Emperor's Gratitude by Ludwig Koch from 1915. Visible various flags used in Austria-Hungary
The empire of Austria-Hungary (1867–1918) did not have a commonly used universal flag. A single "national flag" could not exist since the Dual Monarchy consisted of two nations brought together by the 1867 Austro-Hungarian Compromise. Additionally, the 1868 Croatian–Hungarian Settlement meant that Croatia and Hungary were entities that legally required separate flags. The only official symbol of Austria-Hungary in common use was the coat of arms.
Practical use of different flags
In a country without an official single national flag, the use of this type of symbol was complicated. In practice, the government and citizens used different flags depending on the regulations, situation, and context:
The black-gold flag of the ruling Habsburg Dynasty was sometimes used as a de facto national flag.[citation needed] These colors had symbolic importance for the monarchy as the "imperial colors" (reichsfarben).[1]
At state functions, the Austrian black-gold and the Hungarian red-white-green tricolor were often used to represent the two parts of the empire. In Vienna, in front of Schönbrunn Palace, the black-gold flag was flown for Cisleithania (Austrian half), while both Croatian and Hungarian flags were flown for Transleithania (Hungarian half).[2]
The Hungarian half of the realm legally had no flag of its own.[3] According to the 1868 Croatian–Hungarian Settlement (art. 62 and 63), in all joint Croatian and Hungarian affairs, symbols of both Croatia and Hungary respectively had to be used. For instance, whenever the joint Hungarian-Croatian Parliament held its session in Budapest, both the Croatian and Hungarian flags were hoisted on the parliament building in Budapest.[3][4][2] Hungary proper used a red-white-green tricolor defaced with the Hungarian coat of arms, sometimes used to represent the entirety of the Lands of the Hungarian Crown.
Separate Austrian and Hungarian teams competed at the Olympic Games, each using their own flag.[5][6]
Austro-Hungarian Army carried the double-eagle banners for their regiments they had used before 1867, as they had a long history in many cases.
Austro-Hungarian Navy until 1918 continued to carry the Austrian ensign it had used since 1786. New ensigns created in 1915 were not implemented due to the ongoing war.
Merchant Fleet used red-white-red civil ensign as same as navy ensigns to 1869. After 1869 was introduced new "double" civil ensign for civilian vessels[7] This ensign was also used as the consular flag, as decreed on 18 February 1869. It came into use on 1 August 1869.[8]
Embassies flew the imperial standard alongside the black-and-gold flag of Austria and the red-white-green flag of Hungary.[8]
Legations flew the black-and-gold flag of Austria alongside the red-white-green flag of Hungary.[8]
Consulates flew the consular flag with a design identical to the "double" civil ensign.[7]
Visit of Emperor Franz Joseph I in Kraków, visible unidentified red-white flag,[c] regional white-blue city flags, imperial standard and black-gold flag, 1880
Visit of Emperor Franz Joseph I in Zagreb, red-white-blue (Croatian) flags, 1895
Soldiers of Infanterieregiment Nr. 17 with two-color flag, 1914
Austro-Hungarian propaganda poster encouraging to buy war bonds
World War I-era propaganda postcards depicting the flags of the Central Powers. The Austro-Hungarian flag shown as black-gold
A propaganda postcard commemorating the release of the Przemyśl fortress. Austria-Hungary represented by the black-gold and red-white-green flags, 1915
Copy of the naval ensign taken by the Italian army from the submarine U12 at the Piave river mouths on 5 August 1915 (exposed in Museo Storico Navale, Venice).
Emperor Charles I visiting Pergine (two- and three-color flags), 1917
↑Austria. Reichsrat. Abgeordnetenhaus (1903). Stenographische protokolle über die sitzungen ...: 1. (eröffnungs-) bis [485.] sitzung ... Aus der K.-k. Hof -und staatsdruckerei. p.20714.:
Der § 63 spricht auch von einer kroatisch-slavonisch-dalmatinischen vereinigten Fahne auf Reichstagsgebäude. Diese Fahne war bis anno domini 1902 allen Dimensionen nach gleich ungarische Fahne.
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