A kurtka ( куртка ) is the generic word for a jacket in a number of European languages, most notably in Polish and Russian .
136-466: The word itself is a Slavic diminutive of the original Hungarian word kurta , which in turn was derived of the Latin word curtus , "excurtus", meaning short (see Alejandro Cioranescu: Diccionario Etimologico Rumano). In terms of military uniforms , the kurtka was a type of close fitting double breasted jacket, cut to the waist and often worn with a plastron, a contrasting-coloured panel of cloth covering
272-403: A cleat or pulley . For cold weather, a jumper was knitted from yarn or wool . For wet weather, old sail cloth was made into a coat (with hat or attached hood) that was waterproofed with tallow or fat . In these days, the officers would designate certain afternoons to " make and mend " (clothing). A sailor with little clothing to make or mend used this time as "time off". In January 1857
408-513: A cuirassier's uniform. Cavalrymen of the Guard had no fewer than 10 different uniforms. One justification for the expensive parade dresses of the Guard was that they would "lead the people of the conquered nations to regard the French uniforms with unreserved astonishment". As a general trend France and other European states replaced their bicornes by feathered shakos or crested helmets , while
544-533: A fez with a colored tassel (usually yellow, blue, green, or red) and turban, a tight fitting short jacket (some without buttons), a wide 10-foot-long (300 cm) sash, baggy pantaloons or "chasseur" trousers, white leggings, and a short leather cuff for the calf, called jambieres . The sash was especially difficult to put on, often requiring the help of another zouave. The zouave uniform was better suited for warm climates and rough terrain. The loose pantaloons allowed for greater freedom of movement than trousers, while
680-525: A commando training school). There was no zouave regiment in existence between 1962–1982 and none now survive in the French Army. The zouaves saw extensive service during the French conquest of Algeria, initially at the Mouzaia Pass action (March 1836), then at Mitidja (September 1836) and the siege of Constantine (1837). From 1843-44 either one or two battalions played prominent roles in each of
816-738: A corps of volunteers formed as part of the Army of the Papal States . The Zouaves evolved out of a unit formed by Lamoricière in 1860: the Franco-Belgian Tirailleurs. On January 1, 1861, the unit was renamed the Papal Zouaves. The Zuavi Pontifici were mainly young men, unmarried and Roman Catholic, who volunteered to assist Pope Pius IX in his struggle against the Italian Risorgimento . They wore
952-460: A distinctive colour. Officers wore a waist sash or pekotarion , which may have been of different colours according to rank. The styles and decoration of military uniforms varied immensely with the status, image, and resources of the military throughout the ages. Uniform dress became the norm with the adoption of regimental systems, initially by the French army in the mid-17th century. Before 1600
1088-500: A dress uniform dating from the 19th century with a distinctive red pompon on the round cap. The infantry and cavalry of the Republican Guard retain their late 19th-century dress uniforms, as do the military cadets of Saint-Cyr and the École polytechnique . A dark blue/black evening dress is authorized for officers and individual branches or regiments may parade bands or "fanfares" in historic dress dating as far back as
1224-753: A few German and Dutch regiments had worn red or yellow coats. From about 1626 onwards some Swedish infantry had been issued with standard coloured dress under Gustavus Adolphus (hence his "yellow" or "blue" regiments). However, most levies of the 15th and 16th centuries wore civilian dress and regiments were dressed at the expense of their colonels in whatever style and colours the colonel preferred. Even Royal guards would sometimes only be issued with distinctive coloured or embroidered surcoats to wear over ordinary clothing. To help armies distinguish friend from foe, scarves, pieces of foliage, or other makeshift identification known as "field signs" would be worn, (a practice still recognised under international humanitarian law and
1360-580: A field uniform (" gymnasterka " shirt with collar tabs and a 2-button breast opening, belt, breeches, garrison cap, and boots), a service dress "kittel" tunic worn with breeches or trousers, and a dress uniform "mundir" tunic (worn with deep blue breeches). Soviet tank troops wore the gymnastyrka shirt, kittel (dress tunic) in a bluish grey (rather than brown) colour. In 1943, the Soviet Army began to re-adopt many Tsarist Army features, notably braided shoulder boards , which had previously been forbidden (since
1496-605: A former commander of North African zouaves, while a former zouave sergeant, François Rochebrune , organized the Polish Zouaves of Death who fought against Russia in the January Uprising of 1863–1864. In the 1870s, former Papal Zouaves formed the cadre for a short-lived Spanish zouave unit. The "zouave" title was also used by Brazilian units of black volunteers in the Paraguayan War , possibly due to
SECTION 10
#17327830004651632-464: A light beige dress uniform which is worn with coloured kepis, sashes, fringed epaulettes, fourragères and other traditional items on appropriate occasions. As an alternative parade dress, camouflage uniforms can be worn with the dress items noted above. The legionnaires of the Foreign Legion wear white kepis, blue sashes and green and red epaulettes as dress uniform, while the sappers wear
1768-464: A light grey uniform with the same branch colours as the line. A khaki summer uniform was worn by the entire army. By the 20th century, drab colours were increasingly being adopted for active service and ordinary duty wear. The First World War finally put an end to the expensive practice of furnishing colourful uniforms to all ranks of the various armies. Amongst the frontline troops in August 1914 only
1904-631: A military award), and the vine stick (Vitis) that they carried as a mark of their office. While some auxiliary cohorts in the late Roman period had carried shields with distinctive colours or designs, there is no evidence that any one Roman legion was distinguished from another by features other than the numbers on the leather covers protecting their shields. The feudal system of Western Europe provided instances of distinguishing features denoting allegiance to one or another lord. These however seldom went beyond colours and patterns painted on shields or embroidered on surcoats. Orders of military monks such as
2040-472: A mix of khaki and bright colours when war broke out in 1914. The Japanese Army probably went further than most in adopting khaki for all occasions after 1905, although even here officers of all branches and the cavalry of the Imperial Guard retained traditional coloured uniforms for formal and ceremonial occasions. With the exception of Western-influenced units such as the "Ever-Triumphant Army" of
2176-589: A number of distinctions after the establishment of the German Empire (1871). Two regiments of the Prussian Guard and one of the Russian were still issued with the brass mitre caps of the 18th-century grenadier . The British infantry retained their scarlet tunics for parade and "walking out" wear, while the bulk of French regiments wore red trousers with dark or light blue tunics. The infantry of
2312-661: A perceived link with Africa. In the United States, zouaves were brought to public attention by Elmer E. Ellsworth , who created and ran a drill company called the " Zouave Cadets ". The drill company toured nationally. Zouave units were then raised on both sides of the American Civil War of 1861–1865; including a regiment under Ellsworth's command, the 11th New York Infantry —the New York "Fire Zouaves". The distinctive uniforms of French and other zouave units
