Red or White?

Croatians have debated for generations whether the first of the twenty-five fields should be in white or red. Historically, red was more common in Croatia proper while white was more common in Bosnia. For most of Croatia's history, both versions can be found. Prior to the revolution 1848, red was most common. lrr 1848, the design was codified with twenty-five fields beginning with a white field. Under the Habsburgs, the Grb was incorporated into state anns of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

When the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes formed in 1918, the first field reverted to red. Serbian King Alexander Karageorgevic ordered the Yugoslav coat-of-arms and his personal arms to incorporate the Grb, red field first. Those who called the Grb an affront to all Serbs were unaware that it was superimposed on the Serbian double-headed eagle by the last Serbian King and remained there throughout the life of royalist Yugoslavia.

When Croatia became a semi-autonomous Banovina in 1939, it retained the Grb and added the Serbian Crown above the shield. The NDH regime of World War II changed the first field to white and replaced the Royalist crown with a "U" for Ustase above the shield.

Emerging victorious in 1945, the communists introduced a Soviet-style coat-of arms with the usual sheaves of grain surmounted by a red star. Prominently in the center of the shield was the ever- present twenty-five field Grb with the first field back to red. It was the communists who first insisted that only red could be used in the first field. It became a crime to display the Grb with a premier white field. Whether through error or intent, the last constitution of communist Yugoslavia, adopted in 1974, displayed the arms of Croatia with a white premier field.

In May 1990, tens of thousands of red, white and blue flags with the ancient Hrvatski Grb appeared from hiding places to replace the red star of communism. The new Croatian government retained the traditional Croatian shield, red field first, with a five pointed crown representing five of Croatia's historical regions.

The Croatian fiag and coat-of-arms were carried into battle against the Turks. They were carried into battle by Croatian-American doughboys in World War I. They were carried joyously through the streets of Croatia in 1990 and to the top of Knin castle in 1995. The flag and coat-of-arms pre-date the arms of most European states and were in common use when Columbus set sail for India only to bump into America along the way. This is the reality of the Hrvatski Grb.

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