Historical Nations Hockey Concepts 2.0

[IceCap]

Ok, now I think you should lose the white outlines of the flag, and extend the horizontal white flag stripe throughout the middle stripe. So it would end up looking like an elongated version of the flag.

Looks great. I would probably move the vertical white line a little more to the left just so the asymetica nature of the design is clearly evident. Plus, I think it would be a little more reflective of the flag.

Here ya go.

The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, 1816-1861

The medieval Kingdom of Silicly stretched from just south of Rome down to and including the island of Sicily. In 1282 the island of Sicily rebelled against King Charles I, an event known as the Sicilian Vespers. Between 1282 and 1442 the mainland portion of the Kingdom of Sicily and the island of Sicily were separate, the mainland portion becoming known as Naples. The two regions became known as the two Sicilies.

In 1442 the two were briefly reunified as the Kingdom of Sicily under the rule of the King of Aragon, Alfonso V. Alfonso V died in 1458 and the crown of Aragon passed into the hands of his brother, John II. John II kept Naples, but gave the island of Sicily to Alfonso's illegitimate son, Ferdinand. Ferdinand became Ferdinand I of Naples, dividing the two realms again. They were reunified when Ferdinand II of Aragon conquered Naples. Ferdinand II would also marry Isabella, Queen of Castile to create the modern nation of Spain. The two Sicilies remained Spanish possessions until 1713.

The Treaty of Utrecht in 1713 ended the War of Spanish Succession. The Duke of Savoy was awarded the island of Sicily. The Spanish lost Naples to the Holy Roman Empire in the Treaty of Rastatt in 1714. In 1720 the two were reunited again in a land exchange between the Holy Roman Emperor and the Duke of Savoy.

Charles III of Spain took both Sicilies back, and gave them to his younger brother Ferdinand. Ferdinand became Ferdinand III of Sicily and Ferdinand IV of Naples. In 1799 Napoleon, then just a general in the French revolutionary army, conquered Naples and formed the Parthenopean Republic, a revolutionary French satellite state. Ferdinand III/IV fled to Sicily, which remained outside of French control. Ferdinand III/IV reclaimed Naples later that year, but in 1806 Napoleon, now Emperor Napoleon I of France, re-conquered Naples and placed his brother Joseph on the throne as Joseph I of Naples. Ferdinand III/IV again fled to Sicily. Ferdinand III/IV was restored to the throne of Naples after Napoleon I's defeat in 1815.

In 1816 Ferdinand formally merged Naples and Sicily into the Kingdom of Two Sicilies, becoming Ferdinand I. Though this was mean to bring stability to the region the Kings of the Two Sicilies ended up having to quash three rebellions. Ferdinand I, and his successors, all came from the House of Bourbon. The House of Bourbon had a Spanish branch and a French branch, and both made the Sicilian Kings foreigners to their own subjects. This left the Kingdom ripe for invasion. In 1860 the Sardinian war hero Giuseppe Garibaldi began the Expedition of the Thousand, a war waged against the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. The ruling house of Sardinia, the Savoys, wanted to unify Italy under their banner. The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies was the most prosperous Italian state at the time, and thus the biggest obstacle to the plans of the House of Savoy. Supported by Great Britain and Hungarian volunteers Garibaldi's forces swept through the Two Sicilies, the people welcoming the invading Sardinian forces as liberators from the foreign Bourbon monarchs. By 1861 the conquest was complete, and the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies was absorbed into the Kingdom of Sardina, forming the basis for the unified Kingdom of Italy.

Look at that flag. Look at that coat of arms. Needless to say trying to design a concept around this nation's national imagery was a daunting task. In the end I decided to keep it simple. I went with the country's name, in Italian, spelled out across the chest ala the New York Rangers. The coat of arms is present, used as the alternate/shoulder patch. White was used as the primary sweater colour to reflect the House of Bourbon, the royal family of the Kingdom.

