The national flag of this country is square in shape, while almost all other flags are rectangular. Why did Switzerland decide to stand out? How did that happen?
In fact, it is not known for certain. Moreover, the ratio between the flag and the cross and this very square were not established by any state acts before the law of 2017! Now the cross of white color against the background of red polot simultaneously serves as the flag and coat of arms of Switzerland. The shade of red even has its own name - "Swiss Red".
History of the Swiss flag
Not only does no one know the history of the atypical shape of this flag, the origins of the appearance of the white cross on a red background remain a mystery. One version refers to the Battle of Lauperne in the XIV century, when they first decided to use such a symbol. The earliest source indicating the use of this symbol is the Berner Chronicle, dating from 1420.
Wherever it comes from, the use of a white cross against the background of red can be clearly traced from the middle of the XVI century. Then the symbol became the coat of arms of the canton of Schwyz, which later became the state of Switzerland. In those days, the flag was similar to the modern flag of Denmark.
Napoleonic era
When Napoleon Bonaparte appeared, it was necessary to abandon the white cross on the red cloth. The ruler considered that each state must necessarily have a flag with three colors. Then the Swiss flag began to consist of three symmetrical stripes - green, red, yellow.
And then what?
When The days of Napoleon became yesterday's past, the question of what the flag should look like arose again. Then we came to the fact that the original, Pre-Apollonian version will be an ideal solution. Perhaps the square was chosen because such an image was used in the armed forces (the troops wore it square). Such a flag was officially approved in 1889 along with a similar coat of arms.
How the shape was changed?
Interestingly, the square flag was not always. In the XV-XVI centuries, the banner was triangular, in the XIX century it was a cross of 4 squares of the same size, since 1889 these squares turned into a cross with equal crosses, and only at the very beginning of 2007 the flag was officially approved.
Red Cross
Everyone is familiar with the symbol of the Red Cross, which is used by the International Committee of the Red Cross. It came from the flag of Switzerland! The red cross on a white background became the official symbol of the protection of the Geneva Convention, adopted in 1864. The mirror substitution of the colors of the Swiss flag was used to demonstrate the special merits of Henri Dunant, a Swiss citizen and founder of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
