Unleash the Bees 

Medieval commanders always looked to gain an advantage, and some discovered that one particular type of biological weapon could be quite effective: bees. In the 11th century, when England’s Henry I was besieged by the French Duke of Lorraine, the English defended their fortifications by launching beehives at the enemy’s horses, causing such chaos that the siege was abandoned. 

The insects were deployed again when King Richard I, better known as Richard the Lionheart, began the Third Crusade in 1189. His ships didn’t carry just soldiers and horses — they also carried beehives and their keepers. When Richard confronted the forces of Saladin, sultan of Egypt and Syria, during the Siege of Acre, the English used trebuchets to catapult the beehives into the city, causing total mayhem. It was an unusual but highly effective tactic — the city surrendered the next day. 

Not Killing the Enemy

The Battle of Brémule in 1119 was one of the rare occasions in the high medieval period in which reigning kings fought each other directly in battle. The encounter between Louis VI of France and Henry I of England is also one of the least deadly major medieval battles on record. About 900 knights participated, and three men were killed. 

Some accounts attribute the low number of casualties to the fact that both sides consisted of Christian knights who shared a kind of brotherhood despite being foes in battle, and so did not wish to engage in mass bloodshed. Others point out that these knights could earn fortunes by capturing enemy nobles and demanding ransom for their release — often enough money to set up a family for generations. 

The tactics involved were therefore very odd, with economic incentive overshadowing military objectives, and the knights fought carefully, trying to disable and capture opponents rather than kill them. When it ended, 140 French soldiers had been captured, providing the English victors with substantial ransom payments. The three casualties were likely accidental deaths — or possibly peasant soldiers whose capture held no financial value. 

Launching Dead Animals, Poop, and Prisoners

Beehives, large stones, and flaming barrels of tar ranked among the more sanitary projectiles launched during medieval battles. But siege warfare in the Middle Ages reached peak revulsion when defenders and attackers began catapulting biological horrors at each other. Dead horses, cattle, and other animals were hurled over castle walls to spread disease and demoralize defenders with a truly awful stench. In 1340, attackers hurled dead animals by catapult at the castle of Thun L'Eveque in Hainault (present-day northern France). The defenders soon negotiated a truce, citing the unbearable stink as the reason. 

The strange and putrid tactics didn’t stop there. Animal dung and human excrement were also seen flying through the air, with the aim of contaminating water supplies and spreading dysentery. Most horrifying of all, dead prisoners — sometimes diseased, sometimes executed — were catapulted as both biological weapons and a form of psychological warfare. 

Getting the Enemy Drunk

Alcohol was typically used to celebrate victory in battle, but St. Olga of Kiev used booze for a far more nefarious act in the 10th century. After the Drevlians — an East Slavic tribe that inhabited present-day Ukraine — brutally killed Olga’s husband Prince Igor, the princess embarked on a systematic campaign of vengeance. Having already killed a slew of Drevlian ambassadors, she then sent a message requesting a funeral feast for her husband — to be held in Drevlian territory, with the Drevlians themselves in attendance. 

Olga made sure that copious amounts of mead were on hand at the wake, and then waited until her enemies had drunk themselves into a state of torpor. In a brutally blunt yet highly effective tactical ploy that wouldn’t have been out of place in Game of Thrones, she then ordered her retinue to massacre the drunken soldiers. The battle was swift and bloody, with some 5,000 Drevlians killed. Curiously, the Orthodox Church later canonized Olga as a saint in recognition of her services to the faith, which included building churches and feeding the poor.

Swiss Guard’s Colorful Stripes 

Founded in 1506, the Swiss Guard is widely considered the oldest standing military unit in continuous service, tasked with protecting the pope and the Vatican. Their instantly recognizable uniforms — striped in blue, red, and yellow, with puffed sleeves and breeches — deliberately evoke the pageantry of the Renaissance. 

While often associated with the Medici era (roughly 1434 to 1737), the current design dates to 1910, when it was created by Swiss Guard Commandant Jules Repond. It was inspired by Renaissance military fashion rather than copied from it. The result is a uniform that is highly structured, heavy, and intentionally archaic.

Unlike most modern military attire, the Swiss Guard’s uniform prioritizes symbolism over practicality. Worn by a small, elite corps, it is paired with polished armor, leather gloves, ruffled collars, and the iconic halberd, reinforcing a sense of ritual and continuity. Though impractical for modern combat, the uniform’s purpose is visual identity and historical permanence, making it one of the most striking military fashions in use today.