You'll also notice a lack of blue. Blue is traditionally used as the primary colour of Italian national teams. This is a holdover from the united Kingdom of Italy, which was unified under the Savoy dynasty. The colour of that ruling house was blue, and so Italian national teams have worn blue ever since, despite the country no longer being a monarchy. The point is that Italians wearing blue comes from the Savoy dynasty, who ruled the Kingdom of Sardinia before ruling over a unified Italy. Thus a team representing the Kingdom of Two Sicilies would not wear Savoy blue. They would wear Bourbon white.

The Kingdom of Hawaii is up next.

[Gfonk04]

White was used as the primary sweater colour to reflect the House of Bourbon, the royal family of the Kingdom.

That Bourbon guy gets traded a lot... France, Sicily, I think he played for Navarre and Luxembourg too and plays for Spain now...

The wordmark is a little cramped, maybe just "SICILIE," which may be confusing to English speakers, but means "Sicilies" in Italian, so it implies the plural name. Or, you could widen the wordmark to be closer to the mesh on either side.

Stepping back, I liked Persia and Tibet, but I think the yin-yang symbol in the middle blends in a little too much with the red background because of the orange half. I know that it's from the flag, but you could probably get away with changing the orange to white. If the subdued look is what you're going for, never mind! Nice work.

[tvko]

Striping is cool, like how you echoed the Italian flag. Do they have to use a white helmet, though?

[Jahgee]

What you should do for Hawaii is make their jersey's Barber-Pole and put the Union Jack in the middle, and for the numbers, rotate a Union Jack and then cut out each number.

[IceCap]

Sorry about the last few days. It's been busy. Though it's been the good, fun kind. Still, I've been preoccupied. Anyway lets get this thing back on track.

The Kingdom of Hawaii, 1795-1843/1843-1893

Polynesian navigators arrived in Hawaii in 1300, and quickly overpowered and eliminated the native population. The Polynesian communities that formed on the islands existed in a fluid state of warfare and interdependency. A Hawaiian legend emerged that stated that a great king would unite the islands, and that his birth would be marked by a comet. Halley's Comet was visible from Hawaii in 1758 and shortly thereafter Kamehameha was born to the Chief of the island of Hawaii, the largest island in the Hawaiian chain. In 1780 Kamehameha I kicked off a military campaign to unite the islands under one rule. By 1810 he had succeeded and was crowned King Kamehameha I.

Kamehameha I fashioned his new Kingdom in the style of European monarchies, de-emphasizing traditional Hawaiian chiefdom traditions. Diplomatic relations were established with the United Kingdom and the United States through the War of 1812.

Kaʻahumanu, Kamehameha I's widow, ruled after his death as Queen Kaʻahumanu. She converted to Protestant Christianity and outlawed Catholicism, expelling French Catholic priests in 1831. Hawaiian Catholics were imprisoned and Hawaiian Protestant ministers oversaw the religious prisoners' torture. Queen Kaʻahumanu II continued this anti-Catholic policy. Captain Laplace of the French Navy arrived in 1839 to protect the rights of native Catholics as well as to force the Kingdom to re-admit French Catholic missionaries. King Kamehameha III, faced with a war against France, signed the Edict of Toleration, which granted Catholics religious freedom.

Lord George Paulet of the British Royal Navy arrived in 1843 to demand that Kamehameha III abdicate and hand the Kingdom over to the British Crown. Facing the power of the Royal Navy Kamehameha III agreed and the Kingdom of Hawaii was abolished and the Provisional Cession of the Hawaiian or Sandwich Islands was formed. This British occupation would only last five months, however. Admiral Richard Darton Thomas of the Royal Navy opposed the attempted annexation and made his way to Hawaii as soon as he heard what Paulet had done. Thomas arrived, pulled rank on Paulet, and handed sovereignty of the islands back to King Kamehameha III.

American businessmen saw the potential in the Kingdom as a source for fruit and sugar. American-led fruit and sugar companies established plantations on the island. In the early 1890s John L. Stevens, the American ambassador to the Kingdom of Hawaii, conspired with the American heads of these plantations to overthrow the monarchy and apply to be annexed by the United States. This was spurred by the passing of the McKinley Act in the United States, which placed high tariffs on fruit and sugar from foreign nations. To American businessmen operating in the island Kingdom the best solution was to have the United States annex the islands, thereby removing the tariffs from their goods.

