Croatia Flag History

By Donald Volts


Although Croatia developed under the impact of many different cultures, it gave its own and unique imprint to the history of European civilization. Croatia was occupied by the Romans, Illyrians, and Slavic tribes. All have left their mark on the country's development and culture. At the end of WW2, Croatia became a republic ruled by the Communist Marshal Tito. In 1980, when Tito died, a new political system governed the country, which resulted in a crash in the Croatian Economy.

The Serb-dominated kingdom was now a socialist dictatorship ruled by Marshal Tito, an iron-fisted Croat. A decade after his death in 1980, Yugoslavia divided along ethnic lines. In the early 1990s, Croatia fought a civil war with Serbian separatists and was involved in the fighting in neighboring Bosnia. In 1995 Croatia mounted a successful military offensive and reclaimed the territory ruled by Serbian separatists, returning to the boundaries it held previously as a Yugoslavian state.

In 1990, free elections were held, and the Communists were defeated by a nationalist party led by Franjo Tudjman. In June 1991, the Croatian parliament passed a declaration of independence from Yugoslavia. Six months of intensive fighting with the Serbian-dominated Yugoslavian army followed, claiming thousands of lives and wreaking mass destruction.

The Croatian banner was received on December 21, 1990, making it one of the world's more up to date banners. Croatia gained the freedom from Yugoslavia in 1991. The red, white and blue have been used as Croatia's banner since 1848. The Croatian banner comprises of three flat stripes - the top stripe is red; the center one white and the base stripe is blue. Amidst the banner sits the Croatian crest.

The Croatian banner's hues were acquired from the nation's ensign. Hues reflect the three images of Croatian history - the red speaks of the blood of Croatian martyrs, the white symbolizes Croatia's serene mild nature, and the blue speaks of the Croatian dedication to God.

The main area of the coat of arms is a checkerboard that consists of 13 red and 12 silver (white) fields. The checkerboard has been a symbol of Croatian kings since at least the 10th Century. Above the checkerboard are five crowning coats which represent the historical regions from which Croatia originated. The Flag Company Inc specialized in flag designs offered a special edition of decals and flags to memorize the history of Croatian Flag for the future.




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