Flags of the world in 1914

About these flags

The states of July 1914, before the First World War, with a flag of their own and the one they used then: the sovereign ones, the British dominions and others such as Egypt or Tibet. Colonies, flying their ruler's flag, are not counted. Some are approximate:

• Austria-Hungary: Austria-Hungary had no common national flag: this is its civil and merchant flag (1869-1918).
• Russian Empire: The white, blue and red tricolour was the national flag from 1896; the black, yellow and white imperial flag was also used.
• Spain: The red and yellow flag of the time without the coat of arms (the state version carried it).
• Andorra: The 1866-1934 version (blue, yellow and red in equal stripes); the coat of arms was drawn in several ways.
• Liechtenstein: Red and blue, the principality's colours before 1921; there are few sources on how they were arranged then.
• Greece: The land flag (white cross on blue); the striped flag was used at sea.
• Mexico: The 1893-1916 version; during the Revolution each side drew the eagle differently.
• Guatemala: The 1871 design; the coat of arms was redrawn in 1968.
• Nicaragua: The 1908 design; the coat of arms was retouched in 1971.
• Dominican Republic: The 1844 design; today's coat of arms is a later drawing.
• Paraguay: The 1842 design; the emblems were redrawn in 2013.
• Ethiopian Empire: The tricolour with the Lion of Judah, the imperial version; the plain tricolour was also used.
• British India: British India had no national flag: this red ensign with the Star of India was the most used one (there were other versions).
• Bogd Khanate of Mongolia: Mongolia declared independence in 1911; this is one of the flags the Bogd Khanate used, with no single official design.
• Tibet: De facto independent from 1912; the snow lion flag was settled around 1916, shortly after 1914.
• Emirate of Nejd: The Nejd flag of 1921 (the oldest well documented); in 1914 the emirate flew similar green banners.

Drawings from Wikimedia Commons, in the public domain except: Kingdom of Serbia (Guilherme Paula, CC BY-SA 3.0) · Nepal (Germenfer, CC BY-SA 3.0) · Tibet (Felipe Fidelis Tobias, CC BY-SA 4.0) · Union of South Africa (This vector image includes elements that have been taken or adapted from this file:, CC BY-SA 4.0)

More flags