What do the stripes on the French flag stand for?

Answer 1

Colors on French Flag

the French flag is the official French pavilion since 1794. It was drawn by Jacques Louis David, famous French painter, but it has its origins in July 1789. Shortly after the fall of the Bastille, the king visited the Paris town hall and was handed a blue and red cocard - the long-time colours of the town - which he put on his hat next to the white cocard (French kingdom emblem at the time), as a gesture towards the people of Paris. It is said that it was an idea of LAFAYETTE and that the newly created cocard became rapidly popular. The 'cocard story' was witnessed by Thomas Jefferson on the 17th of July 1789 ( http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocarde_tricolore#Histoire ).

(Since the reign of Henri IV, the red and blue could be found in the royal emblems, standing for the Kingdom of "Navarre".)

The blue and red colours in Paris' flag were standing for the patron saints of the town (Saint Denis, Saint Martin). The popular "Garde Nationale", heir of the "Garde française" (regiment meant to protect the King) already had the three colours blue, white and red on their uniforms. Members of the Garde Nationale took part - and even led - in the storming of La Bastille.

The white was associated at the time with the kingdom, or with France, more that with the kings, and indicated the dedication of the kingdom to the Virgin Mary.

The three colours were used in different orders (blue-red-white for the scarf of public officials in 1790, white-red-blue in horizontal bands for the 'Fête de la Fédération' on the 14th of July 1790. In 1790 were also adopted new versions of ship's pavilions, despite some traditionalists arguing that because of the colours, it would resemble too much the Dutch flag.

The flag was adopted officially by the Convention as the national flag only in 1794 (15th of February).

The white flag replaced the three-colour flag in 1814-1815, and from 1815 to 1830, during the two first periods when the monarchy was reinstated.

In 1830 the king Louis-Philippe came to power and reinstated the three-colour flag.

After the overthrow of the Emperor Napoleon III, a royalist majority offered the throne to the Count of Chambord. He said he would accept the throne on the condition that the tricolour be replaced by the white flag. This proved impossible to accommodate and France remained a republic.

a detailed article (in French): http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drapeau_de_la_France

Answer 2

The French flag has a blue strip, a red stripe, and a red stripe. These stripes mean, equality, fraternity, and liberty.

Answer 3

three vertical bars, blue to the mast, wite in the middle, then red.