Hawaiian officials were tipped off to the impending coup but Stevens used his position of influence to play down the threat and avoid having the Kingdom put under marshal law. He also arranged for US Marines to land on Hawaii Island in support of the coup. In 1893 the coup was launched. Backed by US Marines the conspirators seized the royal palace, placed Queen Liliʻuokalani under arrest, and declared Hawaii a republic. The new Republic of Hawaii immediately sought annexation from the United States.

President Cleveland, however, blocked the annexation attempt. He concluded that the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy and the request for annexation was not the will of the Hawaiian people. The provisional government of the Republic of Hawaii, therefore, had to govern longer then they intended to. In 1895 the Republic survived a counter-revolution. In 1896 William McKinley was elected President, succeeded Cleveland. He supported Hawaiian annexation, which went into affect in 1898, ending Hawaii's status as an independent nation.

Bet no one saw this concept being green, red, and gold. The story behind the red, white, and blue Hawaiian flag with the Union Jack is that Captain George Vancouver of the British Royal Navy gave King Kamehameha I a Union Jack as a sign of friendship. Kamehameha I flew the flag as the Kingdom of Hawaii had no flag for itself at the time. US Navy officers protested the Hawaiian use of the British Union Jack during the War of 1812, so Kamehameha I instead flew the American flag. The British, in turn, objected. So Kamehameha I commissioned a flag to be designed that combined the Union Jack and American flag. Hence the current flag of Hawaii, which served as the flag of Hawaii as a Kingdom, Republic, and State. So with that in mind I decided that a national team for an independent Hawaii wouldn't wear the colours of their flag. Instead they would follow the lead of nations like Australia, New Zealand, and Italy that have national colours that they wear for intentional competition that exist separate from those of the national flag.

So why green, red, and gold? Well these were the colours of the personal flag of King Kamehameha I, later reintroduced as the Royal standard of the Kingdom by Kamehameha III. This flag, the Kanaka Maoli flag, also featured the same general barbershop pole pattern that the national/state flag does. So Jahgee's barberpole idea was still valid. I've never liked that pattern as a viable design, outside of the occasional throwback, though. So I decided to allude to the flag striping without going full barberpole with the thick double stripe pattern across the waist, arms, and chest. The crest is the central emblem of the Kingdom, as seen on the Kanaka Maoli flag and the Kingdom's coat of arms. I decided to throw the national flag in as the alternate logo/shoulder patch.

The Corsican Republic is up next.

[RuffDawg]

The Hawaii concept is brilliant and the story behind it is absolutely fascinating. Nice job!

[tvko]

Great job avoiding the RWB, this color scheme is unique. I like the striping.

[Gfonk04]

Nice route with the color job, it uses less frequently paired colors and includes a little history too. Those colors also say "tropical" to me also, very Hawaii.

The one issue I'm starting to notice is that your concepts are getting sort of formulaic. I'd like to see you mess around with colored panels or other ways to incorporate colors. Almost all of your concepts except maybe four or five, are single color jerseys with the same layout of striping on the sleeves and bottom of the jersey.

They still look great, and the ideas are excellent, but I think you have some room to go outside the established trend and play with some different patterns.

The concepts you've posted that buck this trend have all been great (Persia, Tibet, to a lesser extent Rome, HRE and Texas), so I think you can incorporate some different design styles and get away with it.

I'd also like to see some Home/Away concepts for the ones you've already posted. White versions of the color jerseys and vice versa have some real potential (I'm thinking about a white Rome or Macedonia, or a green Two Sicilies).

Keep up the great work, right now this is the one thread on the boards that I keep coming back to, and for a good reason.

[HawkeyHouse]

I have seen that Hawaiian flag when I was there. Pretty cool that you used it. Never knew what it was though.

