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FRENCH FLAG FACTS

The colors and philosophy of design of the Tricolor flag of the French Republic have made it not only instantly recognizable but probably the most influential flag design in the world.  Since its adoption in 1794 tricolor design and in some cases the colors as well have been used by revolutionary movements to represent the spirt of their cause.

`The color blue is associated with St. Martin.  His flag with the white cross on a blue field was the prerevolutionary merchant flag.  The color red represents St. Denis.  His flag known as the "Oriflamme" (golden flames) was a red field decorated with gold.  The color white is associated with Joan of Arc who carried a white standard and led the French into battle in the Hundred Years War against England and Burundy.

On July 14, 1789 Parisians stormed the Bastille wearing red and blue cockades, the heraldic colors of Paris.  Legend has it that three days later the King placed a red and blue cockade next to the white Bourbon cockade in his hat.  At that time it was proposed that the national cockade be changed to the tricolor.  The following year French naval ships began to display the colors.  The French ensign wias formerly white thus the red,white and blue stripes were added to the canton.  The white field was dropped and the canton with the present order of the stripes became the official flag in 1794.

The Tricolor whose stripes represent liberty, equality and fraternity continued to be used until 1814 when the monarchy was temporarily restored.  Napoleon used the Tricolor until his final exile in 1815.  In 1830 the Tricolor was restored and has remained in use since that time continuing to inspire many other flags in the world.