dans la souffrance était absolument indécent et ne posait pas les bases d’un débat constructif. Et de conclure : « Peu importe tout cela ! Retrouvons-nous tous dans le rire ! »

Pour sa part, R. Faurisson résuma brièvement les arguments révisionnistes et souligna que parler de l’ « Holocauste » dans cette conférence sur l’Hollywoodisme et le cinéma mondial était précisément le sujet.

Sans surprise, le débat se prolongea longtemps, les uns essayant de convaincre les autres du bien-fondé de leur point de vue sur la question de la lutte contre le sionisme. Deux groupes se formèrent, chacun étant sûr d’avoir raison et campant sur ses positions. Même parmi les résistants au sionisme, le franchissement du Rubicon révisionniste reste malaisé… !

Un point positif cependant : contrairement à ce qui se passe chez nous, les intervenants se sont respectés et ont écouté poliment les discours des uns et des autres.

Dans son discours prononcé tard dans l’après-midi, Maria Poumier accusa les films d’Hollywood de nous exaspérer avec l’évocation perpétuelle de l’ « Holocauste ». Elle mentionna notamment La liste de Schindler, où Steven Spielberg évite la question des chambres à gaz et donne au personnage de Schindler une attitude chrétienne envers les juifs.

3/ Hollywood et les valeurs humaines : la promotion de la violence par les films hollywoodiens

Le dernier jour de la conférence, nous discutâmes de la promotion de la violence par les films hollywoodiens.

Le premier intervenant, M. Niko Roa Cilla, qualifia les films hollywoodiens de « manipulateurs » et déclara que certains étaient « destinés à aplanir le terrain afin de détourner l’opinion en faveur des intérêts particuliers des États-Unis ». Le monopole dont jouit l’industrie hollywoodienne empêche les autres pays de développer leur propre industrie cinématographique et, ainsi, de promouvoir d’autres valeurs que celles d’Hollywood.

A ce discours, le modérateur, Foad Izadi, répondit qu’il fallait être juste et reconnaître que tous les films d’Hollywood n’étaient pas mauvais ; certains véhiculaient des principes authentiquement humains. « It’s not black and white, let’s recognize it. » (Tout n’est pas tout blanc ou tout noir, reconnaissons-le.)

A ce moment, alors que nous étions paisiblement en train de discuter des « valeurs » véhiculées par les films hollywoodiens, Daniel Schechter, initialement venu pour parler du mouvement « Occupy Wall Street », prit la parole pour donner son avis sur la question. Au milieu de son allocution, il dit (en résumé, de mémoire et en substance) : « Non mais c'est vrai, à cause des interventions des personnes hier, les trois pauvres courageux rabbins, qui sont venus ici, ils se sont sentis offensés ! C'est normal... » Ensuite, il termina son intervention. Intérieurement, je bouillais. Je levai alors le micro devant moi, tendis la main, et enfin le modérateur me vit et me donna la parole. Je dis calmement, et en anglais (en résumé, de mémoire et en substance) :

« Monsieur, je voudrais revenir sur ce que vous avez dit à propos de l'intervention des révisionnistes hier. Vous avez dit que les trois rabbins s'étaient sentis offensés. Mais Monsieur, nous ne voulions pas les offenser. Nous voulions dire la vérité. Si nous avons dit que les chambres à gaz n'ont pas pu exister pour des raisons qui relèvent de la physique et de la chimie, c'est parce que c'est la stricte vérité. Il faut le prendre littéralement. Ce n'est pas une offense ; c'est la vérité. Il ne faut pas se sentir attaqué par cette affirmation. Monsieur je vais vous donner un exemple. Imaginez que, enfant, votre mère ne vous ait pas aimé. A cause de cela, vous devriez vous sentir mal, un peu déprimé à l'âge adulte, car le manque d'amour d'une mère pour son enfant peut avoir de graves conséquences pour l'enfant une fois devenu adulte. Maintenant je voudrais vous poser une question. Qu'est-ce que vous préférez ? Admettre que votre mère ne vous a pas aimé, assumer et aller de l'avant ou bien fermer vos yeux parce que c'est intolérable et souffrir toute votrevie ? Pour les chambres à gaz, c'est le même principe qu'il faut appliquer. J'ajoute ceci : les révisionnistes ne nient pas les souffrances des juifs pendant la guerre. Oui, ces gens ont souffert ; ça a été abominable pour eux. Nous ne nions pas non plus l'existence des camps de concentration. Mais ce que nous disons est la chose suivante, et je le répète il faut le prendre littéralement et froidement : les chambres à gaz n'ont pas existé parce que c'est impossible pour des raisons scientifiques. »