[mfoster]

Getting into this a little late, and apologies for suggestions that I missed while perusing the thread... but here are some more ideas:

The states of the Iberian Peninsula prior to the completion of the Reconquista: Galicia, Austuria, Castile, Aragon, Pamplona/Navarre, León. Pamplona/Navarre would be the most interesting IMO if that's where you'd choose to have the Euskaldunak represented (your call, not seeking controversy here and would defer to your expertise).

Etruscan Kingdom

Carthaginian Empire

Any of the Renaissance Italian city-states (Venice, Capua...), or is that splicing it too thin?

The steppe empires (Mongols, Avars, Magyars, the various Khanates, etc...)

The Kalmar Union

Vermont Republic

United Tribes of New Zealand (my suggestion for covering the Māori)

Since the Iroquois Confederacy was mentioned, how the Five Civilized Tribes as well?

Anyway, just some thoughts... love the work done in the thread!

[IceCap]

The Corsican Republic, 1755–1769

In 1755 Pasquale Paoli led a revolt on the island of Corsica, which was under jurisdiction of the Most Serene Republic of Genoa (yes, that was the Republic of Genoa's official name). Paoli's forces captured the island and expelled Genoa's forces. He proclaimed Corsica's independence and drew up the Corsican Constitution.

The Corsican Constitution is an often looked over, but important document in history. It was the first constitution written under Enlightenment principals and the first codified constitution of an independent state, written and put into affect decades before either the Constitution of the United States or the Constitution of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The Corsican Constitution was more progressive then either of those two more well known documents in that it granted not just full male suffrage over the age of 25 but also full female suffrage over the age of 25, a remarkable accomplishment given the time period. The Constitution also established a parliament, the Diet, a government administrative system, a justice system, and a national army.

The Constitution granted the Corsican Republic admirers among European Enlightenment circles, including the predominant Enlightenment philosophers Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Voltaire, Guillaume Thomas Raynal, and Gabriel Bonnot de Mably. This did not, however, lead to recognition from the rest of Europe, which generally accepted Genoa's claim to the island, though Britain supported the Corsican independence movement under the table in the form of funds and weaponry.

Paoli was the head of state for the Republic, holding the title General-in-Chief. After declaring independence and enacting the Constitution he set out to modernize Corsica and bring it up to par with the rest of Europe. He founded a university in Corte, the Republic's capital. In 1757 the Republic got its first order, the Order of Saint-Devote, awarded to those who showed remarkable service to the Corsican Republic. In 1761 the Republic minted its own coins and Paoli secured diplomatic recognition from the Bey of Tunis, the Muslim monarchy in Tunisia.

The Corsicans had, essentially, established sovereignty over their own island. Genoa was unable to reconquer the island, and the Corsicans had the backing of Britain, which had emerged as the predominant power in Europe following the Seven Year's War (French and Indian War to my American friends). Had Corsica stayed the course just a few years longer they could have secured recognition from the British, which would have secured its status as an independent nation. Instead the Corsicans made a mistake. They successfully invaded the small island of Capraia, taking it from their former masters the Genoans. Genoa, a Mediterranean super power in the middle ages, was in a steep decline. They could not successfully take back Capraria, much less take back Corsica. Still, the Corsican invasion of Capraria seemed to demand punishment. Seeing as they could not invade Corsica they sold their claim to the island to the Kingdom of France. France had lost Canada and its Indian colonies to Britain and the vast Louisiana territory to Spain in the Seven Years War and Corsica represented a means to reclaim some lost prestige. Genoa, for its part, got some badly needed cash and the pleasure of watching the Corsican Republic fall.

In 1768 the French invaded. At first it seemed like the Corsicans would hold off the French, winning in the Battle of Borgo. France responded by playing up the one sure advantage they had over the Corsicans, numbers. After losing at Borgo they increased the size of their invasion force to 24,000, dwarfing the highly motivated but small Corsican forces. The French invasion force crushed the Corsican army at the Battle of Ponte Novu in 1769, and proceeded to take control of the island. The Corsican Constitution was abolished and the Republic dissolved. The island was annexed into the authoritarian Kingdom of France.

