Pantalon rouge

Last updated
French infantry uniform of 1914 798px-French soldier early uniform WWI(1).JPG
French infantry uniform of 1914
A progression of French infantry uniforms from 1837 (left) to 1870 (right) Uniformes du 59e regiment d'infanterie de 1837 a 1870.jpg
A progression of French infantry uniforms from 1837 (left) to 1870 (right)

The pantalon rouge (French for 'red trousers') were an integral part of the uniform of most regiments of the French army from 1829 to 1914. Some parts of the Kingdom of France's army already wore red trousers or breeches but the French Revolution saw the introduction of white trousers for infantrymen. Following the 1814 Bourbon Restoration white breeches or blue trousers were worn but red trousers for infantry were adopted in 1829 to encourage the French rose madder dye-growing industry. Madder red is a shade darker than the scarlet of British uniforms.

Contents

By the early 20th century other European nations had adopted drab combat uniforms as a response to the changing nature of warfare. An early 1914 attempt by minister of war Adolphe Messimy to modernise the French infantry uniform was rejected after opposition in the press that it was "contrary both to French taste and military function". The bright French uniform contributed to the high casualty rate in the first months of the First World War. In December 1914 the french adopted a less conspicuous horizon blue uniform based on Messimy's proposal. The change in uniform was due to a shortage of the German-produced artificial alizarin dye which had been used in place of the traditional madder dyes.

Use

During the early years of the 18th century red breeches were worn by 23 of the dragoon regiments of France's royal army, [1] but after 1757 a yellowish shade of brown was substituted. [2] Later Kingdom of France uniforms varied significantly between regiments but red breeches were limited to generals, members of the royal household, and the Maréchaussée (until 1763). Infantry regiments universally wore white breeches after the 1750s, replacing the mixture of regimental colours previously favoured by individual colonel-proprietors. After the revolution breeches were replaced with trousers in the army and during the French Revolutionary Wars infantrymen wore these garments in white cloth if available. Infantry wore a number of colours of trouser during the Napoleonic Wars but red was worn only by cavalrymen of the Imperial Guards of Honour, the lancers, three regiments of hussars and the 3rd Regiment of Scouts of the Imperial Guard. [3]

The Bourbon Restoration of 1814 brought in departmental legions in white breeches. When line infantry regiments were restored in 1820 they were issued blue trousers. Red breeches or trousers featured more heavily in the cavalry, being worn by the guard hussars, dragoons, lancers, chasseurs à cheval and most regiments of hussars. [3]

The pantalon rouge were adopted by the French Army on 26 July 1829, to encourage the rose madder dye-growing industry in France. [3] [4] By the 20th century the synthetic dye alizarin, imported from Germany, was used to colour the cloth of the pantalons rouge. The French infantry wore the same pattern of trouser from 1867 to 1914. [5] During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71 the trousers became so synonymous with the French army that civilians referred to soldiers as "red legs" or red trousers. [4]

On the eve of mobilisation for World War I (August 1914) red trousers or breeches formed a conspicuous part of the uniforms worn by all branches and corps except the Chasseurs a' pied, Artillery, Engineers, Colonial troops and certain North African native regiments. The most spectacular version of the pantalons rouge was the voluminous "oriental dress" worn by the zouaves. In red cloth this was so conspicuous that with the outbreak of war it had to be replaced by a white summer version until re-tailored blue and eventually khaki trousers could be issued. [6]

Early colour photograph of French 3rd Zouaves 1912 Zouaves in ww1 tournassoud.jpg
Early colour photograph of French 3rd Zouaves 1912

Replacement

A comparison of French (upper), British (lower left) and Belgian (lower right) army uniforms in 1914 Feld-Uniformen unserer Feinde im Westen Franzosische Feldarmee Englische Belgische Kriegsbilderbogen 4 Bildtafel WWI field uniforms France England Belgium plate wall chart No known copyright.jpg
A comparison of French (upper), British (lower left) and Belgian (lower right) army uniforms in 1914

With changes in battlefield technology and tactics comparable European armies had switched from colourful uniforms to more drab versions in the period leading up to the First World War. The British Army adopted a Khaki field service uniform, in place of the traditional infantryman's redcoat, just after the Second Boer War (1899–1902), Imperial Russia moved from "Tsar's green" to khaki-grey between 1908 and 1910, and in 1909 the German army replaced its traditional Prussian blue uniform with feldgrau , a grayish green color. [7] [8] The United States, Austro-Hungary, Italy and the Ottoman Empire all made similar moves between 1902 and 1910. However, these major powers, and many smaller armies, largely retained their historic brightly-coloured uniforms for ceremonial, parade, and off-duty "walking out" dress until the outbreak of war in 1914. [9]

