What do the two red bars and the single white bar mean in the stars and bars flag?

Answer 1

An Alabama gentleman by the name of Nicola Marshall who lived in Tuscaloosa, Ala was origanaly from the country we know as Austria. The flag of Austria then and today is three horizontal bars of red ,white ,red. At the time Austria was not an independent country,however the Austrian people have always identifed with their flag of red, white, red. Upon Austrian independence this became their national flag. Because Nicola Marshall was from Austria it is only natural that he would be encourged to use those emblems and such from his native country. Nicola Marshall also helped design the uniforms for the Confederate army both enlisted and officers. If one looks at the style of uniforms then in use in mid 19th centry Austria and the confederate army they are both similar in colour and style as those that were used in Austria at the time. To answer the question the First National Confederate Flag or the Stars and Bars was heavly influenced by the current flag of Austria. Nicola simply added a blue canton [square] and the proper number of stars repersenting the newly birthed Confederate States of America.