FLAGS OF AUSTRIA-HUNGARY, BULGARIA. 

 GERMANY, AND TURKEY 



987. The ensign of Austria-Hungary has 

 three horizontal stripes, red at the top and 

 bottom, with white between. Upon the white 

 stripe are imposed the shield of Austria next 

 the staff and of Hungary next the fly. Above 

 each shield is the crown of its kingdom. The 

 Hungarian crown differs from the Austrian. 

 being that of St. Stephen. The Austrian shield 

 repeats the red, white, red-striped design of 

 the flag, and was the device of the ancient 

 dukes of Austria, dating back to the twelfth 

 century. 



988. The merchant flag of Austria-Hungary 

 was introduced in 1869 by a commission ap- 

 pointed to blend the flags of the two countries. 

 As the Hungarian flag is red, white, and 

 green, the blending was accomplished by mak- 

 ing the bottom stripe of the Austro-Hungarian 

 ensign one-half green. Thus the half of the 

 merchant flag containing the Hungarian shield 

 preserves the distinctive Hungarian tricolor. 



989. The imperial standard of Austria- 

 Hungary consists of a yellow field bordered 

 with small black, red, and white triangles rep- 

 resenting flames. It is square and in the center 

 are placed the arms of the Austrian monarchy. 

 These consist of a black double-headed eagle 

 crowned, the double head indicating the former 

 Holy Roman Empire. Over the eagle appears 

 the crown of Austria. In one claw the eagle 

 holds a sword and scepter and in the other an 

 orb. On its breast appears a shield divided 

 equally into three vertical portions. The red 

 lion rampant on a golden ground in the first 

 section represents the House of Hapsburg; 

 the silver section on a red ground stands for 

 Austria ; the three eaglets in silver on a red 

 band upon a golden ground are reminiscent of 

 Lorraine. The shield is surrounded by the 

 colors of the Order of the Golden Fleece and 

 of Maria Theresa. On the wings of the eagle 

 are the arms of the eleven provinces. This 

 flag commands a different salute from any 

 other in the world, it is believed. Under Aus- 

 trian naval usage the Emperor is saluted by 

 twenty-one guns followed by fifteen hurrahs. 

 A minister of state or field marshal gets nine- 

 teen guns and eleven hurrahs; a general thir- 

 teen guns and seven hurrahs ; a commodore 

 eleven guns and three hurrahs, while ambassa- 

 dors, archbishops, consuls, and others all have 

 their definite share of gunpowder and requi- 

 site allotment of shouting. 



990. The royal standard of Bulgaria is a 

 square red flag bordered with black and green 

 triangles, upon which is emblazoned the royal 

 lion of the coat-of-arms of the country. On 

 the body of the lion is a shield having a blue 

 field bearing a series of diagonal and horizon- 

 tal lines. 



991. The ensign of Bulgaria is white at the 

 top. red at the bottom, and green between. In 

 a canton appears the golden lion rampant of 



the Bulgarian arms, upon red. The lion is 

 crowned. 



992. Bulgaria's merchant flag is of white, 

 green, and red, white at the top and red at the 

 bottom. 



993. Germany's imperial standard has a 

 cross, black with white border, the field being 

 yellow, and the intersection of the cross bear- 

 ing a shield containing the arms of Prussia 

 surmounted by a crown and surrounded by the 

 collar of the Order of the Black Eagle. The 

 yellow field of the flag is diapered over in 

 each corner with three black eagles and the 

 crown. The arms of the cross reach out to 

 the four edges of the flag and bear the legend, 

 "Gott Mit Uns, 1870," the date commemorating 

 the origin of this standard. 



994. The standard of the King of Prussia 

 very closely resembles the imperial standard, 

 except that the field of the flag is red instead 

 of yellow. The cross which this flag and the 

 preceding one bear is the cross of the Teu- 

 tonic order and dates from the close of the 

 twelfth century. 



995. The ensign of the German Empire has 

 a white field, upon which is imposed a large 

 black cross, having at its center a circle in 

 black outlines containing the black Prussian 

 eagle crowned. The arms of the cross quarter 

 the flag. In the canton there is the merchant 

 flag in miniature, upon which is superimposed 

 the black cross of the Teutonic order (994). 



996. The merchant flag of Germany, con- 

 sisting of three bars, black at the top, white in 

 the middle, and red at the bottom, dates from 

 1867. In that year it was decreed that the flag 

 of the Xorth German Confederacy should be 

 black, white, and red, and when the twelve 

 southern States joined the federation the same 

 flag was continued as the merchant symbol of 

 the Empire. Prior to 1867 no German national 

 flag had ever flown upon the ocean, each of 

 the various States and free cities having its 

 own special colors (see also 1153, 1154, 1166, 

 etc.). In a speech delivered that year the 

 [Minister of the Crown stated that the combi- 

 nation of colors was emblematic of a junction 

 of the black and white Prussian flag with the 

 red and white ensign of the Hanseatic League. 



997. The standard of the King of Bavaria 

 has a field of blue and white lozenges, upon 

 which is centered the coat-of-arms of the 

 kingdom. This bears a quartered shield with 

 a golden lion, crowned, on a field of black, 

 representing the Rhine Palatinate in the first 

 quarter; the second quarter is red and silver 

 for the Duchy of Franconia ; the third quarter 

 has eight stripes of silver and red crossed by 

 a pale of gold, for the Margravate of Burgau; 

 the fourth quarter has a blue lion rampant, 

 crowned with gold, for the County of Vel- 

 dentz. Upon all is a fusiform of striped silver 

 and blue, which represents Bavaria. Above this 



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