Suggestions that the French army adopt predominantly brown or grey uniforms were rejected in the decades preceding the war. [10] After observing the actions of the 1912–13 Balkan Wars the French minister of war Adolphe Messimy, well-regarded as a humane and professional army officer, proposed replacing the pantalon rouge, red kepis and blue tunics with less conspicuous colours. [8] [11] Messimy's proposal was for a uniform of so-called tricolore fabric, woven from a mix of 60% blue wool, 30% red wool and 10% white wool. [5]

The proposal was fiercely opposed in the press which objected to the army wearing "muddy, inglorious" colours; the Écho de Paris stated that "to banish all that is colourful, all that gives the soldier his vivid aspect, is to go contrary both to French taste and military function". [12] [13] Former war minister Eugène Étienne also opposed the proposal, declaring "jamais! le pantalon rouge, c'est la France" ("never! the red trousers are France"), which became a catchphrase of the conservative movement in France. [8] [11] The outcry over the proposal almost cost Messimy his ministerial position. [11]

The infantryman's uniform, including the pantalon rouge, was especially visible in the yellow-cropped fields that were fought over in August and September 1914, contributing to the high French casualty rate. [8] [11] After the outbreak of war, red alizarin dye could no longer be obtained from Germany. As a result, in December 1914 the French Army adopted a variation on Messimy's 1913 proposal. The mix of blue and white wool was retained, but without the red component, producing a uniform in horizon blue. Whilst less conspicuous than the pre-war uniform it was not perfect: the colour showed up well on the blue-sensitive film used in aerial photography of the time. The Germans had carefully developed their feldgrau to be hard to detect by photography or the naked eye. [5] The Armée d’Afrique initially adopted uniforms made from khaki cloth manufactured in Britain, but later changed to a lighter brown colour with a yellowish tinge known as "mustard" (moutarde). [14]

Limited readoption

During World War I red trousers never completely vanished from depots plus lines of communication units and training establishments, [15] although this reflected shortages of the new horizon-blue garments rather than nolstalgia. From 1928 [16] the colourful pre-war uniforms were reintroduced for those regiments of the French Army of Africa (Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco) that were primarily dependent on voluntary enlistment. Limited to parade and off duty wear, this recruitment measure meant that red trousers were worn again until 1939 by officers and re-enlisted personnel of the tirailleurs, zouaves and chasseurs d'Afrique. Only the Foreign Legion did not return to pantalons rouge after peacetime stocks were used up after 1919. In 1931 serving officers of all metropolitan and colonial branches were required to acquire full dress for social and ceremonial occasions in pre-1914 colours. [17] In addition to these officers, cadets at the Saint Cyr Military Academy reappeared in blue and red from 1931 onwards. [18] [19]

Sr Cyr cadets 2007 First Battalion ESM Bastille Day 2007 n1.jpg
Sr Cyr cadets 2007

World War II marked the final termination of the pantalons rouge, with the notable exception of Saint Cyr; plus a limited number of military bands and small detachments from units that had historically worn this iconic garment in various forms between 1829 and 1914. [20]

Bandsmen of the modern 1st Tirailleur Regiment of Epinal. Officer in pantalons rouge Nouba 1er Regiment Tirailleurs Epinal.jpg
Bandsmen of the modern 1st Tirailleur Regiment of Épinal. Officer in pantalons rouge
Infanterie. FRENCH INFANTRY UNIFORMS Warriors soldiers from antiquity (Gauls) to 1918. Public domain illustration Larousse du XXeme siecle 1932 (cropped to post 1820).jpg
French army uniforms from 1820 (upper left) to 1918 (lower right)

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zouave</span> Class of light infantry regiments of the French Army

The Zouaves 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 the most decorated units of the French Army.

<i>Chasseurs dAfrique</i> Military unit type of France

The Chasseurs d'Afrique were a light cavalry corps of chasseurs in the French Armée d'Afrique. First raised in 1831 from regular French cavalry posted to Algeria, they numbered five regiments by World War II. For most of their history they were recruited from either French volunteers or French settlers in North Africa doing their military service. As such they were the mounted equivalent of the French Zouave infantry. The other major cavalry element in the Armee d'Afrique were the Spahis—recruited from the indigenous peoples of Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco with mostly French officers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kepi</span> Flat circular cap with a visor

The kepi is a cap with a flat circular top and a peak, or visor. In English, the term is a loanword from French: képi, itself a re-spelled version of the Alemannic German: Käppi, a diminutive form of Kappe, meaning "cap". In Europe, the kepi is most commonly associated with French military and police uniforms, though versions of it were widely worn by other armies during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In North America, it is usually associated with the American Civil War, as it was worn by soldiers on both sides of the conflict.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spahi</span> North African light cavalry in French service

