Prussia (Alternative 2014)

Prussia (German: Preußen), is a German state formed after the abolition of the Kingdom of Prussia in the aftermath of World War I. It was the major state of the German Reich during the time of the Weimar Republic, comprising almost 5⁄8 (62.5%) of its territory and population.[1] Free state is another German term for republic that was coined in contrast to the Latin word, which was associated with the enemy France in the minds of many Germans of that time.

The democratic Free State of Prussia was rendered incapacitated when it was taken over by the Preußenschlag (Prussian coup) of 1932–1933 and Otto Braun was forced from office. His government went to court over this ouster, but in 1933 the Nazi regime seized control of the Prussian government.

From 1933, the Free State was deprived of parliamentary democracy and ruled exclusively under the leadership of the National Socialist German Workers Party (Nazi Party). Initially, Prussia was administered by high-ranking Nazi Hermann Göring who was appointed Minister-President of Prussia. In 1935, the Free State's territory was dismantled into regional Gaue, some of which incorporated both Prussian and non-Prussian territory, thus effectively ending Prussia as a single territorial unit of Germany.

After the end of World War II Otto Braun approached US officials to reinstate the legal Prussian government. They and the other Allied Occupation forces, who had occupied all of Germany, liked the idea and declared Prussia divided to East and West in 1947. It was reunified, along with other East German states, with the West German states in 1990.

Flag


The flag of the Prussia consisted of a plain white flag, with a black border on the top and bottom. The state flag of Prussia consisted of the civil flag, with the Coat of Arms charged in the middle. Versions of the state flag used prior to 1947 had a yellow swastika in the middle of the eagle, symbolizing the Nazi Party.

The first flag with the swastika was adopted on 30 January 1933. In 1947, the swastika was removed from the flag.