Britain objected to the invasion, but was unwilling to commit to saving the island after having just fought a gruelling and expensive Seven Years War against France. Paoli went into exile in Britain, returning to the island after the French Revolution created a republic throughout the entirety of French territory. He objected to the brutality of the revolution, however, and was made Prime Minister of the Anglo-Corsican Kingdom, an independent Corsican state that accepted George III of Great Britain as its monarch. This arrangement only lasted two years between 1794-96. He returned to exile in Britain after revolutionary France reconquered the island. He died in Britain in 1807. Thus Corsica lost its chief advocate in Europe. Without his influence Corsica remained in French hands even after the defeat of Napoleon I in 1815. It remains a territory of the French Republic to this day.

The problem with the Corsican Republic, as far as this project goes, is that the flag is just a black and white emblem on a white field. Not a lot in the way of inspiration for striping or alternate colours. So I looked around for alternate Corsican flags or designs that might lead to something to serve as inspiration for striping or additional colours. I came across the modern day logo of the territory of Corsica in the French Republic. I used that design as the inspiration for the striping pattern, as well as the addition of blue, which I think livens up what would otherwise be a plain black and white concept. The style of the striping is an homage to the pre-EDGE Calgary Flames sweaters. I've always liked the design, as I felt it was an example of modern done right. I'm happy to see that I was able to pull it off on Nike's IIHF template. The crest is the Moor's Head, which has been a symbol used to represent Corsica even before the declaration of independence in 1755.

The Kingdom of Sardinia is up next.

[IceCap]

The Hawaii concept is brilliant and the story behind it is absolutely fascinating. Nice job!

Great job avoiding the RWB, this color scheme is unique. I like the striping.

I have seen that Hawaiian flag when I was there. Pretty cool that you used it. Never knew what it was though.

Nice route with the color job, it uses less frequently paired colors and includes a little history too. Those colors also say "tropical" to me also, very Hawaii.

Thanks. Red, white, and blue is just so common. People complain about it being overused in sports. MLB's abuse of this colour scheme has nothing when compared to the flags of the world. Even the flags of defunct nations. Hawaii offered me a chance to go with something different that still payed homage to the nation it was supposed to reflect, so I took it.

The one issue I'm starting to notice is that your concepts are getting sort of formulaic. I'd like to see you mess around with colored panels or other ways to incorporate colors. Almost all of your concepts except maybe four or five, are single color jerseys with the same layout of striping on the sleeves and bottom of the jersey.

They still look great, and the ideas are excellent, but I think you have some room to go outside the established trend and play with some different patterns.

The concepts you've posted that buck this trend have all been great (Persia, Tibet, to a lesser extent Rome, HRE and Texas), so I think you can incorporate some different design styles and get away with it.

Yeah, I've been sensing the formulaic tendencies sneak up on me. I guess it's just what happens when you go through the motions, which is always a danger when you engage in a multi-part project like this. I've tried to do something different with Corsica, something to buck the trend of the last few. Though I maintain that the formulaic pattern works with Hawaii because I was attempting to allude to a barberpole pattern.

I'd also like to see some Home/Away concepts for the ones you've already posted. White versions of the color jerseys and vice versa have some real potential (I'm thinking about a white Rome or Macedonia, or a green Two Sicilies).

I'll get to home/road takes on each of these once I've completed the series. Which may take a while, as the quality requests keep coming in

Wow... that was a lot of "stuff" to sift through and look at these concepts, Ice. I love the Republic of Texas for obvious reasons, but most of them are fairly solid. Too bad I doubt you'll do an Atlantean-themed concept, at any point, but here's hoping.

Anyway, just some thoughts... love the work done in the thread!

Keep up the great work, right now this is the one thread on the boards that I keep coming back to, and for a good reason.

Thank you all It's been really encouraging to see this project get such positive feedback.

[Kevin W.]

You should do one for the Polish?Lithuanian Commonwealth.

[IceCap]

I was just thinking I should when I mentioned their May 3rd Constitution.

