It is said that the French tricolor had an influence on this horizontally divided red, white, and green flag. These three colors represented Hungary from old days, and the national emblem is designed mainly from these colors as well. Red expresses blood, white, peace, and green, hope. Established in 1848, it became the symbol in the war for independence from Austria in the same year. There was then a change in design, and the current version was officialized in 1957.