war flag
{{Short description|Variant of a national flag for use by a country's military forces when on land}}
{{For|the ship|SS War Flag}}
{{Redirect|Banner of War|the Yugoslav military decoration|Order of the War Banner}}
File:Codex Manesse Johann von Brabant.jpg in battle, in addition to the heraldic device displayed on his shield (Codex Manesse, {{Circa|1304}})]]
A war ensign, also known as a military flag, battle flag, or standard,{{OED|standard|id=188962}} is a variant of a national flag for use by a country's military forces when on land. The nautical equivalent is a naval ensign. Under the strictest sense of the term, few countries today currently have distinct war flags, most using a flag design that is also the state flag or general national flag for this purpose.
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History
{{see|Oriflamme|Heraldic flag|Banner|Vexilloid|Field sign|Royal Standard}}
{{quote|Sound trumpets! Let our bloody colours wave! And either victory, or else a grave.|Edward, Prince of Wales, in Henry VI, Part 3, Act II, Scene II}}
Field signs were used in early warfare at least since the Bronze Age.
The word standard itself is from an Old Frankish term for a field sign (not necessarily a flag).
File:1502 Acclamation of Nine Standards th.jpg saluting the Nine Standards of Timur.]]
The use of flags as field signs apparently emerges in Asia, during the Iron Age, possibly in either China or India.flag. (2008). Encyclopædia Britannica. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica. in Achaemenid Persia, each army division had its own standard, and "all officers had banners over their tents".E. Pottier, Douris, London, 1909, p. 105 fig. 20, Plate XXV.b Early field signs that include, but are not limited to a flag, are also called vexilloid or "flag-like", for example the Roman Eagle standard or the dragon standard of the Sarmatians. The Roman Vexillum itself is also "flag-like" in the sense that it was suspended from a horizontal crossbar as opposed to a simple flagpole.
Use of simple flags as military ensigns becomes common during the medieval period, developing in parallel with heraldry as a complement to the heraldic device shown on shields. The maritime flag also develops in the medieval period. The medieval Japanese Sashimono carried by foot-soldiers are a parallel development.
Some medieval free cities or communes did not have coats of arms, and used war flags that were not derived from a coat of arms. Thus, the city of Lucerne used a blue-white flag as a field sign from the mid 13th century, without deriving it from a heraldic shield design.
Current war flags
= Used by armed forces only =
{{gallery|width=120|height=120|noborder=yes|whitebg=no
|War Flag of Brunei.svg|{{center|War flag of Brunei}}
|Canadian Forces Flag.svg|{{center|Canadian Armed Forces ensign}}
|People's Liberation Army Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg|{{center|War flag of the People's Liberation Army of China}}
|ROC Ministry of National Defense Flag.svg|{{center|War flag of the Republic of China Armed Forces}}
|Military flag of Colombia.svg|{{center|War flag of Colombia}}
|Georgia. Main Military flag.svg|{{center|War flag of Georgia}}
|Flag of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army.svg|{{center|Flag of the Iranian Army}}
|Flag of the Repubblica Cisalpina.svg|{{center|War flag of Italy}}
|Flag of JSDF.svg|{{center|Flag of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force}}
|Flag of the General Staff of the Korean People's Army (Obverse).svg|{{center|War flag of the Korean People's Army of North Korea}}
|Moldovan Armed Forces Flag (svg).svg|{{center|Flag of the Armed Forces of Moldova}}
|Flag of the Armed Forces (Tatmadaw) of Myanmar.svg|{{center|Flag of the Armed Forces of Myanmar}}
|Armed Forces of Pakistan Flag.svg|{{center|Flag of the Armed Forces of Pakistan}}
|Flag of Peru (war).svg|{{center|War flag of Peru}}
|Military flag of Portugal.svg|{{center|War flag (regimental color) of Portugal}}
|Banner of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (obverse).svg|{{center|Banner of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation}}
|chief_of_General_Staff_flag_of_the_Saudi_Armed_Forces.svg|{{center|War flag of the Royal Staff of Saudi Arabian Armed Forces {{FIAV|sinister}}}}
|Flag of the Serbian Armed Forces (reverse).svg|{{center|Flag of the Armed Forces of Serbia}}
|Ensign of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.svg|{{center|Flag of the Armed Forces of Ukraine}}
|Flag of the People's Army of Vietnam.svg|{{center|Flag of the Vietnam People's Army}}}}
= Army (land) use only =
{{gallery|width=120|height=120|noborder=yes|whitebg=no
|File:Flag of the Bangladesh Army.svg|{{center|Bangladesh Army}}
|File:Flag of the British Army.svg|{{center|British Army non-ceremonial flag}}
|File:War flag of Bulgaria.svg|{{center|Bulgaria}}
|File:Ground Force Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg|{{center|Flag of the People's Liberation Army Ground Force}}
|File:Republic of China Army Flag.svg|{{center|War flag of the Republic of China Army}}
|File:Flag of the Colombian Army.svg|{{center|Flag of the Colombian Army}}