2448-483: A servant and demeaning to members of the social class from which officers came. One early practice in the French and other armies was for officers to wear coats of the facing colour of their regiments. Rank insignia as such was unknown until well into the 18th century. The gorget hanging from a chain around the neck (a last survival of medieval armour) was the only universally recognised mark of an officer until epaulettes developed from clusters of ribbons formerly worn on
2584-568: A similar style of uniform to that of the French Zouaves but in grey with red trim. A grey and red kepi was substituted for the North African fez . All orders were given in French, and the unit was commanded by a Swiss Colonel, M. Allet. The regiment was truly international, and by May 1868 numbered 4,592 men including 1,910 Dutch, 1,301 French, 686 Belgians, and 240 Italians. A total of three hundred volunteers came from Canada,
2720-414: A simplified form this dress (without the cocked hat) survives as the modern ceremonial dress for flag officers. Throughout this period sailors supplied or made their own clothing. Sailors developed traditional clothing suitable for their work: loose-fitting trousers with belts made of rope; tunics that slipped over the head, with arms to above the wrist so that the cloth would not foul in ropes passing through
2856-473: A standard Wisconsin Guard uniform was adopted. After the Civil War, veteran groups sometimes dressed as zouaves during honor guard ceremonies such as funeral processions, since zouave dress was considered colorful and distinctive. Modern American Civil War reenactments often feature zouave units. The zouave uniform was sometimes quite elaborate, to the extent of being unwieldy. Some Zouave regiments wore
SECTION 20
#17327830004652992-601: A wide variety of styles and colours in the early stages of the war. Some regiments—such as the North's Berdan Sharpshooters and the South's Alexandria Rifles—had green uniforms, while the French zouave style was widely imitated. The Union eventually got most of its men into regulation Federal blue but this often faded until it appeared grey. Originally the Confederate government relied on the "commutation" system which required
3128-586: A zouave drill manual. In 1859, Ellsworth took over a drill company and renamed them the "Zouave Cadets" . The drill company toured nationally, performing the light infantry drill of the north African zouaves with many theatrical additions. "Zouave" units were then raised on both sides of the American Civil War of 1861–1865, including a regiment under Ellsworth's command, the New York "Fire Zouaves" . A feature of some American zouave units, at least in
3264-716: Is designed for use in woodland environments. The Indian Army Desert camouflage, which features a desert camouflage pattern, is used by artillery and infantry posted in dusty, semi-desert, and desert areas of Rajasthan and its vicinity. Parade dress for the modern Indian Army normally involve the addition of pagris ( turbans ), cravats and cummerbunds in regimental colours to olive green uniforms. Gurkha, Kumaoni, Naga, Garhwali and Assam units wear wide brimmed felt hats. The Indonesian National Armed Forces have different types of uniforms worn by its personnel for certain occasions. The uniforms are basically regulated into several categories including "PDU" ( Pakaian Dinas Upacara ), which
3400-518: Is the Spartan hoplite in his red garment, attributed by Plutarch "partly because it seems to be a manly colour and partly because (it) causes more terror amongst inexperienced foes". The Terracotta Army discovered in the tomb of the first Emperor of China (c. 200 BC) have a superficial similarity but closer examination shows up to seven different styles of armour, which do not appear to have been standardised within separate units. The legions of
3536-639: Is the full dress uniform worn for attending formal state occasions; "PDH" ( Pakaian Dinas Harian ), which is the service dress uniform worn during everyday-indoor duties; "PDL" ( Pakaian Dinas Lapangan ), which is the combat dress uniform worn during outdoor duties; and "PDP" ( Pakaian Dinas Parade ), which is the parade dress uniform worn during military parades and other ceremonial occasions. Each uniform category consists of different types which usually consists of type I until type IV (four types). The uniform regulations are basically different for men and women. The Army , Navy , and Air Force basically have
3672-795: The Army of the Loire and the Republican defenders of Paris. After 1871 the zouaves lost their status as an élite corps solely made up of long-service volunteers; they became a force mainly composed of conscripts from the French settlers in Algeria and Tunisia, undertaking their compulsory military service. Shortfalls in numbers were made up by detachments from the southern régions militaires of mainland France ( Métropole ). The zouave regiments did however retain significant numbers of long-service volunteers ( engages volontiers et réengages ) who contributed to
3808-659: The Battle of Loigny . The Volontaires de l'Ouest were disbanded after the entrance of Prussian troops into Paris. In 1871 an English veteran, Joseph Powell, published his account of his service with the Papal Zouaves, Two Years in the Pontifical Zouaves. In 1863, during the Polish January Uprising against the Russian Empire , a French ex-officer who had served previously in one of
3944-819: The Bersaglieri of the regular Italian Army as the latter stormed the Porta Pia . Several Papal Zouaves were reportedly executed or murdered by the Italian forces following the surrender. The French component of the Papal Zouaves regrouped as the Volontaires de l'Ouest (Volunteers of the West) to fight on the French side in the Franco-Prussian War , where they kept their grey and red Papal uniforms. The Zouaves saw action outside Orléans , Patay and
4080-477: The British Indian Army . The modern Indian Army uniform standardises on dun for khaki. The Indian Army camouflage uniform consists of shirts, trousers, and cap of a synthetic material. Shirts are buttoned up with two chest pockets with buttoned flaps. Trousers have two pockets, two thigh box pockets, and a back pocket. The Indian Army Jungle camouflage dress features a jungle camouflage pattern and
4216-594: The English Civil War . In the earlier years of the latter, though the richer colonels uniformed their men (for instance, the Marquess of Newcastle's "Whitecoats" and King Charles's own red-coated Lifeguard of foot), the rustics and the citizens turned out for war in their ordinary rough clothes, donning armour and sword-belt. But in 1645 the Long Parliament raised an army for permanent service, and
Kurtka - Misplaced Pages Continue
4352-757: The Indian Rebellion of 1857 the forces of the East India Company in India dyed their white summer tunics to neutral tones; initially a tan called khaki (from the Hindi word for "dusty"). This was a temporary measure which became standard in the Indian service in the 1880s. Only during the Second Boer War in 1902, did the entire British Army standardise on dun for Service Dress including
4488-587: The Kabylia campaigns. Recruited through direct voluntary enlistment or by transfer from other regiments of men with at least two years service, the zouaves quickly achieved the status of an elite amongst the French Army of Africa . By 1853, the French Army included three regiments of zouaves. Each of the three line regiments of zouaves was allocated to a different province of Algeria, where their depots and peace-time garrisons were located. The Crimean War
