Flag of Nazi Germany
The
flag of Nazi Germany came into use initially as the banner of the
NSDAP after its foundation. Following the election of
Adolf Hitler as
Chancellor in
1933, the flag was used jointly as the national flag of
Nazi Germany along with the old black-white-red horizontal
tricolour of the German Empire. One year after the death of
President Hindenburg in 1934, this arrangement ended and the
swastika flag became the sole national flag of Germany in 1935, which it remained until the end of
World War II and the fall of the
Third Reich.
After rejecting many suggestions and colours, Hitler describes in
Mein Kampf the process of choosing a new flag, "I myself, meanwhile, after innumerable attempts, had laid down a final form; a flag with a red background, a white disk, and a black swastika in the middle. After long trials I also found a definite proportion between the size of the flag and the size of the white disk, as well as the shape and thickness of the swastika."
Nazi
ensigns had a
through and through image, so the "left-facing" and "right-facing" version were each present on one side. However, the Nazi flag on land was right-facing on both sides, as in the image ([
1], at the bottom).
Albert Speer, in his book
Inside the Third Reich, stated that: "in only two other designs did he (Adolf Hitler) execute the same care as he did his Obersalzberg house: that of the
Reich War Flag and his own
standard of Chief of State", showing that Hitler was an avid vexillographer (flag designer).
This flag was used as the civil ensign on German-registered civilian ships and was used as the Jack on
Kriegsmarine warships.
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Flag of Germany