[maz]

It wasn't really a nation, per se, and it was annexed by the USA after a month, but how about the California Republic?

Or the Republic of Venice?

[IceCap]

It wasn't really a nation, per se, and it was annexed by the USA after a month, but how about the California Republic?

Or the Republic of Venice?

Venice is on my to-do list.

PHILADELPHIAFLYERS already did the California Republic though. In the interest of cooperation I won't be doing any nation he's done. If his project has fallen into obscurity by the time I finish mine, however, I may do it.

[TrueYankee26]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/73/Estandarte_de_la_Corona_de_Aragon.svg/800px-Estandarte_de_la_Corona_de_Aragon.svg.png

This would make a great hockey look

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3c/Bandera_de_la_Corona_de_Castilla.svg

So would castille & leon

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/Savoie_flag.svg

Dutchy of Savoy

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2b/Flag_of_Flanders.svg

County of Flanders

[IceCap]

The Kingdom of Sardinia, 1720–1861

Humbert the White Handed received the title Count from Ruldolph III, the last King of the Second Kingdom Burgundy in 1003. He became Count Humbert I of Savoy. When Rudolph III died in 1032 he was succeeded as King of Burgundy by Conrad II of the Holy Roman Empire. Humbert I of Savoy formally recognized Conrad II's claim to the Burgundian throne, and Savoy was absorbed into the Holy Roman Empire along with the rest of the former Second Kingdom of Burgundy. For Humbert I's loyalty Conrad II allowed him to incorporate the Aosta Valley into his county. Count Humbert I also supported Emperor Conrad II in a dispute with Count Odo II of Blois. Again, Humbert I's loyalty was rewarded with land, this time the territories of Maurienne and Chablais, along with the Tarentaise Valley. This loyalty also allowed the Counts of Savoy a greater degree of autonomy within the Holy Roman Empire.

Count Otto I married the Marchioness of Turin Adelaide of Susa in 1046. This marriage brought the Piedmont region of the March of Turin under control of the County of Savoy. Through subsequent marriages and military conquests the County of Savoy grew to include most of what is today southeastern France and northwestern Italy. By 1313 the good relations between the County of Savoy and the Imperial throne were formalized when Count Amadeus V received the status of Imperial immediacy for the County from Emperor Henry VII. Imperial immediacy was, above all else, a title of significant prestige within the Holy Roman Empire, only granted to a select few entities within the Empire. It essentially removed the County of Savoy from under the control of any local Kingdoms or Duchies within the Empire, making the Count of Savoy second to only the Emperor in his own realm.

Amadeus VII absorbed the County of Nice, granting the County of Savoy a port on the Mediterranean in 1388. Amadeus VIII bought Geneva in 1401. In 1416 Emperor Sigismund raised the status of Savoy from County to Duchy, making Amadeus VIII a Duke rather then a Count.

In 1536 Francis I of France launched an invasion of Savoy, hoping to take the territory from the HRE and annex it into the Kingdom of France. Duke Charles III fell back to Turin, which was easily defensible. The Duchy of Savoy, however, could not expel the French alone. This kicked off the Italian Wars between the Holy Roman Empire and Spain on one side, with France on the other. The Hapsburg forces (HRE and Spain) emerged victorious, and French forces were expelled from the Duchy of Savoy, which regained its status as a sovereign entity within the Holy Roman Empire. Emmanuel Philibert was the Duke of Savoy when all of this went down. Knowing he couldn't trust France and that the Holy Roman Empire was to divided to sustain a long-standing military presence to discourage French encroachment, he established a stable military in the Duchy after the end of the French occupation.

