A Fascinating Look at World War-Era Military Uniforms

Vehicles and weaponry attract much wartime attention, but failing to give proper consideration to uniform design can spell disaster. Take, for instance, World War I, when the French army ignored war minister Adolphe Messimy’s warning about the country’s insistence on retaining the conspicuous red coloring of its historic pantalon rouge uniforms, despite his pointed admonishment: “This stupid blind attachment to the most visible of colors will have cruel consequences.” The French went on to suffer heavy casualties at the outset of the war, and switched to issuing horizon blue uniforms in 1915. The importance of ...Read More