Spahis were light-cavalry regiments of the French army recruited primarily from the Arab and Berber populations of Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco. The modern French Army retains one regiment of Spahis as an armoured unit, with personnel now recruited in mainland France. Senegal also maintains a mounted unit with spahi origins as a presidential escort: the Red Guard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Military uniform</span> Standardised military dress

A military uniform is a standardised dress worn by members of the armed forces and paramilitaries of various nations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Combat uniform</span> Military uniform

A combat uniform, also called field uniform, battledress or military fatigues, is a casual type of uniform used by military, police, fire and other public uniformed services for everyday fieldwork and combat duty purposes, as opposed to dress uniforms worn in functions and parades. It generally consists of a jacket, trousers and shirt or T-shirt, all cut to be looser and more comfortable than more formal uniforms. Design may depend on regiment or service branch, e.g. army, navy, air force, marines, etc. In the army branches, fabrics tend to come in camouflage, disruptive pattern or else green, brown or khaki monochrome, in order to approximate the background and make the soldier less visible in nature. In Western dress codes, field uniform is considered equivalent to civilian casual wear. As such, field uniform is considered less formal than service dress uniform, generally aimed at office or staff use, as well as mess dress uniform, and full dress uniform.

<i>Troupes coloniales</i> Military unit

The Troupes coloniales or Armée coloniale, commonly called La Coloniale, were the colonial troops of the French colonial empire from 1900 until 1961. From 1822 to 1900 these troops were designated Troupes de marine, and in 1961 they readopted this name. They were recruited from mainland France and from the French settler as well as indigenous populations of the empire. This force played a substantial role in the conquest of the empire, in World War I, World War II, the First Indochina War and the Algerian War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Side cap</span> Foldable military cap

A side cap is a military cap that can be folded flat when not being worn. It is also known as a garrison cap or flight cap in the United States, wedge cap in Canada, or field service cap in the United Kingdom; or in vulgar slang as a cunt cap or piss cutter. In form the side cap is comparable to the glengarry, a folding version of the Scottish military bonnet. It has been associated with various military forces since the middle of the 19th century, as well as various civilian organizations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uniforms of the Imperial Japanese Army</span> Uniforms worn by personnel of the Imperial Japanese Armed Forces

Imperial Japanese Army uniforms tended to reflect the uniforms of those countries who were the principal advisors to the Imperial Japanese Army at the time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Full dress uniform</span> Uniform for wear on formal occasions

Full dress uniform, also known as a ceremonial dress uniform or parade dress uniform, is the most formal type of uniforms used by military, police, fire and other public uniformed services for official parades, ceremonies, and receptions, including private ones such as marriages and funerals. Full dress uniforms typically include full-size orders and medals insignia. Styles tend to originate from 19th century uniforms, although the 20th century saw the adoption of mess dress-styled full-dress uniforms. Designs may depend on regiment or service branch. In Western dress codes, full dress uniform is a permitted supplementary alternative equivalent to the civilian white tie for evening wear or morning dress for day wear – sometimes collectively called full dress – although military uniforms are the same for day and evening wear. As such, full dress uniform is the most formal uniform, followed by the mess dress uniform.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tirailleur</span> Indigenous infantry recruited in the French colonial territories

A tirailleur, in the Napoleonic era, was a type of light infantry trained to skirmish ahead of the main columns. Later, the term "tirailleur" was used by the French Army as a designation for indigenous infantry recruited in the French colonial territories during the 19th and 20th centuries, or for metropolitan units serving in a light infantry role.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red coat (military uniform)</span> Military uniform used by British infantry since the 15th century

Red coat, also referred to as redcoat or scarlet tunic, is a military garment formerly much used by British infantrymen, so customarily that the term became a common synecdoche for the soldiers themselves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uniforms of the British Army</span> Military dress

The uniforms of the British Army currently exist in twelve categories ranging from ceremonial uniforms to combat dress. Uniforms in the British Army are specific to the regiment to which a soldier belongs. Full dress presents the most differentiation between units, and there are fewer regimental distinctions between ceremonial dress, service dress, barrack dress and combat dress, though a level of regimental distinction runs throughout.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Service Dress (British Army)</span> Uniform of the British Army

Service Dress is the style of khaki service dress uniform introduced by the British Army for use in the field from the early 1900s, following the experiences of a number of imperial wars and conflicts, including the Second Boer War. This variant of uniform continues to be worn today, although only in a formal role, as No. 2 Pattern dress.