4624-545: The Knights Templar or Hospitaller wore mantles respectively of white (with red crosses on the shoulder) and of black (later red with white crosses) over the usual pattern of armour for their periods. In the later part of the Medieval period instances of standardised clothing being issued for particular campaigns began to occur. English examples included the white coats worn by Norfolk levies recruited in 1296 and
4760-565: The Mexican–American War ; it refers to any Louisiana state trooper (and more recently, to the state's athletic teams ). But none of the Mexican War Louisiana "Tigers" were Zouaves. The earliest, and most famous, Louisiana Zouave unit was White's Company B (the "Tiger Rifles") of Major Chatham Roberdeau Wheat 's 1st Special Battalion, Louisiana Volunteers, also known as " Louisiana Tigers ". Another notable Zouave unit on
4896-529: The Ottoman Empire employed distinctive features of dress to distinguish one corps or class of soldier from another. An example would be the conical black hats of felt worn by the Deli cavalry of the early 19th century. However the basic costume was usually that of the tribal group or social class from which a particular class of warrior was drawn. As such it was sufficiently varied not to rank as "uniform" in
5032-596: The Roman Republic and Empire had a fairly standardised dress and armour, particularly from approximately the early to mid 1st century onward, when Lorica Segmentata (segmented armour) was introduced. However the lack of unified production for the Roman army meant that there were still considerable differences in detail. Even the armour produced in state factories varied according to the province of origin. Fragments of surviving clothing and wall paintings indicate that
5168-627: The Royal Navy wore regulated uniforms. Through the 18th century to the Napoleonic Wars navy officers had a form of dress broadly resembling that of army officers, though in dark blue with white facings. In the early 19th century Royal Navy officers developed a more distinctive form of uniform comprising (in full dress uniform ) a cocked hat, dark blue coatee with white collar and cuffs, dark blue or white trousers, or breeches. Epaulettes and braiding were gold and varied according to rank. In
5304-559: The Taiping Rebellion (1851–66), Chinese armies of the 19th century wore dress that was broadly variegated. Embroidered chest panels and coloured buttons on headdresses were used to distinguish rank and sometimes unit. From 1910 the Imperial Chinese Army adopted dark blue uniforms of Japanese style with coloured facings of red, white, or yellow to distinguish the different branches. The Imperial Guard Division had
5440-567: The Zouaoua (or Zwāwa), a tribe of Berbers located in the mountains of the Jurjura Range (see Kabyles ). The Zouaoua had formerly provided soldiers for the deys of Algiers and in August 1830 the commander of the French expeditionary force which had occupied the city recommended their continued employment in this role. The existence of the new corps was formally recognised by a Royal decree dated 21 March 1831. From their beginning
5576-507: The coatee -type jacket replaced the combination of tailcoat and waistcoat. The ornamental peak of the military uniform was reached in the early 19th century in Western Europe . Sometimes the Napoleonic Wars are identified as being the acme of colourful and ornate uniforms, but actually the several decades of relative peace that followed were a time of even more decorative styles and embellishments. The Napoleonic soldier on campaign
Kurtka - Misplaced Pages Continue
5712-720: The 10th New York "National Zouaves", held off the flanking attack of James Longstreet 's Corps for ten crucial minutes before it was overrun. The 5th New York thus suffered the highest percentage of casualties in the shortest amount of time of any unit in the Civil War – of 525 men, approximately 120 were killed and 330 were wounded in less than 10 minutes. In 1863 and 1864, three Union regiments (146th New York, 140th New York , and 155th Pennsylvania) were issued with Zouave uniforms to reward their proficiency in drill and battlefield performance. Difficulties in supply and replacement meant that Zouave and other exotic militia uniforms tended to be replaced by standard issue uniforms throughout
5848-403: The 18th and early 19th centuries soiled easily and had to be pipeclayed to retain any semblance of cleanliness. Green as worn by Jäger and Rifle regiments proved particularly prone to fading until suitable chemical dyes were devised in the 1890s. British soldiers were known for their striking red clothing (hence the name " Redcoats "). This was actually a fairly dull shade of madder red until
5984-434: The 18th century. There was infinite variety, even within smaller armies, between regiments, branches or ranks and the subject is a complex one. The British were the first to introduce drab/khaki uniforms: in 1848 in India. This khaki drill then became more generally worn from the Indian Rebellion of 1857 both in India and Africa. A darker version, known as "service drab", was adopted for home service field wear in 1902,
6120-513: The 19th century. The Ironsides cavalry , however, wore buff leather coats and armour long after the infantry had abandoned them. Thus the principle ever since followed — uniform coat and variegated facings — was established. By choice or convenience the majority of the corps out of which the New Model Army was formed had come to be dressed in red, with facings according to the colonel's taste. In Austria sixty years afterwards events took
6256-483: The Austro-Hungarian Empire discarded their historic white tunics in 1868 in favour of dark blue. However, the extremely large number of colours appearing on collars, cuffs, and shoulder straps to distinguish the various regiments were retained. There were for example ten shades of red, ranging from cherry red to pink. The Swedish Army had favoured dark blue with yellow facings since the beginning of
6392-523: The Belgian and French armies saw active service in bright colours and old fashioned headgear (although the Austro-Hungarian cavalry retained their blue and red uniforms for field wear after the remainder of the army had gone into pike grey in 1909). The Imperial German field grey of 1910 retained a number of traditional features such as spiked helmets, shakos, busbies , and coloured piping from
6528-633: The Casbah, played a major role in the 1957 Battle of Algiers . At the end of the Algerian War, the remaining zouave and tirailleur units were incorporated in a short-lived Force locale de l'ordre Algérienne : created under the Évian Accords of March 1962 and intended to provide a transitional peace-keeping force acceptable to both Muslim and European communities. The remaining zouave regiments (2nd, 3rd, 4th, 8th and 9th) were finally disbanded in 1962 immediately following Algerian independence . This
6664-595: The Confederate side was the "1st (Coppens') Louisiana Zouave Battalion", which was raised by Georges Augustus Gaston De Coppens in 1861. They saw action from the Peninsula Campaign to the Siege of Petersburg , all the while being short of supplies. They were disbanded in 1865. The Confederate Zouave units did not last long throughout the war. All of them had traded out their Zouave garb for standard Confederate clothing by 1862. The last Confederate Zouave unit
6800-632: The Crimea were brought together before Sebastopol for this purpose. Having earned the unusual distinction of being created on the field of battle, the Zouaves of the Imperial Guard served through the remainder of the Crimean War and subsequently in all the campaigns of the Second Empire. Their peace-time garrisons were initially at Saint-Cloud and then Versailles from 1857. This regiment wore
6936-555: The First World War, all of which were redesignated Algerian tirailleur regiments in 1918 or 1920. The 9th Zouaves were the last French zouave unit. The first 9th Zouave regiment existed from 1914 until the fall of France in 1940, a second 9th Zouaves was raised in the Second World War and disbanded after the Algerian War (1954–1962), and a third 9th Zouaves existed as a nominal unit from 1982 to 2006 (representing