A cet instant, le modérateur coupa court à toute discussion parce que l’heure de la pause était venue. Ne perdant pas courage, Daniel Schechter vint à ma rencontre alors que je m'apprêtai à quitter mon siège. Il me dit (en résumé, de mémoire et en substance) : « VOUS, vous croyez que vous avez la vérité parce que vous représentez une personne qui ne peut pas venir à cause d'une décision de justice, mais Madame, des tas de gens ont étudié la période de la seconde guerre mondiale, alors pourquoi lui il aurait la vérité contre tous ces gens ? »

Je répondis :

« Monsieur, vous avez raison, beaucoup de personnes ont étudié cette période. Mais ces gens ont leurs livres dans les librairies et les bibliothèques. Or M. Reynouard a aussi beaucoup étudié cette période, et il a écrit des livres sur le sujet lui aussi. Sauf que lui, ses livres ne sont pas publiés. Ils sont interdits. Pourquoi ? Si c'est un charlot, alors provoquez-le dans un débat loyal, et en une heure vous lui prouverez et vous prouverez aux autres que c'est un menteur et on en parlera plus !! Mais on lui refuse le débat : pourquoi ? Pourquoi Monsieur ? »

Pris d'assaut par un groupe de personnes qui s'étaient amassées autour de nous et qui prenaient ma défense, Daniel Schechter resta bouche bée et battit en retraite. Deux personnes lui parlèrent de la loi Gayssot. M. Faurisson n'était malheureusement pas là pour entendre ça, mais je lui racontai l'histoire après la pause. Il me félicita pour mon caractère et le bon exemple trouvé (l'amour d'une mère pour son enfant). Il me confia également que Daniel Schechter lui avait fait passer un papier la veille, juste après son intervention sur les chambres à gaz. Sur ce papier était écrit : « Vous êtes un sac à merde. » Ce monsieur est vraiment trop aimable : il fournit lui-même une preuve de l'insulte qu'il a faite. Pour un révisionniste, c’est du pain bénit. No comment...

En fin de matinée, R. Faurisson, qui aurait normalement dû lire le texte intégral que M. Paul-Éric Blanrue avait préparé, ne put qu’improviser par manque de temps. L’éminent révisionniste parla du film Un Homme – Robert Faurisson réalisé par M. Blanrue. Ce film raconte l’histoire d’un homme, M. Robert Faurisson, dans son combat pour la vérité historique sur les prétendues chambres à gaz allemandes. Gratuitement téléchargeable sur Internet à l’adresse suivante : http://holocauste.com/, ce film est également disponible en plusieurs langues : français, italien, arabe, allemand, anglais et croate.

Cette deuxième Conférence internationale sur l’Hollywoodisme et le cinéma mondial fut un véritable succès. Malgré les divergences, les intervenants ont su donner le meilleur d’eux-mêmes pour proposer des solutions concrètes dans le combat contre le sionisme. A quand un cinéma sain ?