The uniforms of the United States Army distinguish soldiers from other service members. U.S. Army uniform designs have historically been influenced by British and French military traditions, as well as contemporary U.S. civilian fashion trends. The two primary uniforms of the modern U.S. Army are the Army Combat Uniform, used in operational environments, and the Army Green Service Uniform, worn during everyday professional wear and during formal and ceremonial occasions that do not warrant the wear of the more formal blue service uniform.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greek Army uniforms</span>

The modern Greek Army has a history of almost 200 years, during which it has undergone dramatic changes and been involved in some of the major conflicts on the European continent. The modern Greek military throughout its history was closely following international developments in equipment and uniforms. With the notable exception of the elite Evzones units, which based their uniforms on the indigenous traditional garments of the 18th century, the rest of the Army, as most militaries worldwide, was always quick to adopt the military fashion current among the armies of the influential Great Powers. This influence can be roughly divided in three periods: French-style uniforms, which dominated throughout the 19th century, the British styles introduced around World War I and used during World War II and until the late 1960s, and the "NATO" or US-style predominating from ca. 1968 onward. Various individual items or details can of course be traced to other influences, and there were also transitional uniforms combining previous designs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battalions of Light Infantry of Africa</span> Military unit

The Battalions of Light Infantry of Africa, better known under the acronym Bat' d'Af', were French infantry and construction units, serving in Northern Africa, made up of men with prison records who still had to do their military service, or soldiers with serious disciplinary records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uniforms of the Royal Marines</span>

The Royal Marines uniform is the standardised military dress worn by members of the Royal Marines.

The uniforms of the Australian Army have changed significantly over the past century, although the accoutrements worn over this period have remained relatively similar. The forces of the Australian colonies and the early forces of the Commonwealth post-Federation in 1901 closely followed the uniforms of the British Army. Since then it has continued to be influenced by British but also US styles, as well as including some distinctly Australian designs, reflecting local conditions and trends.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Horizon blue</span> Colour; shade of WWI French troop uniforms

Horizon blue is a colour name which is well remembered because it was used for the blue-grey uniforms of French metropolitan troops from 1915 through 1921.

References

  1. ↑ Funcken, Liliane et Fred. L'Uniforme et les Armes des Soldats de la Guerre en Dentelle 2. pp. 23–25. ISBN   2-203-14316-9.
  2. ↑ Funcken, Liliane et Fred. L'Uniforme et les Armes des Soldats de la Guerre en Dentelle 2. p. 29. ISBN   2-203-14316-9.
  3. 1 2 3 L'intermédiaire des chercheurs et curieux (in French). Benj. Duprat, Libraire de l'Institut. 1919. pp. 37–38.
  4. 1 2 Ludovici, Albert (1926). An Artist's Life in London and Paris, 1870-1925. T.F. Unwin Limited. p. 33.
  5. 1 2 3 Matthews David, Alison (2003). "Decorated Men: Fashioning the French Soldier, 1852-1914". Fashion Theory. 7 (1): 32.
  6. ↑ Mirouze, Laurent. The French Army in the First World War - 1914 to 1918. p. 216. ISBN   978-3-902526-20-5.
  7. ↑ Klueger, Robert F. (18 May 2021). Wilson, Clemenceau, Lloyd George and the Roads to Paris. Bridge & Knight Publishers, Ltd. p. 350. ISBN   978-1-7363873-2-0.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Friedland, Roger; Boden, Deirdre (1994). NowHere: Space, Time, and Modernity. University of California Press. p. 166. ISBN   978-0-520-08018-8.
  9. ↑ Haswell, A.E. Vanished Armies. pp. 1–81. ISBN   978-0-74780-739-1.
  10. ↑ Stempel, Jim (26 November 2014). The Nature of War: Origins and Evolution of Violent Conflict. McFarland. p. 141. ISBN   978-0-7864-9058-5.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Lloyd, Mark (4 December 2003). The Art of Military Deception. Pen and Sword. p. 38. ISBN   978-1-84468-010-8. Archived from the original on 27 October 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  12. ↑ Briggs, Asa; Clavin, Patricia (6 June 2014). Modern Europe, 1789-Present. Routledge. p. 171. ISBN   978-1-317-86849-1.
  13. ↑ Army History: The Professional Bulletin of Army History. U.S. Army Center of Military History. 1992. p. 16.
  14. ↑ Kidd, R Spencer (2012). Military Uniforms in Europe 1900 - 2000: Volume One. Lulu.com. p. 42. ISBN   978-1291187441.
  15. ↑ Jouineau, Andre. French Army 1918. pp. 11–47. ISBN   978-2-35250-105-3.
  16. ↑ Michel Baudouin, pages 8-14 Armes Militaria No. 57, Mensuel Mai 1990
  17. ↑ Jouineau, Andre. French Army 1940. pp. 5–56. ISBN   978-2-35250-179-4.
  18. ↑ Jouineau, Andre. French Army 1940. p. 8. ISBN   978-2-35250-179-4.
  19. ↑ Jean-Pierre Baly, page 9 "La Gazette des Uniformes", no 154, Mai-Juin 1995
  20. ↑ Gaujac, Paul. L'Armee Francaise 1943-1956. p. 41. ISBN   978-2-35250-195-4.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.