SECTION 50
#17327830004657072-428: The French Army, for example, had large dark blue cuffs on its off-white coats. To a certain extent the functions required of a given group of soldiers were reflected in their dress. Thus artillery uniforms in most armies were usually of dark blue, for the practical reason that handling black powder would have soiled lighter coloured clothing. Infantry drummers and cavalry trumpeters often had "reverse" colours with coats
7208-544: The French Army. The four zouave regiments of the French Army wore their traditional colorful dress during the early months of the First World War. The development of the machine gun, rapid-fire artillery, and improved small-arms obliged them to adopt a plain khaki uniform from 1915 onwards, in common with other units of the Armée d'Afrique . From 1927 to 1939 the "oriental dress" of red fez ("chéchia"), blue sash, braided blue jackets with waistcoats and voluminous red trousers
7344-576: The French commander, General de Failly cited the bravery of the Zouaves. They were also mentioned in Victor Hugo 's poem Mentana . The Papal Zouaves also played a role in the final engagements against the forces of the newly united Kingdom of Italy in September 1870, in which the Papal forces were outnumbered almost seven to one. The Zouaves fought bravely before surrender, inflicting losses on
7480-455: The French zouave regiments, François Rochebrune , organised the Zouaves of Death . Members of this Polish unit swore "to conquer or to die" and not to surrender. They wore a black uniform with white cross and red fez . The unit's baptism by fire occurred at the Battle of Miechów , where under the command of adjutant Wojciech Komorowski, they successfully charged Russian forces defending
7616-457: The French, German, Italian, and Soviet armies, amongst others, between the Wars. Uniforms of varying shades of khaki and grey were universal in the Second World War but the cut and outline appearance of the different armies still made identification in the field relatively straight forward. A Soviet soldier would, for example be distinguishable from his German opponent by his general outline, even in
7752-570: The German Landsknechte of the 16th century is an example of distinctive military fashion. Special units such as Zouaves developed non-standard uniforms to distinguish them from troops of the line. There are a few recorded attempts at uniform dress in antiquity, going beyond the similarity to be expected of ethnic or tribal dress. One example is the Spanish infantry of Hannibal who wore white tunics with crimson edgings. Another
7888-578: The German black and the Italian blue, with various facings. The French grey was probably decided upon, like the Austrian grey, as being a good "service" colour, which could be cheaply manufactured. During the 18th century the normal military uniform in Europe comprised a standardised form of civilian dress ( tricorn hat , long-skirted coat, waistcoat and breeches ). One distinctively military feature were
8024-432: The Marine Corps Birthday Ball in November. The British Household Cavalry and Foot Guards wear uniforms largely unchanged from 1914 for "public duties" i.e. ceremonial. The military of many countries have adopted the economical expedient of smartening up combat uniforms for parade by adding medals , neck scarves and coloured berets to the terrain coloured camouflage uniforms intended for combat. As an interesting example of
8160-441: The Napoleonic period. The German Army has retained a form of field grey for dress wear though of modern cut and worn with berets. Some senior officers still wear peaked caps . The collar braid stripes ( Litzen ), that distinguished regiments of the Prussian Guard prior to 1918, have become a general feature of modern German uniforms. The Mountain infantry troops retain a more traditional dress uniform. The Nationale Volksarmee of
8296-412: The Nazi regime retained uniforms with many traditional features from Imperial Germany for its army uniforms, such as field grey cloth, marching boots (a taller version for officers), collar litzen (braiding) and breeches (for officers and NCOs); German Panzer (tank) troops had a special combat uniform made of black wool and German troops serving in tropical climates had uniforms in a shade of khaki. Later in
SECTION 60
#17327830004658432-421: The North African–inspired uniforms during the American Civil War . The Union army had more than 70 volunteer zouave regiments throughout the conflict, while the Confederates fielded about 25 Zouave companies. In the United States, zouaves were brought to public attention by Elmer E. Ellsworth . Inspired by his French friend Charles De Villers, who had been a surgeon in the North African zouaves, he obtained
8568-423: The Royal Navy from Trafalgar to the Second World War RN uniforms became the model for virtually all other navies. While certain distinctive features emerged - such as the red pompon worn on the crown of the French sailor's cap, the open fronted jacket of the German Navy or the white round cap of the U.S. Navy - the overall pattern remained standard until the development of specialist working or protective rigs during
8704-428: The Second World War. It is generally supposed that Union soldiers wore blue uniforms and Confederate soldiers wore grey ones. However, this was only a generalisation. Both the Union and the Confederacy drew up uniform regulations, but as a matter of practical reality neither side was able to fully equip its men at the outbreak of the war. Existing state units and quickly raised volunteer regiments on both sides wore
8840-404: The United States and Ireland; while the remaining 155 Zouaves were mostly South American. The Papal Zouaves assisted in the notable Franco/Papal victory at the Battle of Mentana on November 3, 1867. They suffered the brunt of the fighting, sustaining 81 casualties in the battle, including 24 killed (the Papal forces suffered only 30 dead in total). The official report of the battle prepared by
8976-443: The basic legionnaire uniform but with leather aprons and gloves. Troupes de marine wear blue and red kepis and yellow epaulettes. The Chasseurs Alpins wear a large beret, known as the "tarte" (the pie ), and mountain outfits. The single remaining regiment of Spahis retains the white cloak and red sash of the days when this corps consisted of Algerian and Moroccan cavalry. Sailors of the French Navy and Fusiliers marins wear
9112-424: The basic tunic of the Roman soldier was of un-dyed (off-white) or red-dyed wool. Senior commanders are known to have worn white cloaks and plumes. Centurions – the century commanders who made up the long serving backbone of the legions – were distinguished by transverse crests on their helmets , various chest ornaments (phaleræ) corresponding to modern medals, torques (a symbol borrowed from the Gauls and also used as
9248-480: The bottom of the sleeve) and the sleeves must be long enough to cover the arms to the wrists, and wide enough at the end to fit the wrist and four fingers. This clothing -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Military uniform A military uniform is a standardised dress worn by members of the armed forces and paramilitaries of various nations. Military dress and styles have gone through significant changes over
9384-402: The casual wear category is physical training uniforms . The study used to design and produce military uniforms is referred to as military textile science . A distinction should be made between uniforms and ethnic dress. If a particular people or culture favoured a distinctive dress style this could easily create the impression of uniformly dressed warriors. The issue is further complicated by
