The axe and bundle of sticks is called a fasces. It is an ancient Roman symbol of absolute power of the law displayed by magistrates to indicate they had the authority to kill you. It evolved in meaning over time and generally became a symbol of the power of the state.

The word fascism is derived from fasces and the symbol was used by the Italian fascists in the 1930s and 1940s. It is also prominent in US iconography predating the rise of fascism in Italy in the 30s and can be found inside the Congress building, the pediment of the Supreme Court building, and was once featured on coinage, specifically the Mercury Dime.

The other flag is the is the Flag of Falange. The Falange, like the fasces, is an old symbol of power; however unique to Spain. The yoke and arrows symbol date back to the 15th century and were created when Isabella and Ferdinand married.

The Falange was the symbol used by the Nationalists, specifically the Falangists, during the Spanish Civil war in the 1930s. The Franco dictatorship that emerged was a brutal autocratic regime (and the Falangists are part of the European rise of fascism in the 1930s).

The yoke and arrows, like the fasces can be found on flags, documents, and statues prior to the rise of fascism. But, like the swastika, there’s no going back once associated with a fascist movement. These are nationalist, fascist, and authoritarian symbols.