Heraldry of the World

Civic heraldry of Czechoslovakia



NATIONAL ARMS OF CZECHOSLOVAKIA

pre 1918

Before 1918 the provisional Czechoslovak National Council prepared for the independence and also prepared a new State flag. They also used arms for themselves, combining the historical arms of Bohemia, Moravia, Slovakia and Silezia:

1918-1938

Official blazon

Dvakráte dělený štít o sedmi polích (2, 2, 3) se středním štítkem: Če­chy. V čele štítu: 1. Slovensko, 2. Podkarpatská Rus, uprostřed: 3. Morava, 4. Slezsko, u paty štítu: 5. v modrém poli zlatá orlice (Těšínsko), 6. půlený o červeném a stříbrném poli (Opava), 7. půlený o modrém poli se zlatou, korunovanou orlicí a o stříbrně a červeně půleném poli ( Ratibořsko). Celý znak drží dva zlatí dvouocasí lvové, stojící na lipové větvi, kolem níž se vine stuha s heslem : "Pravda vítězí".

Origin/meaning

The first arms were officially adopted on March 30, 1920. The large arms from 1920 are shown above.

The arms combine the arms of the historical regions of the new Republic : Slovakia, Ruthenia, Moravia, Silezia, Těšín Silesia and the historical duchies of Opava and Ratibor. With the lion of Bohemia as an inescutcheon.

The motto means The truth prevails.

Besides the large arms, the state also used small and middle arms. The small arms simply show the Bohemian lion with the Slovak arms on its shoulder. The middle arms show quartered Slovenia, Ruthenia, Moravia and Silezia, with the Bohemian lion as an inescutcheon.



The small arms

The middle arms

After the German occupation in 1938 the arms became invalid.



The small arms on a border pole (source)

The large arms in a church in Prague (source)

The small arms on a statue (source)

1938-1945

During the Second World War Czechoslovakia was split in :

The protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia

The Reichsgau Sudetenland

The independent Slovak Republic

The arms of the German protectorate showed the Bohemian lion in the small arms, and the lion quartered with the Moravian eagle as large arms.



The small arms

The large arms

The Slovak Republic used the same arms as current Slovakia.



The Slovak arms

1960-1990

From 1945-1960 the re-established republic did not have official arms.

In 1960 new arms were adopted, showing the Bohemian lion with the new Slovak arms (a flame) on its shoulder, and a red star above the lion.

These arms were used until 1990.



The arms from 1960



The arms in a passport (late 1980s)

The arms in stone (source)

1990-1993

From 1990-1993 the arms showed quartered the historical Bohemian lion and the Slovak arms.

In 1993 the country was split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia.



The arms from 1990

Coins



Coin from 1939

Coin from 1975

Coin from 1991

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