9520-791: The centuries, from colourful and elaborate, ornamented clothing until the 19th century, to utilitarian camouflage uniforms for field and battle purposes from World War I (1914–1918) on. Military uniforms in the form of standardised and distinctive dress, intended for identification and display, are typically a sign of organised military forces equipped by a central authority. Military uniforms differ not only according to military units but tend to also be offered in different levels of formality in accordance with Western dress codes : full dress uniform for formal wear , mess dress uniform for formal evening wear , service dress uniform for informal wear , and combat uniform (also called "battle/field dress") which would equal casual wear . Sometimes added to
9656-417: The chest. It was worn by lancers and uhlans , a type of light cavalry which had its origins in the Lipka Tatars who served the kings of Poland , but were widely copied by the armies of many western nations from the start of the 19th century along with their distinctive style of dress. The lancer's kurtka developed from a jacket called a kontusz , which during the late 18th century became shortened into
9792-479: The classic zouave uniform but with yellow braiding and piping substituted for the red of the line regiments. In the opening stages of the Franco-Prussian War the bulk of the serving zouave units were amongst the Imperial field army defeated at Sedan in September 1870. Drawing on remnants of the Imperial forces, depot troops from Algeria and volunteers it was possible to reconstitute all four regiments as part of
9928-526: The clothes and accoutrements to be worn on various occasions was strictly regulated by orders. But uniformity of clothing was not to be expected so long as the "enlistment" system prevailed and soldiers were taken in and dismissed at the beginning and end of every campaign. The beginnings of uniform are therefore to be found in truly national armies, in the Indelta of Gustavus Adolphus, and the English armies of
10064-499: The coat was eventually evolved the tunic of the mid-19th century, and the hat became the cocked hat of a later generation, which generally disappeared during the decade of 1800–1810 to reappear in the late 19th and early 20th century, by which time it had its original form of a "slouch-hat." For service in Ireland the New Model Army's red coat was exchanged for one of russet colour, just as scarlet gave way to khaki for Indian service in
10200-410: The colonels became officials rather than proprietors. The New Model Army was clothed in the civilian costume of the date—ample coat, waistcoat, breeches, stockings and shoes (in the case of cavalry, boots)—but with the distinctive colour throughout the army of red and with regimental facings of various colours and breeches of grey. Soon afterwards the helmet was replaced by a grey broad-brimmed hat. From
10336-404: The colour of the regimental facings and facings the colour of the regimental coats. Officers (who paid for their own clothing) were slower to accept uniforms. During the late 17th century they were often dressed in individual styles and colours according to their own taste and means. In part this was because the uniform dress issued to the rank and file was considered a form of livery — the mark of
10472-667: The combining of old and new features of uniform the French Spahis and the Spanish Regulares still wear the flowing cloaks, fezzes, turbans and sashes of the North African colonial regiments from which they are descended with modern khaki or camouflage clothing, on appropriate occasions. The battle dress of the French Armed Forces is the FÉLIN system combined with SPECTRA helmets . France has adopted
10608-523: The conflict. However, the tradition remained strong, and the last Union casualty of the fighting in Virginia was reported to be a Zouave of the 155th Pennsylvania , killed at Farmville, Virginia , on the morning of April 9, 1865. A number of Confederate Zouave units were also raised. In contrast to the many Federal units, most Confederate Zouaves were not full "regiments"; many were companies within larger units. The cognomen "Louisiana Tiger" dates from
10744-533: The decision was taken to issue complete uniforms to petty officers and seamen. This included features which can still be recognised in the Class I uniform of ratings in the modern Royal Navy - notably the wide blue collar with white tapes, a black neckerchief, white lanyard and blue or white jumper. The flared " bell bottom " trousers disappeared after the Second World War . Because of the global dominance of
10880-692: The distinctive features (weapons, armour, fighting style and native dress) of particularly effective warrior classes often being copied. Thus the distinctive and colourful clothing of the Hungarian hussars became a model for hussar units all over Europe. The kilts and sporrans of Scottish Highland clans were distilled into regimental dress when the British Army started to recruit from these tribal groups. Mercenary or irregular fighters could also develop their own fashions, which set them apart from civilians, but were not really uniforms. The clothing of
11016-607: The end of the war, and took part in operations against Vietnamese insurgents. In 1899 a law created for each regiment of zouaves a 5th Battalion, "to be stationed in France" in groupes des 5e bataillons de Zouaves . The 5th battalions of the 1st and 4th Zouaves were stationed as part of the Gouvernement militaire de Paris . The 5th battalions of the 2nd and 3rd Zouaves were stationed in the région militaire de Lyon . Upon mobilization for war in France, these battalions would form
11152-464: The fog of battle. British, American, Japanese and French uniforms still retained some distinctive features, even as they became more and more utilitarian in the course of the War. The US Army discarded its First World War style field uniforms in 1941 in favour of a very plain and practical combat dress in a thin light brown wool shirt (sometimes with an olive green cast) and slightly darker trousers. This
11288-585: The form of the "Adrian" helmet adopted by the French Army in 1915. The practical advantages of this innovation led the British and German armies to adopt their own helmets by 1916. Other armies followed suit – the Belgians and Italians for example copying the French model and the Austro-Hungarians that of Germany. The drab uniforms of 1914–18 remained in general use until the Second World War. This
11424-510: The formation of the Tirailleurs algériens , the Turcos , as the infantry corps for Muslim troops, changed the basis for enlistment of the zouave battalions. For most of their remaining history the zouaves became an essentially French body, until in 1956 a new policy of partial racial mixing was introduced amongst units of the Army of Africa. Initially constituted as battalion sized units,
11560-675: The former German Democratic Republic also maintained a stone grey uniform, following the Imperial German tradition. Both the West and East German militaries still retained Prussian-style dress uniform respectively, with the West abandoning the "Stiefelhosen" (bootcut trousers). Until 1945 Waffenrock (English: service coat or tunic ) – was the generic term for military uniform. This included dress uniforms, parade uniforms, and also epaulettes or shoulder boards with rank insignia, as well as uniform cuffs, badges and other insignia. During
11696-532: The founding of the Soviet Army) as a sign of an undesirable "social class" mentality. The reintroduction of these epaulettes in 1943 was a relatively inexpensive means of boosting Soviet troop morale. Once reintroduced to the Soviet Army, the use of shoulder boards was never rescinded and they remained part of the uniform until the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The distinct bluish grey colour for tankers
