Question? Swastikas on Finnish military Vehicles in WW2

[PegAsus]

Hello Everyone,

i wonder about the finnish military, why have they used Swastikas on their tanks and planes? As far as i know, it has nothing to do with Nazi idiology, but how does it come that they were used? Has it something to do with the Viking Heritage? Can anybody explain that to me?

 

[BCNTM]

Hello Everyone,

i wonder about the finnish military, why have they used Swastikas on their tanks and planes? As far as i know, it has nothing to do with Nazi idiology, but how does it come that they were used? Has it something to do with the Viking Heritage? Can anybody explain that to me?

"The hakaristi (swastika) was used as the official national marking of the Finnish Defence Forces between 1918 and 1945"

The use predated the use by the Nazi Jerman's

The symbol has been used for centuries before Jerman's took it and made it the symbol it is today

Swastika - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Fish&Chips]

Indeed. The swastika has nothing to do with Vikings either (nor do the Finns as such), but it was "imported" from Asia in the early 20th century. It became hugely popular in many European cultures until the Nazis started using it. As a matter of fact, the Finnish defence forces are still using swastika emblems on some of their regimental colours.

 

[PegAsus]

I did know, that for example the Buddhists used Swastikas on their temples centuries ago, but i didnt know the Finns, "importet" it from there. Thx Guys

And is it true, that it was a part of the Deal, with the Russians, that they shouldnt use Swastikas anymore, after they broke with Nazi Germany? I think i read something like this...

Btw, its a shame, that this symbol was misused by the Nazis, with this long history, only a few years, changed the meaning of the symbol completly...

 

[Jake84]

The mostly common knowledge was that supposed « peaceful Buddhists » over in India used it for centuries before Der Führer eventually thought it would make for a better flag for Germany than the one of the puppet Weimar Republic.

Buddhist who are nowadays respected because of today’s Dalai Lama also had their share of massacre and atrocities in the past against others and even to this day against Muslims in Myanmar.

Speaking of the German Swastika, a French author accurately called it back then: a « blood-soaked black spider«

 

[PegAsus]

Speaking of the German Swastika, a French author accurately called it back then: a « blood-soaked black spider«

That sounds fitting...

 

[Fish&Chips]

Regarding Finland, the highest order of merit in Finland, i.e. the Order of the Cross of Liberty, still uses a swastika on its emblem which is also displayed on the official banner of the president of Finland:

 

[NebrHogger]

On my first patrol from Cam Lo, RVN, I was amazed to see a swastika on the Buddhist temple beside Rt. 9. I used to have a pic, but it seems to have been misplaced.

 

[Redav]

Until ww2 the swastika was very popular even among non-nazi armies

Even an american unit used a swastika

https://45thdivisionmuseum.com/index.php/history/from-swastika-to-thunderbird/

Western use of the swastika in the early 20th century - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[PegAsus]

Very interesting note. Thanks for the info!

 

[thelistener]

Hello Everyone,

i wonder about the finnish military, why have they used Swastikas on their tanks and planes? As far as i know, it has nothing to do with Nazi idiology, but how does it come that they were used? Has it something to do with the Viking Heritage? Can anybody explain that to me?

1. It came to Finland during the Civil war in 1918. Swedish man named Eric von Rosen gifted a plane to Finland. The plane had Von Roses lucky symbol on it "blue swastika." After that it became the official symbol of the air force

2. Swastika is still used by the Air Force Academy but otherwise the air force has dropped its use in flags due to international missions and having to answer the same question multiple times by other nations pilots.

Air Force Academy in ceremonies and parades

 

[Gaz]

On my first patrol from Cam Lo, RVN, I was amazed to see a swastika on the Buddhist temple beside Rt. 9. I used to have a pic, but it seems to have been misplaced.

I took this in the Forbidden City in Beijing back in 2006.

 

[Redav]

These are Roman ruins in Conímbriga, near Coimbra in Portugal
The house is very simply entitled "house of the swastika"