Marie Bruchet, le mardi 14 février 2012

Info: Cattos

PaganTroop

blancail66@hotmail.com (PaganTroop) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 16:52:00 +0100

PaganTroop

Nos racines sont ici

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Gullveig

blancail66@hotmail.com (PaganTroop) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 12:05:00 +0100

La Naissance des Dieux

http://books.google.ca/books?id=t--UD4eX_dsC&pg=PA59&lpg=PA59&dq=gullveig+l'ivresse+d'or&source=bl&ots=TKEi7knS0n&sig=huN3AcqvQ5DR0y6L78ItF5rMNx4&hl=fr&sa=X&ei=p5w3T-H8Cerr0gGD1syfAg&ved=0CC8Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=gullveig%20l'ivresse%20d'or&f=false

Le Mahābhārata: La genèse du monde

blancail66@hotmail.com (PaganTroop) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 12:02:00 +0100

Le Mahābhārata: La genèse du monde

http://books.google.ca/books?id=QlPbJMRI52AC&pg=PA190&lpg=PA190&dq=cyavana&source=bl&ots=xRyf_pIOke&sig=SV8tgNsLw8xKz1GbN6MvRtieGmw&hl=fr&sa=X&ei=uJs3T5jKE-PV0QGkqYGNAw&ved=0CEsQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=cyavana&f=false

Sur le champ de bataille de Kuruksetra.

blancail66@hotmail.com (PaganTroop) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 11:46:00 +0100

Sur le champ de bataille de Kuruksetra.

Allez voir le lien: http://www.scribd.com/doc/76878332/7/Premier-chapitre-Bhagavad-gita-chap-1-Sur-le-champ-de-bataille-de-Kuruksetra

VERSET 41

Bhagavad-gita chap 1

sankaro narakayaiva kula-ghnanam kulasya ca patanti pitaro hy esam lupta-pindodaka-kriyah

TRADUCTION

L'accroissement du nombre de ces indésirables engendre pour la famille, et pour ceux qui en ont détruit les traditions, une vie d'enfer. Les ancêtres sont oubliés, on cesse de leur offrir les oblations d'eau et de nourriture.

TENEUR ET PORTEE

Les traditions védiques concernant la poursuite des bienfaits matériels veulent que l'on offre régulière-ment des oblations d'eau et de nourriture aux ancêtres de la famille. On offre d'abord cette nourriture à Visnu, puis on en présente aux ancêtres les restes sanctifiés appelés "prasada". En effet, les ali-ments d'abord offerts à Visnu ont le pouvoir de délivrer un homme des conséquences de tous sesactes coupables. Il se peut que nos ancêtres souffrent encore des conséquences de leurs péchés,qu'ils ne puissent même obtenir un corps physique et soient obligés de demeurer dans leur corps sub-til, à l'état d'esprits. Leur offrir ce prasada, c'est leur permettre d'échapper aux conditions misérablesoù ils peuvent se trouver. Ce service est une tradition familiale; tous ceux qui ne se vouent pas au serv-ice direct de Dieu en sont tenus d'exécuter ces rites. Le bhakta n'a pas ce devoir, car il lui est donné,par la seule grâce de ses actes dévotionnels, de libérer des milliers d'ancêtres. Le Srimad-Bhagavatam dit à ce propos:"Quiconque a pris refuge aux pieds pareils-au-lotus* de Mukunda, le pourvoyeur de la libération,quiconque s'est défait de tout lien et s'est sérieusement engagé sur la voie de la dévotion, n'a plus nidevoirs ni obligations envers les devas, les sages, sa famille, ses ancêtres, l'humanité et les êtres engénéral."(1)Le bhakta remplit d'un coup toutes ces obligations par le fait qu'il sert Dieu, la Personne Suprême.

VERSET 42

Bhagavad-gita chap 1

dosair etaih kula-ghnanam varna-sankara-karakaih utsadyante jati-dharmah kula-dharmas ca sasvatah

TRADUCTION

Ceux qui, par leurs actes irresponsables, brisent la tradition du lignage, ceux-là provoquent l'abandondes principes grâce auxquels prospérité et harmonie règnent au sein de la famille et de la nation.