11832-470: The front of their open-fronted jackets. The zouaves played a major role in the 1914–1918 War with their numbers being expanded to nine regiments de marche . These units retained much of their traditional panache, especially in attack. They became however less conspicuous in World War II , seeing service mainly during the opening stages of the war in the Battle of France (1940) and in the course of
11968-587: The garrisons of Seville, Barcelona, and Madrid for special ceremonials until 1931. These included red trousers for the line infantry, following the French practice in an example of cross-border influence. The use of steel helmets was by now almost universal and a number of countries adopted their own designs moving away from the German, British, and French models of the First World War. The Italians, Soviets, Japanese, Swiss, Spanish and Portuguese were amongst these. Steel helmets, originally simply items of utilitarian protective clothing, were adopted as parade headdress by
12104-422: The general adoption of scarlet for tunics in the 1870s. In an early instance of military camouflage , the sailors of Imperial Rome are reported to have worn blue/grey tunics. However uniform dress was not a feature of navies (officers and marines excepted) until comparatively recent times. This may reflect the considerable difference in roles and conditions of service between sailors and soldiers. No uniform
12240-495: The green and white clothing that identified Cheshire archers during the 14th century. The regular thematic (provincial) and Tagmata (central) troops of the Byzantine Empire (East Roman) are the first known soldiers to have had what would now be considered regimental or unit identification. During the 10th century, each of the cavalry "banda" making up these forces is recorded as having plumes and other distinctions in
12376-613: The high morale and steadiness of these units. Two zouave battalions (under chefs de bataillon Simon and Mignot) served in Tonkin during the closing weeks of the Sino-French War (August 1884 to April 1885). One of these battalions was roughly handled on 23 March 1885 in the Battle of Phu Lam Tao . A third zouave battalion ( chef de bataillon Metzinger) joined the Tonkin Expeditionary Corps shortly after
12512-534: The illustrated publications of the period. The 2nd Zouaves (popularly known as "the Jackals of Oran") had their mutilated eagle decorated with the Legion d' Honneur following the Battle of Magenta in 1859. On 23 December 1854 a fourth regiment was created, the Zouaves of the Imperial Guard. The actual formation of this unit was delayed until 15 March 1855 when detachments from the zouave regiments already serving in
12648-414: The kurtka. In addition to the general meaning of "jacket", the word kurtka refers to the garment normally worn by Sambo practitioners, similar to the keikogi in style and function, although it is tighter fitting and has epaulettes and belt loops. A kurtka should be made of canvas or other heavy material, should be tight-fitting, should not extend more than eight inches below the belt (roughly equal to
12784-526: The later sense. An elaborate system of colourful standards largely provided unit identification. Even the appearance of the Janissaries was likely to reflect individual means and taste, although red was a favoured colour and the white felt zarcola headdresses were similar. It was not until the reorganisation of the Ottoman Army by Sultan Mahmud II during the 1820s that completely standardised dress
12920-574: The laws of war as a "distinctive sign"). Field signs were easily removed or donned, as in the example of John Smith , a squire on the Royalist side who at the Battle of Edgehill put on the orange scarf of the Parliamentarians and with no more elaborate disguise recaptured the royal standard from the Earl of Essex's own secretary. By this time, in France at least, the general character of
13056-576: The liberation of France (1944). As predominantly conscript units the zouaves did not serve in Indochina between 1945 and 1954. They were, however, employed extensively as sector troops during the Algerian War . Their history as a corps of high-profile elite infantry, closely identified with French Algeria, made for higher morale and effectiveness than that of most conscript units from metropolitan France assigned to Algeria. The 9th Zouaves based in
13192-572: The local cemetery. However, the overall engagement was a defeat for the Poles on February 17, 1863. Lt. Tytus O'Brien de Lacy escaped with 400 zouaves to Galicia in March 1863. In the Battle of Chroberz the Zouaves covered the retreat of the main body of Polish forces under Marian Langiewicz . They also fought at the follow-up Battle of Grochowiska where they captured Russian artillery positions but suffered very high casualties. Commanding officers of
13328-728: The long canvas gaiters which came up to mid-thigh and had multiple buttons . Dress was surprisingly standardised between European armies in cut and general outline. The distinction normally lay in colours: red coats for the British and Danes, light grey then white for the French, Spanish, and Austrian infantry, dark blue for the Prussians and Portuguese, green for the Russians, etc. Within each army different regiments were usually distinguished by " facings " — linings, turnbacks, and braiding on coats in colours that were distinctive to one or several regiments. The Royal Comtois Infantry Regiment of
13464-751: The most decorated units of the French Army . It was initially intended that the zouaves would be a regiment of Berber volunteers from the Zwawa group of tribes in Algeria ("Zwawa" being the origin of the French term zouave ) who had gained a martial reputation fighting for local rulers under the Regency of Algiers . The regiment was to consist of 1,600 Zwawa Berbers, French non-commissioned officers and French officers. 500 Zwawa were recruited in August and September 1830. However, twelve years later, this idea
13600-462: The most famous Union zouave regiments were from New York and Pennsylvania: the 5th New York Volunteer Infantry , known as "Duryee's Zouaves" after its first colonel, Abram Duryee ; the 114th Pennsylvania Infantry , called "Collis's Zouaves" after their colonel, Charles H. T. Collis ; and the 11th New York Volunteer Infantry , the "Fire Zouaves". The 11th New York was initially led by Col. Elmer E. Ellsworth , until his death in 1861. The 11th New York
13736-605: The nucleus of Régiments de Marche de Zouaves , each of 3 battalions. This permanent presence in the two key garrisons of metropolitan France facilitated subsequent arrival and participation by other elements of the 19th Military Region as reinforcements, in the event of an attack on mainland France. Zouave battalions subsequently saw active service in China during the Boxer Rising (1900–1901) and in Morocco (1908–1914). From
13872-564: The number reached fourteen. The zouave regiments raised in 1914 for the First World War were the 8th and 9th. The 13th Zouaves were raised in 1919 and dissolved in 1940. The zouave regiments raised in 1939 for the Second World War were the 11th, 12th, 14th, and 21st, all of which were dissolved after the fall of France in 1940. Other regiments raised later in the Second World War were the 9th ('reactivated'), 22nd, 23rd, and 29th. In addition, four mixed zouave and tirailleur regiments ( régiments mixtes de zouaves et tirailleurs ) were raised for
14008-417: The numerous buttons on regimental clothing. New uniforms were issued with surprising frequency in some 18th-century armies (once a year in the British service). It should, however, be remembered that a soldier had to march, parade, fight and sometimes sleep in the same garment and that such extras as greatcoats or working clothes were seldom issued until the end of the century. The highly organised armies of
