Editing Flag of Germany (section)

=== Weimar Republic (1918–1933) ===<!-- [[Weimar Republic]] links to here. [[Flag of the Weimar Republic]] redirects here -->
[[File:Flag of Germany (3-2 aspect ratio).svg|thumb|2:3 {{FIAV|100000}} {{FIAV|historical}} Flag of the Weimar Republic (1919–1933)]]
[[File:Merchant flag of Germany (1919–1933).svg|thumb|Merchant flag of the Weimar Republic]]
Following the declaration of the German republic in 1918 and the ensuing [[German Revolution of 1918–1919|revolutionary period]], the so-called [[Weimar Republic]] was founded in August 1919. To form a continuity between the anti-autocratic movement of the 19th century and the new democratic republic, the old black-red-gold tricolour was designated as the national German flag in the [[Weimar Constitution]] in 1919.<ref name="WRconst">{{cite web |url=http://www.documentarchiv.de/wr/wrv.html |title=Constitution of the Weimar Republic |work=documentArchiv.de |language=de |date=11 August 1919 |access-date=24 February 2008 |archive-date=27 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191127054556/http://www.documentarchiv.de/wr/wrv.html |url-status=live }} See Article 3.</ref> Only the tiny German principalities of [[Principality of Reuss-Greiz|Reuss-Greiz]] – where the use and layout of the ''schwarz-rot-gold'' design had originated some 140 years earlier, [[Principality of Reuss-Gera|Reuss-Gera]], [[Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont|Waldeck-Pyrmont]] and [[Free State of Waldeck-Pyrmont|its republican successor]] had upheld the 1778-established tradition, and had always continued to use the German colours of [[Sable (heraldry)|black]], [[Gules|red]], and [[Or (heraldry)|or]] (gold) in their flag. As a civil ensign, the black-white-red tricolour was retained, albeit with the new tricolour in the top left corner.

This change was not welcomed by many people in Germany, who saw this new flag as a symbol of humiliation following Germany's defeat in the First World War. In the {{lang|de|[[Reichswehr]]}}, the old colours continued to be used in various forms. Many conservatives wanted the old colours to return, while monarchists and the far right were far more vocal with their objections, referring to the new flag with various derogatory names (''see [[#Colour|Colour]] above''). As a compromise, the old black-white-red flag was reintroduced in 1922 to represent German diplomatic missions abroad.<ref name="flag1921"/>

The symbols of Imperial Germany became symbols of monarchist and nationalist protest and were often used by monarchist and nationalist organisations (e.g. ''[[Der Stahlhelm, Bund der Frontsoldaten]]''). This included the {{lang|de|[[Reichskriegsflagge]]}} (war flag of the Reich), which has been revived in the present for similar use. Many nationalist political parties during the Weimar period—such as the [[German National People's Party]] (see poster) and the [[Nazi Party|National Socialist German Workers Party]] (Nazi Party)—used the imperial colours, a practice that has continued today with the [[National Democratic Party of Germany]].

On 24 February 1924, the organisation {{lang|de|[[Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold]]}} was founded in [[Magdeburg]] by the member parties of the [[Weimar Coalition]] ([[Centre Party (Germany)|Centre]], [[German Democratic Party|DDP]], [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|SPD]]) and the [[trade union]]s. This organisation was formed to protect the fragile democracy of the Weimar Republic, which was under constant pressure by both the far right and far left. Through this organisation, the black-red-gold flag became not only a symbol of German democracy, but also of resistance to political extremism. This was summarised by the organisation's first chairman, [[Otto Hörsing]], who described their task as a "struggle against the [[swastika]] and the [[Red star|Soviet star]]".<ref name="rbanner">{{cite web |url=http://www.landtag.rlp.de/icc/Internet-DE/med/623/623604fe-6922-3211-33e2-dcbf983c6eac,11111111-1111-1111-1111-111111111111 |title=Symbol für Freiheit, Einheit und Demokratie |language=de |trans-title=Symbol for Freedom, Unity and Democracy |access-date=10 January 2008 |author=State government of Rhineland-Palatinate |year=2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130528045244/http://www.landtag.rlp.de/icc/Internet-DE/med/623/623604fe-6922-3211-33e2-dcbf983c6eac,11111111-1111-1111-1111-111111111111 |archive-date=28 May 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

In the face of the increasingly violent conflicts between the communists and Nazis, the growing polarisation of the German population and a multitude of other factors, mainly the drastic economic sinking, extreme hyperinflation and corruption of the republic, the Weimar Republic collapsed in 1933 with the Nazi seizure of power ({{lang|de|[[Machtergreifung]]}}) and the appointment of [[Adolf Hitler]] as [[Chancellor of Germany (German Reich)|German chancellor]].