TENEUR ET PORTEE

Les principes qui, dans le varasrama-dharma (aussi appelé sanatana-dharma), régissent la famille etla société, ont pour but de permettre aux hommes d'atteindre l'ultime salut. Lorsque des chefs d'Etatirresponsables brisent ces traditions, la confusion qui en résulte fait oublier à la société que le but detoute existence est Visnu, Krsna. Ceux qui suivent ces dirigeants aveugles sont certains d'aboutir auchaos.

VERSET 43

Bhagavad-gita chap 1

utsanna-kula-dharmanam manushyanam janardana narake niyatam vaso bhavatity anususruma

TRADUCTION

Je le tiens de source autorisée, ô Krsna: ceux qui détruisent les traditions familiales vivent à jamais enenfer.

TENEUR ET PORTEE

Les arguments d'Arjuna ne viennent pas d'une expérience personnelle, mais de ce qu'il a entendu deslèvres de ceux qui transmettent la connaissance sans l'altérer. La vraie connaissance s'acquiert decette façon; on ne peut l'obtenir sans l'aide d'un maître qui la possède déjà parfaitement. Selon le var-nasrama-dharma, l'homme doit procéder, avant la mort, à une cérémonie d'ablution (prayascitta), des-tinée à le purifier de tous ses actes coupables. S'il y manque, ses actions déméritoires le forceront àrenaître sur des planètes infernales*, où il mènera une vie des plus misérables.

VERSET 44

Bhagavad-gita chap 1

aho bata mahat papam kartum vyavasita vayam yad rajya-sukha-lobhena hantum sva-janam udyatah

TRADUCTION

Hélas, par soif des plaisirs de la royauté, n'est-il pas étrange que nous nous apprêtions maintenant àcommettre de si grands crimes?

TENEUR ET PORTEE

Des motifs égolistes peuvent pousser l'homme à commettre de grands péchés, comme le meurtre d'unmembre de sa famille. L'histoire du monde en offre de nombreux exemples. Mais Arjuna est un bhak-ta, toujours conscient des principes moraux; aussi prend-il soin d'éviter de tels actes.

VERSET 45

Bhagavad-gita chap 1

yadi mam apratikaram ashastram shastra-panayah dhartarastra rane hanyus tan me kshemataram bhavet

TRADUCTION

Mieux vaut mourir de la main des fils de Dhrtaràstra, sans armes et sans faire de résistance, que delutter contre eux.

TENEUR ET PORTEE

Les principes militaires du ksatriya lui ordonnent de ne pas attaquer un ennemi désarmé, ou qui refusela lutte. Sans tenir compte de l'immense désir de lutte animant l'ennemi, Arjuna se refuse au combat,

même s'il est attaqué. Son attitude résulte d'une grande bonté, signe de son ardente dévotion pour leSeigneur.

VERSET 46

Bhagavad-gita chap 1

sanjaya uvaca evam uktvarjunah sankhye rathopastha upavisat visrjya sa-saram capam soka-samvigna-manasah

TRADUCTION

Sanjaya dit:Ayant ainsi parlé sur le champ de bataille, Arjuna laisse choir son arc et ses flèches; il s'assoit sur sonchar, accablé de douleur.

TENEUR ET PORTEE

Arjuna se tenait debout sur son char tant qu'il observait l'armée ennemie. Mais une telle détresse l'ac-cable maintenant devant ce qu'il a vu qu'il se sied, posant à côté de lui son arc et ses flèches. Seulcelui qui, voué au Signeur, possède la grandeur d'âme et la tendresse de coeur d'Arjuna, est digne derecevoir la connaissance spirituelle.

Ainsi s'achèvent les enseignements de Bhaktivedanta sur le premier chapitre de la Srîmad-Bhagavad- gîtâ, intitulé: "Sur le champ de bataille de Kuruksetra".

Allez voir le lien: http://www.scribd.com/doc/76878332/7/Premier-chapitre-Bhagavad-gita-chap-1-Sur-le-champ-de-bataille-de-Kuruksetra