Finland - Historical Flags (1918-1920)

Red flag with golden yellow cross bordered blue and white.

Adopted 1998-02-27. Abolished 1918-05-29.

This is the first official Finnish national flag. It was adopted as merchant ensign, but that word (in Finnish) means national flag, too. The law was never passed because of the Civil War, but Senate gave order to use this flag as temporary merchant ensign.
Ossi Raivio, 20 October 1998

Red flag with the Finnish lion in golden yellow and white.

This is the first official Finnish state flag. The Senate's proposal was made 1917-12-21 and this flag was hoisted 1917-12-28 on a Finnish ice-breaker, but again – the law was never passed because of the Civil War, but the Senate gave order to use this flag as temporary state flag.

After the Civil War between the Whites (government's forces) and the Reds (socialist rebels) was ended in the victory of the Whites, the red colour wasn't popular at all. So, the Parliament passed a law about the Finnish flag – the blue cross on white.
Ossi Raivio, 20 October 1998

Adopted: 1918-05-29
Abolished 1920-02-12

Ossi Raivio, 25 October 1998

Editorial Note: The shade of blue differs from that of the current flag, although the proportions and other graphical information is the same

White flag with blue cross and the Finnish coat of arms in the middle of the cross – crowned with a grand duke's crown. The shade of the blue colour is "ultramarine (sea) blue", whatever that is supposed to mean. I have used a browser safe palette colour which is quite near the original one.

Ossi Raivio, 20 October 1998

Finland doesn't have a set of diplomatic flags any more, but we've had one. These flags were adopted on 18 June 1919, but it is not clear if they were ever used before they were abolished in 1920.

Ambassador and Minister Plenipotentiary: Variation of Finnish national flag (ie. plain blue Scandinavian cross on white). Upper hoist field was not white but it had a yellow cross on red with the Finnish coat of arms in the middle of the yellow cross.

The source shows a very thin fimbriation between the red canton and the blue cross. However, the source is black-and-white so it is impossible to tell whether this fimbriation is yellow or white. I used yellow to match the colour of the cross in the canton.

Source:
· Laurla, Kari K.: Suomalainen päällikkyysmerkki, Collegium Heraldicum Fennicum, Vantaa 1986. Printed in Helsinki by Painonikkarit.
Ossi Raivio, 22 January 1999 and 29 August 2001

Charge d'Affairs: Finnish national flag with a red cross on yellow in the upper hoist field.

Source:
· Laurla, Kari K.: Suomalainen päällikkyysmerkki, Collegium Heraldicum Fennicum, Vantaa 1986. Printed in Helsinki by Painonikkarit.
Ossi Raivio, 22 January 1999

Consul General: Finnish national flag with two blue crossed anchors in the upper hoist corner.

Source:
· Laurla, Kari K.: Suomalainen päällikkyysmerkki, Collegium Heraldicum Fennicum, Vantaa 1986. Printed in Helsinki by Painonikkarit.
Ossi Raivio, 22 January 1999

Consul and Vice Consul: Finnish national flag with one blue anchor in the upper hoist corner.

Source:
· Laurla, Kari K.: Suomalainen päällikkyysmerkki, Collegium Heraldicum Fennicum, Vantaa 1986. Printed in Helsinki by Painonikkarit.
Ossi Raivio, 22 January 1999

21 March 1917 the Finnish constitution is re-established by the Russian Provisional government. 8 December 1917 Finland is independent de facto and was recognized by Russian Bolchevik government 9 January 1918. But, after some days the Finnish Bolcheviks take the power in Helsinki and proclaim the Soviet Republic. The white forces of the government (leadership by Mannerheim) with the help of the German expeditionary corp, regain the power in Helsinki (12 April 1918) and win the bolcheviks forces in Häme (4 May 1918).

After this the parliament proclaimed the Kingdom of Finland (9 October 1918) with Frederic Charles of Hessen as king, but [he did] not accept. The republican form was established in June 1919.
Jaume Ollé 27 May 1997

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Well, at first this brother-in-law of the German emperor did accept, but redrew when the "Kaiser" was forced to resign.

(Source: Aanval op Finland by Drs. Paul Luykx et.al. in "Bericht van de Tweede Wereldoorlog").
Mark Sensen 29 May 1997