|File:Army Flag of Georgia.svg|{{center|Georgia Land Forces}}
|File:Hellenic Army War Flag.svg|{{center|War flag (regimental color) of the Hellenic Army}}
|File:War Flag of Hungary.svg|{{center|War flag of Hungary}}
|File:Flag of Indian Army.svg|{{center|Indian Army}}
|File:Flag of the Malaysian Army.svg|{{center|Malaysian Army flag}}
|File:Army Flag of Myanmar.svg|{{center|Myanmar Army flag}}
|File:Flag of the Pakistani Army.svg|{{center|Pakistan Army}}
|File:Flag of the Polish Land Forces.svg|{{center|Polish Land Forces}}
|File:Flag of the Russian Federation Ground Forces.svg|{{center|Russian Ground Forces}}
|File:Flag of the Royal Saudi Land Forces.png|{{center|Saudi Arabian Army {{FIAV|sinister}}}}
|File:Flag of the Korean People's Army Ground Force (2023-).svg|{{center|Korean People's Army Ground Force}}
|File:Flag of the Army of the Republic of Korea.svg|{{center|Republic of Korea Army}}
|File:Royal Thai Army Flag.svg|{{center|Royal Thai Army}}
|File:Flag of Turkish Land Forces Command.svg|{{center|Flag of Turkish Land Forces Command}}
|File:Ensign of the Ukrainian Ground Forces.svg|{{center|Ukrainian army}}
|File:Flag of the United States Army.svg|{{center|United States Army}}
|Flag of the People's Army of Vietnam.svg|{{center|Flag of the Vietnam People's Army}}}}
Former war flags
{{gallery|width=120|height=120|noborder=yes|whitebg=no
|File:Flag_of_Bangladesh_(1971).svg|{{Center|Flag of Bangladesh during Bangladesh Liberation War}}
|File:Eureka Flag.svg|{{Center|The original Eureka Flag specimen, rebel warflag at the 1854 Battle of Eureka Stockade}}
|File:Battle flag of the Confederate States of America.svg|{{center|Battle flag of the Confederate States (1861–1865)}}
|File:Flag of New Spain.svg|{{center|Cross of Burgundy Flag, Spain (1506–1843)}}
|File:War_flag_of_the_Imperial_Japanese_Army_(1868–1945).svg|{{center|War flag of the Imperial Japanese Army (1868–1945)}}
|File:Flag of the Congo Army (1970-1992).svg|{{center|War flag of the People's Republic of Congo (1970–1991)}}
|File:Gadsden flag.svg|{{center|The "Gadsden flag", used by some Continental forces during the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783)}}
|File:Arklowflag.svg|{{center|Battle flag of the United Irishmen, used at the Battle of Arklow}}
|File:Flag of NVA (East Germany).svg|{{center|War flag of East Germany (1960–1990)}}
|File:War Ensign of Germany 1938-1945.svg|{{Center|War flag of the German Wehrmacht (1938–1945)}}
|File:Chetniks_Flag.svg|{{center|War flag of the Chetniks (1903–1946)}}
|War flag of Iran (1925-1979).svg|{{center|War flag and ensign of Iran (1925–1979), between 1910 and 1925 the Kiani Crown was used instead of Pahlavi Crown}}
|File:War flag of the Italian Social Republic.svg|{{center|War flag of the Italian Social Republic (1943–1945)}}
|File:War Ensign of Prussia (1816).svg|{{center|War flag of Prussia (1816)}}
|File:War Ensign of Germany 1903-1918.svg|{{center|War flag of the German Empire (1903–1919)}}
|File:Military flag of the Roman Republic (19th century).svg|{{center|War flag of the Roman Republic of 1849}}
|File:Red Army flag.svg|{{center|Flag of the Red Army and Soviet Armed Forces (Unofficial)}}
|File:Siamese Army Flag of King Rama V (Chudhadhujdhippatai).svg|{{center|Royal Siamese Army in Haw wars (1885–1890)}}
|File:Mughals war Flag.gif|{{center |War flag of Mughals (1526–1857){{Cite web|url=https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/in-ehist.html|title=India before British Rule|website=www.crwflags.com|access-date=2021-01-10|archive-date=2021-01-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210116154706/https://crwflags.com/fotw/flags/in-ehist.html|url-status=live}}}}
|File:US Cav 35.svg|{{center|United States Cavalry guidon.}}
|File:Flag of Italy (1860).svg|{{center|War flag of the Royal Italian Army}}
|File:War ensign of the First Slovak Republic.svg|{{center|War ensign of the Slovak Republic {{small|(client state of Nazi Germany 1939–1945)}}}}
|File:War flag of Croatia (1941–1945).svg|{{center|War flag of the Independent State of Croatia {{small|(client state of Nazi Germany 1941–1945)}}}}
|File:War Flag of Hungary (1939-1945, size III and V).svg|{{center|War flag of the Royal Hungarian Army (1939–1945)}}
|File:Flag of the Royal Yugoslav Army (Latin).svg|{{center|Royal Yugoslav Army}}
|File:Naval Ensign of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.svg|{{center|Royal Yugoslav Navy}}
|File:Flag of the Yugoslav Ground Forces.svg|{{center|Yugoslav Ground Forces}}
|File:Naval ensign of Yugoslavia (1949–1993).svg|{{center|Yugoslav Navy}}
|File:Flag of Serbia and Montenegro (with coat of arms).svg| {{center|Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Armed Forces}}
|File:Naval ensign of Serbia and Montenegro.svg| {{center|Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Navy}}
|File:Presidential Standard of Zaire.svg| {{center|War flag of Zaire}}
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See also
References
{{Reflist}}
Further reading
- Wise, Terence (1978) Military flags of the world, in color. New York: Arco Publishing. 184p. {{ISBN|0668044721}}. War flags of 1618–1900.
External links
- {{FOTW|id=xf-fis|title=FIAV Flag Information Symbols}}