Time Machine: 'Some Eastern Influences On European Uniforms'

Following is an article by Michael V. Hitrovo titled "Some Eastern Influences on European Uniforms" that appeared in the Fall 1968 issue of "Guidon: A Quarterly Publication of the Miniature Figure Collectors of America," a 5.5 x 8.5, 22-page publication with a cardstock cover. On one level it is typical of the articles that appear in gaming and modeling publications from its era but, in that it goes beyond the Napoleonic era and makes some interesting ethnographic observations, is more interesting than the norm, which tend to be fixated on things like the color of uniform facings and braids; I would, in particular, be interested in hearing from anyone who knows about the fate of Tartar settlements in Poland during and after World War II. The author does make some odd choices with regard to what he does and does not capitalize, and also makes a lot of assumptions about what his readers do or do not know (which might very well have been accurate in his era). 

Following is an article by Michael V. Hitrovo titled "Some Eastern Influences on European Uniforms" that appeared in the Fall 1968 issue of "Guidon: A Quarterly Publication of the Miniature Figure Collectors of America," a 5.5 x 8.5, 22-page publication with a cardstock cover. On one level it is typical of the articles that appear in gaming and modeling publications from its era but, in that it goes beyond the Napoleonic era and makes some interesting ethnographic observations, is more interesting than the norm, which tend to be fixated on things like the color of uniform facings and braids; I would, in particular, be interested in hearing from anyone who knows about the fate of Tartar settlements in Poland during and after World War II. The author does make some odd choices with regard to what he does and does not capitalize, and also makes a lot of assumptions about what his readers do or do not know (which might very well have been accurate in his era). 

The hobby of miniature figure collecting leads one sometimes along rather curious and devious paths. A while ago, pursuing some source material on uniforms, I was struck by the fact that cossacks, usually considered a peculiarly Russian branch of the armed forces, were found at certain times in other armies. This led me to start looking for other peculiar or unusual units and uniforms, and it is surprising how much eastern influence crept into the regiments and uniforms on Western Europe. This article is a brief mention of some of these, written with the hope of setting other collectors upon a rather unusual line of research. 

Naturally enough, we'll start with cossacks, who were the cause of this article. Polish armies contained cossack regiments at certain periods, particularly in the 14th to 16th centuries. These cossack regiments came mainly from the South-West of Russia, from the regions known as Little Russia or the Ukraina. It is to be noted that the word "kosak" or kazak," with the accent on the last syllable, is of tartar origin, and means "a free man." Ukrainian and especially Dnieper cossacks elected their own commanders, and the chief officer was known as Hetman. As there were no uniforms in those days — regimental uniforms developed among the Southern Cossacks only toward the end of the 17th Century — regiments presented rather gaudy sites. Men were dressed in their national costumes, with the reds, blues, and greens predominating, and with other colors present as well. The general costume consisted of wide trousers fitted into black high boots, a sort of a tunic which was usually of unbleached linen, put on over the head, with the standing collar (usually embroidered in cross-stitch) buttoned with two front buttons, and tied around the waist with a belt or a scarf; an outer garment, usually open in the front, and which sometimes had polish-type split sleeves thrown back; and a fur cap of black, gray, or white lamb's wool, often long-haired, and with a colored top which often took the form of a bag hanging on the side or the back of the cap. Armament usually consisted of two or more pistols, a flint-lock or a musket carried on the back by a strap over the right or left shoulder, and of a curved saber. Sometimes lances were added, either without adornment, or with a bunch of long horse-hair towards the lance point, in the Turkish manner. Occasionally Polish helmets were used by the men and/or officers. Needless to say, they were all light cavalry. 

In addition to the Cossack units, Polish armed forces contained from time to time also Tartar units, mainly from Lithuania. This may require a bit of explanation. When the wave of the Golden Horde, which overran Russia in the 13th to early 15th Century, and which spent its impetus in the lands now considered Polish, began to roll back, many Tartar settlements were left here and there in its wake. These settlements persisted almost to this day, keeping their own traditions, customs, and of course, religion (they remained Muslim in Western Russia, Eastern Poland, and Lithuania). It is not likely, however, that these settlements survived the Second World War, although I have no definite information on this score. The Tartar units of the Polish armies were formed from among men of these Tartar settlements. 