14144-514: The older uniforms. The demands of modern warfare as well as financial economy soon saw these survivals vanish, and by 1916 all involved armies were in either khaki (Russia, Turkish, Serbia, Montenegro, Japan, Greek, French colonial, and Britain), various shades of grey (German, Italian, Bulgarian, Portuguese, and Austro-Hungarian ) or sky blue (French and Romanian). The coloured uniforms of peacetime were often relegated to depot wear by recruits doing their basic training. Steel helmets first appeared in
14280-525: The opening stages of the American Civil War , was the light infantry tactics and drill they employed. Zouaves "utilised light infantry tactics that emphasised open-order formations, with several feet between soldiers, rather than the customary close order, with its characteristic 'touch of elbows'. They moved at double-time, rather than marching to a stately cadence , and they lay on their backs to load their rifles rather than standing to do so. To fire, they rolled prone and sometimes rose on one knee." Arguably
14416-532: The past. Most Russian troops, for example, wore the very dark green introduced by Peter the Great in 1700. German infantry generally wore the dark " Prussian blue " of the previous two centuries. This and other features of the historic Prussian Army uniform were generally adopted by the other German States as they fell under Prussian influence before and after the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. Bavarians, however, continued to wear light blue and Saxon regiments retained
14552-492: The pre-1914 colours of their branch or regiment. Elsewhere full or coloured dress of traditional cut was generally restricted to formal uniforms for officers and long service regulars, ceremonial guards, and a few other limited categories. The Spanish Army (which had not been involved in the First World War) exceptionally continued to issue coloured uniforms to all its conscript rank and file until 1926 and thereafter to
14688-454: The process was not an inexorable one. The Danish Army adopted grey-green uniforms for all occasions in 1903, reverted to a combination of dark and light blue in 1910, took up light grey in 1915 and finally settled for khaki in 1923. The Imperial Russian armies, following their adoption of khaki-grey field uniforms in 1908, took the opportunity to upgrade their parade uniforms to much more elaborate and colorful styles, and were experimenting with
14824-491: The putting into store of the flag of the 9th Zouaves in 2010, any direct link between the former zouaves and active units of the modern French Army ceased. While other branches of the old French Army of Africa have either survived or been reestablished as representative units in recent years (notably the Foreign Legion , Chasseurs d'Afrique , Tirailleurs , and Spahis ), France has not recreated one of its most distinctive and best known military corps. The Papal Zouaves were
14960-495: The regiment were: In 1856, the West India Regiments of the British Army switched their attire to a uniform modeled on that of the French zouaves. This consisted of a red fez with a white tassel, a white turban, a scarlet sleeveless jacket with yellow trimming, a white long sleeved waistcoat, and dark blue sirwals with yellow piping. White canvas gaiters and leather jamberees completed the uniform. This uniform
15096-462: The same course. The colonels there uniformed their men as they saw fit, but had, probably to obtain "wholesale" prices, agreed upon a serviceable colour, pearl grey. When in 1707 Prince Eugene procured the issue of uniform regulations, few line regiments had to be re-clothed. In France, as in England and Austria, the cavalry, still led by the wealthy classes rather than officered by the professional,
15232-431: The same regulations for the uniform, but differ in terms of color and certain designs which represent their respective branches. Zouave The Zouaves ( French pronunciation: [zwav] ) were a class of light infantry regiments of the French Army serving between 1830 and 1962 and linked to French North Africa ; as well as some units of other countries modelled upon them. The zouaves were among
15368-547: The same year that the US Army also adopted khaki for non-dress occasions. The Italians introduced grey-green in 1909, followed by the German and Austrian armies who adopted different shades of grey. The Russians had changed to a grey shade of khaki in 1908, following their experience in the Russo-Japanese War of 1905. There was however strong attachment to the colourful uniforms as previously worn on all occasions and
15504-728: The short jacket was much cooler than the long woolen blouse worn by most armies of the time. In the Third Carlist War (1872–1876) the Infante Alfonso Carlos, Duke of San Jaime , (the brother of the Carlist Pretender to the Spanish throne, Carlos, Duke of Madrid ) raised a unit of Spanish zouaves, the Carlist Zouaves ( Batallon Zuavos ), as an honor guard for himself and his wife Maria de las Nieves Braganza . The Carlist Zouaves originated as
15640-415: The shoulder. In the British army officers were ordered to adopt epaulettes by a clothing warrant dated 1768. Even when officers' uniforms became the subject of detailed regulation they remained easily distinguishable from those of other ranks, by the better quality and richness of the materials and trimmings used. Gold or silver braiding on the hats and coats of officers usually matched the bronze or pewter of
15776-400: The states to provide their own uniforms. While the commutation system was in place, many states were not able to provide an ample supply of uniforms and captured federal uniforms were common. Later in the war the Confederate national government provided uniforms from a central depot system, including the famous Richmond and Columbus depots. Many photographs of Confederate soldiers from later in
15912-547: The very beginning of World War I zouave regiments and detached battalions saw extensive service on the Western Front . Others served in the Dardanelles, Macedonia (within the 156th Division ), Tonkin, Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco. Twelve zouave battalions were recruited for exclusively North African service from French-speaking prisoners-of-war and deserters from German Alsace-Lorraine , who had volunteered to join
16048-619: The war (usually casualties) are wearing standardised uniforms. As Sherman's men marched across Georgia and up the Carolinas, they were cut off from supply by the Union and began wearing clothing of Confederate origin. Confederate soldiers used a variety of vegetable and imported dyes which would fade to a "butternut" colour. Until 1914 the majority of armies still provided colourful dress uniforms for all ranks, at least for parade and off-duty wear. These often retained distinctive features from
16184-552: The war, severe leather shortages led to the replacement of marching boots with ankle height shoes worn with gaiters (Gemäsch). Imperial Japan used a light brown or khaki colour for most Imperial army uniforms — though there was also a green service dress tunic for officers. Footwear was reddish brown jack boots (restricted for wear only by officers), while soldiers wore shoes with leg wrappings puttees ). From 1935 to 1943, Soviet Army uniforms for all troops (except than tank troops) were an intermediate shade of brown; uniforms included
16320-410: The zouave units included a French European element, initially drawn from the demobilized Garde royal of Charles X and other Parisian volunteers. From March 1833 each zouave battalion was organised into ten companies, of which eight were Muslim Berbers and Arabs and two French. In 1838 a third battalion was raised, and the regiment thus formed was commanded by Major de Lamoriciere . Shortly afterwards