Winged Hussars’ Feathered Wings

The Winged Hussars were elite heavy cavalry of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Their iconic appearance emerged in the late 16th century and lasted into the early 18th century. Originally a shock cavalry formation — a unit designed to break enemy lines through fast, powerful charges — they became famous for the large feathered “wings” mounted to their armor or saddles. Combined with brightly colored garments, metal breastplates, plumed helmets, and long lances, the wings created a dramatic and instantly recognizable battlefield presence.

However, only a relatively small number of cavalry troops wore the full winged configuration, and the style declined as firearms and new tactics made heavy cavalry less dominant. While the wings offered no direct combat advantage, they amplified the psychological impact of a charge, rattling and startling enemy troops and horses. The result was one of history’s most theatrical examples of military fashion.

Napoleonic Guards’ Bearskin Hats

The grenadiers of Napoleon Bonaparte’s Imperial Guard were elite infantry of France’s Grande Armée, serving until the fall of the First French Empire in 1815. In the early 1800s, these soldiers became famous for their towering bearskin caps, which added nearly a foot to their height and created a dramatic battlefield presence. Worn with dark blue coats, white crossbelts, epaulets, and red accents, the bearskins were heavy, hot, and uncomfortable, but they were designed to project invincibility and intimidate opponents. Only a small number of elite troops wore the full dress, making the effect rare and striking.

Though impractical for combat, the bearskin hats achieved their intended psychological impact and symbolized imperial power. Their use ended with Napoleon’s reign, but the dramatic headdresses influenced later ceremonial uniforms, most notably inspiring the bearskin caps still worn today by the British Foot Guards. 

Cavalry Hussars’ Flair

Following the War of 1812, some volunteer cavalry companies and militia units in the United States experimented with hussar-style uniforms inspired by European light cavalry. These included elaborately braided jackets (called dolmans), fur-trimmed overjackets (pelisses) worn over one shoulder, tight breeches, and tall fur busbies topped with plumes. The look was dramatic, expensive, and intended to project flair and prestige rather than battlefield practicality. Regular U.S. Army cavalry of the period generally wore simpler, functional uniforms suited to frontier service.

Only a small number of American horsemen ever wore these hussar-inspired outfits, and the uniform’s use was brief. They proved heavy, hot, and ill-suited to frontier warfare, and the style largely disappeared within a decade. Later in the 19th century, during the Civil War, several U.S. cavalry regiments adopted hussar-inspired uniforms in more organized form, making these early experiments among the U.S. Army’s most short-lived and theatrical flirtations with European cavalry fashion.

Zouaves’ Flamboyant Attire 

Zouaves, a light infantry unit best known for their distinctive uniforms, began as 19th-century guerrilla fighters from the Zouaoua, a Berber tribe in Algeria’s Djurdjura Mountains. When France conquered Algiers in 1830, it recruited Zouaoua soldiers into colonial battalions. By the mid-1830s, these troops were integrated into the French army as elite units, instantly recognizable for their flamboyant uniforms: short open jackets, heavily braided vests, voluminous trousers, bright sashes, and fezzes. Designed for mobility and esprit de corps rather than camouflage, the outfits quickly became a symbol of precision, bravery, and elite style, widely admired and depicted in European prints.

During the U.S. Civil War, a handful of Union and Confederate regiments adopted the Zouave-style uniforms, replicating the French uniforms with different degrees of detail. Striking but impractical in the field, the outfits offered little concealment and were hard to maintain, yet they became iconic, representing bravery and style that set these units apart from standard infantry.

U.S. Army Tropical Dress

In 1898, the U.S. Army introduced a khaki cotton tropical uniform for soldiers serving in hot, humid climates. Inspired by British colonial uniforms, the design emphasized practicality over traditional military formality. The uniform included a lightweight blouse, matching trousers, and often a pith helmet for sun protection. It was a major departure from the standard dark blue wool service dress, emphasizing comfort, mobility, and practicality rather than formality or traditional army appearance. Infantry and other combat troops in the field were the primary adopters, though officers sometimes had slightly more polished versions for parade or inspection.

Although introduced during the Spanish‑American War, the khaki tropical uniform continued to see use in subsequent campaigns, particularly in the Philippines during the Philippine-American War. It was unique in its muted color, lightweight fabric, and colonial-style helmet — all a stark contrast to the familiar blue and brass of typical military dress. Despite looking unconventional, the uniform proved highly functional in heat, humidity, and rain, marking a shift toward practical, climate-appropriate military clothing that influenced U.S. Army field uniforms for decades.