Next to be considered is the Austrian Empire. This state combined within its borders for many years, happily or unhappily, many nationalities and groups. Some of these have furnished odd or interesting units. Everyone, probably, knows the origin of the colorful Hussar regiments, for which we are indebted to the Hungarians, so we shall speak no more of these. 

The Southern Frontier was manned to a great extent by the Serbs invited by Austria to settle down along its borders. Serbia at that time was under the dominion of Turkey, and the lot of the Christians in a Moslem state at that time was hard. Therefore, many  Serbs accepted the invitation of the Austrian Crown, and settlements along the Austro-Turkish border grew up on the basis of military service exchange for the protection of the state. In 1699 the first units of "Grenze-infanterie," or Frontier Infantry, were organized. They were "uniformed" at first in the Serbian national dress, but by the Seven-Years War the regiments wore very colorful outfits, unlike most of the other uniforms. The First Regiment, for instance, was dressed in red, with yellow cuffs, collars, and cordage, and the vests were at one time green. Each regiment had its own color combinations. The general uniform cut consisted of a hussar-type jacket — something like the dolman, but looser; corded vest, also short; long, fairly tight trousers, and Hungarian type boots half-way up the calf, laced in the front. A felt cap of the hussar type, and a long flowing cape, blue or red or brown in color. In some cases, a fur busby of a rather peculiar type, with or without a plume, was worn. The Frontier Infantry was absorbed into the Austrian regular army in 1871. 

There were also in the Austrian army regiments of pandours with uniforms somewhat similar to those of the Grenze-infanterie. From Austria these Pandour regiments were copied for a short time in Russia, and in some other countries. 

The Austrian Bosnian troops date back to soon after the Treaty of Berlin, in 1879, by which the former Turkish provices of Bosnia and Herzegovina, populated by Slavic people not unlike the Serbes, were placed under Austrian administration. Because of the long Turkish occupation of these lands, many inhabitants were converted, forcibly or otherwise, to Mohammedanism. Even today the proportion of Muslims there is high. In 1908 these provinces were annexed by Austria outright. Regiments were recruited there from the very first, and while the general uniform was that of the regular Austrian infantry, their characteristic was the red fez. Being a remnant of the Holy Roman Empire, Austria would rather give recognition to the Moslim element in the population than to the Eastern (or Orthodox) Christian church, although, by and large, the policy of the Austrian Empire toward its many separate and distinct groups was quite liberal. 

Germany, too, did not escape some Eastern influence, and, to begin with, the lancers made their appearance as early as 1746. They wore a mixture of regulation Prussian and Oriental dress. The head-gear was an almost Tartar-like fur cap with a small cloth bag. Troopers wore wide trousers and oriental looking coats, and, later, the regiment of "Bosniaken" or Bosniaks was organized, dressed in short red coats and wide red trousers with white piping and trimmings, coming over the boots. They carried hussar sabers, pistols slung on wide white belts over the left shoulder, and lances with varied-colored pennons. Headgear was in the manner of hussars. 

In 1808, two regiments of "Towarczys" (corruption of the Polish word "Towarzysz" or comrade) were raised. They wore short blue coatees, tightly-fitting white hussar-type trousers fitted into high boots, and armed similarly to Bozniaks. Later, a third regiment was organized, and together, these units became the foundation of the German Lancers (Uhlans) as we know them now. 

During the Napoleonic campaigns — mainly 1813 and 1814 — Prussia also organized two regiments of "cossacks" and they were in existence, wearing the regular cossack uniforms, throughout the War of European Liberation. 

The Emperor Napoleon himself did not escape some Eastern influence. The best-known example, of course, are his famous Mamelukes, of whom no more needs to be said here. The next best example are the Polish Lancers in the French army. Indeed, the Polish Lancer uniform became the hallmark of all the lancers in all the European (and even non-European) countries. Finally, there were his Lithuanian Tartars, but their uniforms reflect more the regular French army rather than their peculiar origin, except in some types of headgear. 

Zouaves and Turcos of the French army, so well-known for their military valor, certainly are good examples of the Oriental influence. The jacket and the wide trousers trace their ancestry direct to the Ottoman Turks, and no more needs to be said here, except to point out that their uniforms were copied in America during the Civil War on both sides. 

In this article I have purposely avoided very detailed descriptions of uniforms in the hope that a brief description will prompt some of the collectors to do their own research into this field, and, perhaps, come up with some nice new conversions. 

"Yermak's conquest of Siberia," by Vasiliy Surikov (1865)