16456-540: The zouaves were reorganized as separate regiments in 1852: At the end of the Algerian War six zouave regiments were in existence, of which the 1er was disbanded in 1960 and the remainder in 1962. Other provisional regiments of zouaves were raised in 1914 and 1939 for the First and Second World Wars respectively. During World War I nine regiments de marche of zouaves were created; comprising active, reserve, and new battalions seconded from other regiments. In World War II
16592-619: Was Coppens' Zouave Battalion, which later became dubbed the Confederate State Zouave Battalion. Zouaves gradually vanished from the U.S. military in the 1870s and 1880s, as the militia system slowly transformed into the National Guard . As an example, the Wisconsin militia still included one zouave unit in 1879, but the next year, in 1880, the traditional distinctions of title and dress ceased when
16728-648: Was badly mauled during the First Battle of Bull Run in July 1861 as it acted as the rear guard for the retreating Army of the Potomac. The 5th New York was considered one of the elite units of the Army of the Potomac ; it was one of only two volunteer regiments serving with the regular division commanded by George Sykes . At the Second Battle of Bull Run , the 5th New York, along with another Zouave regiment,
16864-482: Was dropped. More zouave regiments were raised and the men recruited to serve in them were almost exclusively French or people of French descent born in French Algeria ( pieds-noirs ), a policy which continued until the final dissolution of these regiments after the Algerian War . In the 1860s, zouave units arose in many other countries. The Papal Zouaves were organized by Louis Juchault de Lamoricière ,
17000-1008: Was eliminated in 1943, from which point on all units of the Soviet Army wore brown. Most military forces have developed several different uniform types, including combat dress, working dress, service or ordinary duty uniforms and (to a very limited extent) ceremonial full dress. Today, all armies wear some form of camouflage uniforms for training and combat duty purposes. Armies facing service in different theatres may need several different camouflage uniforms. Traditional coloured uniforms have long since given way to clothing more suited for actual combat in modern conditions. Bright colours are now usually reserved for wear by units having ceremonial functions, some bands and officers attending formal occasions. Elite units normally contrive to having some distinctive features. The United States Marine Corps are well known for their traditional midnight blue tunics and sky blue trousers (trimmed in red for NCO and above). These "dress blues" are worn for formal occasions such as
17136-530: Was inevitable since their recruitment base was the European population of Algeria, which dispersed with the ending of French rule. The traditions of the zouave regiments were maintained until 2006 by the French Army's Commando Training School of Givet ( Centre d'entrainment commando ), which occasionally paraded colour parties and other detachments in zouave dress. With the closure of the CEC school that year and
17272-506: Was issued. The first fifteen years of the 19th century influenced the appearance of military uniforms until the 1850s. In particular, some uniforms of the Grande Armée – notably those of the cavalry regiments of the Imperial Guard – are considered as being amongst the most striking and distinctive of the time. The cost of the French uniforms varied widely, going from 200 to 250 francs for a line infantryman's outfit to 2000 francs for
17408-410: Was likely to present a shabby and nondescript appearance as unsuitable peacetime dress quickly deteriorated or was replaced with whatever local substitutes were available. Until later on in the century dyes were primitive and different batches of uniforms worn by the same unit might present differing shades, especially after exposure to rain and sun. The white uniforms popular amongst many armies through
17544-463: Was not uniformed upon an army system until after the infantry. But in 1688 six-sevenths of the French cavalry was uniformed in light grey with red facings; and about half the dragoon regiments had red uniforms and blue facings. The Marquis of Louvois , in creating a standing army, had introduced an infantry uniform as a necessary consequence. The native French regiments had light grey coats, the Swiss red,
17680-548: Was of North African origin. It generally included short open-fronted jackets, baggy trousers ( serouel ), sashes, and a fez -like chéchia head-dress. The word "zouave" ( French pronunciation: [zwav] ) is a French language derivative of Zouaouas ; the original name of the Kabyle Berbers recruited for French service. The zouaves of the French Army were first raised in Algeria in 1831 with one and later two battalions, initially recruited primarily from
17816-817: Was partly for political reasons, since the republican , fascist , Nazi , and communist regimes that replaced many of the old monarchies and empires had little interest in preserving the splendours of their predecessors. However, even in those societies where there was social and political continuity the trend was away from the traditional uniforms worn prior to 1914. The British Army reintroduced full dress for Guards regiments in 1919-20 and regimental bands by 1928, while permitting officers to wear their mess (evening), blue or green "patrols" (semi-formal) and full dress on appropriate occasions. The French reintroduced "grande tenue" in 1927 for North African regiments which were mostly dependent on voluntary recruiting, and after 1930 required all regular officers to acquire dress uniforms in
17952-483: Was prescribed for the French Navy until a standardised suit for officers of blue and red was decreed in 1764. This evolved from optional blue clothing authorised by Royal decree as early as 1665, although practical grey, brown or black colours were worn at sea. In other 17th-18th navies of Mediterranean states red was a commonly worn colour. Until the middle of the 19th century only officers and warrant officers in
18088-403: Was reintroduced as off-duty dress for re-enlisted NCOs and other long-service regulars in the zouave regiments. It was also worn by colour guards and other detachments on ceremonial occasions. White trousers of the same style had earlier been worn as an item of hot-weather dress. The four regiments were distinguished by the colours (red, blue, white and yellow) of the "tombeaus" or false pockets on
18224-712: Was reserved for full dress and is still used by the Barbados Defense Force military band and the Jamaica Military Band . Other British colonial units who adopted zouave elements as part of their dress uniforms included the Gold Coast Regiment and the Royal West African Frontier Force . Numerous zouave regiments were organized from soldiers of the United States of America who adopted the name and
18360-547: Was the first service which the regiments saw outside Algeria. Armed with the powerful fusil rayé (rifled gun) they subsequently served as effective light infantry in the Franco-Austrian War of 1859, the Mexican Intervention (1864–1866) and the Franco-Prussian War (1870). The distinctive dress and dash of the zouaves made them well known outside France and they were frequently portrayed in
18496-502: Was worn in conjunction with a smart olive drab "Class A" dress uniform—which in many cases varied to a rich "chocolate" brown tunic worn with khaki trousers. There was a khaki version of the Class A dress uniform for summer wear. The war started with American combat troops wearing combat shoes with " spats " (a form of gaiters), replaced later in the war with 2-buckle combat boots. By contrast, British soldiers, other than officers, had their 1938 battledress for all occasions. In Germany
#464535