War of the Spanish Succession was fought from 1701 to 1714 over rival claims to the Spanish Crown. The two claims to the Spanish Crown came from the Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI of the House of Hapsburg and King Phillip V of Spain of the House of Bourbon. Phillip V of Spain was also the heir to the French Crown and the prospect of a united Bourbon empire in Spain and France was enough of a threat to the balance of power to cause most of the nations of Europe to back Emperor Charles VI's claim to the Spanish Crown. The Duchy of Savoy entered the war on the side of the Holy Roman Empire, as it was a state within that Empire. In the end Phillip V was able to hold onto the Spanish Crown, but he had to renounce all claims to the French Crown. As a result for the continued loyalty of the House of Savoy the Duchy was awarded a collection of territories, one of which was the island of Sicily. Duke Victor Amadeus II traded Sicily for Sardinia. As a result of the war he was also granted the title of King. In 1720 Duke Victor Amadeus II of Savoy reorganized his holdings into the Kingdom of Sardinia. The House of Savoy and the Holy Roman Empire parted ways.

The Kingdom of Sardinia joined the First Coalition, put together to stop the rise of the revolutionary French Republic. The French Republican General Napoleon Bonaparte defeated Sardinia's forces in 1796, however, and Sardinia had to grant free passage of French troops through Piedmont. In 1798 the French Republican General Barthélemy Catherine Joubert invaded the mainland portion of the Kingdom, forcing King Charles Emmanuel IV to flee to the island of Sardinia. The French Republican Army then annexed the mainland portion of the Kingdom into the French Republic. Napoleon I's French Empire was defeated in 1814, and the Kingdom of Sardinia was restored in full. In fact it was expanded. The collapsing Republic of Genoa was absorbed. In 1830 the Kingdom of Sardinia was industrialized and in 1848 the Kingdom became a constitutional monarchy.

King Charles Albert attempted to wars with the Austrian Empire, first in 1848 and again in 1849 in an attempt to bring the Kingdom good fortune and quell political instability. Both wars ended in Sardinian defeat. Charles Albert decided to abdicate in favour of his son, who was crowned King Victor Emmanuel II. Camillo Benso became Prime Minister in 1852. Benso was a believer in Italian unification, and under him and King Victor Emmanuel II the Kingdom of Sardinia became the leading advocate of unifying Italy. The first step was achieved on March 5, 1860. The Italian states of Parma, Tuscany, Modena, and Romagna voted in referendums to join the Kingdom of Sardinia. Shortly thereafter Giuseppe Garibaldi, the Italian war hero and explorer, set out to conquer the rest of Italy for the Kingdom of Sardinia. First he toppled the wealthiest of the Italian states, the Kingdom of Two Sicilies. After that he marched on to Gaeta. With most of Italy under their control Benso and Victor Emmanuel II declared the Kingdom of Italy, a unified Italian state ruled by the House of Savoy. Rome would fall soon afterwards.

The House of Savoy ruled Italy up until 1946 when the last King of Italy, Umberto II, abdicated after a referendum resulted in the establishment of the modern day Italian Republic. Though Umberto II was well liked by the Italian people, they blamed the weakness of his father, Victor Emmanuel III, for the rise of Mussolini and Fascism, which led to a disastrous defeat in World War II. The Savoy family was banned from entering Italy in 1948, a ban that would last until 2002.

I wanted to allude to the cross design in the flag with the striping. I also wanted to do something different with the full length shoulder yoke. Striping is usually used to frame the yoke, but I've never seen it used within the yoke. Given the unique design of the bars that make up the crosses on the flag, this seemed like the perfect opportunity to try it out. Blue obviously comes from the House of Savoy, the ruling house of Sardinia, and later Italy. Blue was the colour of that dynasty, and is the reason Italy wears blue in international competition today. The crest is the central emblem of the House of Savoy, a black eagle with a white cross on red. It appeared on the coat of arms of the Kingdom of Sardinia as well as the Royal standard for the Kingdom of Sardinia and later Italy.

The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth is up next.

[exaccardi]

The shoulder stripes on the Byzantine empire are quite possibly the best thing that has ever happened to international hockey

[UnclearInitial]

I'd like to see the Aztec Empire, the Inca Empire, Babylonia, Assyria, Parthia, the Mongol Empire, Carthage, Gaul, Saxon Britain, Mali Empire, ancient Etruria, the Kingdom of Etruria (great flag) and the Papal States.

Great work on the concept, as always. I'd use a little less red and more yellow, but that's just me.